BY CATHERINE KOURETSOS AND JADE ISAACS
NNB Reporters
MIDTOWN — To Verline Moore, Campbell Park is a community building block.
Moore, the park’s supervisor for the last 26 years, grew up playing in the park.
“Much of the community has moved, but it’s still just as strong as ever,” said Moore. “We use the park for events, summer programs, and community leisurement. People always come back here.”
Campbell Park provides recreational activities for children and adults. There is a playground, recreation center, outdoor fitness zone, football and soccer fields, outdoor and indoor basketball courts, softball fields, tennis courts, racquetball courts, a picnic shelter, and a lounge with a patio for grilling.
The park was originally owned by Thomas C. Campbell until 1943 when he sold the land to the city, giving the community a place “where people could come and have fun,” according to the park’s official documented history “A Tribute to Thomas C. Campbell,” written by Thomas P. Zurflieh, Campbell’s great grandson.
Under Moore’s supervision, the park has undergone several renovations since 1996. Improvements include a new kids room, a teen room, an extension to the lounge and kitchen, and the relocation of the bathrooms.
“They do a very good job in upkeeping the park and maintaining it. Having more upkeep allows for more people, which then allows diversity,”said Moore. “The Juvenile Welfare Board also contributes in donations to help keep programs running.”
The park is also special to St. Petersburg’s history.
According to Moore, the park’s baseball fields were used for African-American Major League Baseball players for spring training during the era of segregation.
Rosa L. Jackson, a prominent community member, also used the park’s lounge kitchen to feed the homeless every Thanksgiving, a tradition that is still upheld by Jackson’s daughter, Eloise Jones. The kitchen is now named in Jackson’s honor.
“The history of the park doesn’t just stop there,” Zurflieh wrore. “It’s history lies with the people of the community.”
