Noke News explores parts of Roanoke by foot, equipped with a camera and a notepad, in hopes of learning something new. Perhaps you will too.

This time I have ventured slightly off the path of my routine travels. From time to time I make a trek from the SW part of the City over to Williamson Road, via 10th Street NW. So, I’ve seen Brown-Robertson Park before as it’s located along 10th Street at about the 1400 block.

The day started as a rather pretty Spring morning and I decided to make a special trip to the park and see what there was to see. The park’s origin and the meaning behind its name I also found interesting, which I’ll talk about a little later.

Let’s check it all out:

The main entrance to the park is directly off of the road, and is noticeable by a short series of small rock boulders placed at the beginning of a long sidewalk.

Entrance to Brown-Robertson Park

Main Sidewalk at the park

This paved sidewalk leads into the heart of the park. And all along the walk there are several benches for sitting, as well as young trees which have been planted just off to the left and right to help guide the way.

Besides these trees, the majority of the area on either side is open land for running and playing.

A housed patio can be seen in the distance at the end of the sidewalk.

At about the halfway point, the sidewalk stops for a moment and becomes a large circle made of a stone flooring.

I don’t know its significance, but it seemed to me to be a nice touch of decoration to an otherwise simple sidewalk.

Covered Picnic Tables, Basketball Court to the Left and Play Area to the Right

Up ahead at the end of the sidewalk is a larger, covered patio with a set of 4 picnic tables for eating and gathering activities. In direct view from the the tables is a basketball court to the left, and a playset area to the right.

The basketball court appeared to be full-size, and with painted regulation lines instead of blank pavement. The play area featured such favorites as slides and even included a scaled-down climbing apparatus for the young ones.

View of Brown-Robertson Park

As for history of the park, what I found out was interesting. Some internet searching led me to a press release from the Roanoke City website (dated 5/28/02) which shed some light on the park’s origin.

Before the flood of 1985 the area was primarily residential with homes existing where the park is today. But, after the waters rose it left the previous entire section of street in shambles, and 2 Roanoke residents dead.

After the destruction of the flood, the City acquired the land and eventually turned it into the park we have now. The 2 residents who passed away were Mrs. Dorothy Brown and Mrs. Hazel Robertson. Thus, the name Brown-Robertson Park was formed.