Kimmell Park is a historic

public park An urban park or metropolitan park, also known as a municipal park (North America) or a public park, public open space, or municipal gardens ( UK), is a park in cities and other incorporated places that offer recreation and green space to r ...

and national historic district located on the

Wabash River The Wabash River (French: Ouabache) is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed May 13, 2011 river that drains most of the state of Indiana in the United States. It flows from ...

Vincennes Vincennes (, ) is a commune in the Val-de-Marne department in the eastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris. It is next to but does not include the Château de Vincennes and Bois de Vincennes, which are attache ...

Knox County, Indiana Knox County is a county in the U.S. state of Indiana in the United States. The oldest county in Indiana, it was one of two original counties created in the Northwest Territory in 1790, alongside, St. Clair County, Illinois. Knox County was gradu ...

. The park was dedicated in 1938, and developed by the

Works Progress Administration The Works Progress Administration (WPA; renamed in 1939 as the Work Projects Administration) was an American New Deal agency that employed millions of jobseekers (mostly men who were not formally educated) to carry out public works projects, i ...

(WPA). The WPA constructed a

limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...

shelterhouse and circular picnic patios with seating and built-in fireplace ovens. The park is named for Vincennes mayor Joseph Kimmell (1887-1970) and is a popular spot for picnicking, fishing, and contemplation of the river. ''Note:'' This includes and Accompanying photographs. It was added to the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

in 2013. With the goal of revitalizing the park and capitalizing on the riverfront, the City of

, Vincennes Parks Board, and

Vincennes University Vincennes University (VU) is a public college with its main campus in Vincennes, Indiana. Founded in 1801 as Jefferson Academy, VU is the oldest public institution of higher learning in Indiana. VU was chartered in 1806 as the Indiana Terri ...

worked cooperatively in 2015, with all parties agreeing to transfer ownership of the 8.5-acre Kimmell Park and its 54-acre woodlands to VU, with covenants to ensure that the property remains a

. The renovations, costing nearly $3 million, kept the unique, historic features built by the W.P.A. while installing walking paths, 70 new lights, 200 new trees, 850 linear feet of guard rails, 4,000 cubic yards of fresh concrete, new bathrooms, a new boat ramp, regular security patrols, and a widened entrance that offers a more panoramic view of the river. The name of the park remains the same, honoring former Vincennes Mayor Joseph W. Kimmell, who attended

and served on their Board of Trustees for many years. The Kimmell Park Community Playground, funded by community effort and a state grant, opened in September 2019.

References

Works Progress Administration in Indiana Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Indiana 1938 establishments in Indiana Historic districts in Knox County, Indiana National Register of Historic Places in Knox County, Indiana {{KnoxCountyIN-NRHP-stub