Historic resources staff members with the city will hold an open house this weekend to seek feedback on possibly listing Watson Park on the Lawrence Register of Historic Places.
The open house is set for 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 31 in meeting room B at the Lawrence Public Library, 707 Vermont St.
The register is a list of “significant properties in the city which represent elements of the city’s cultural, social, economic, political, and architectural history,” according to a news release from the city.
Mike Wildgen, former Lawrence city manager, and Dean Palos, a historian and past planner, have led efforts to add Watson Park to the register.
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Wildgen and Palos submitted a formal request asking the Lawrence City Commission to agree to add the park to the register. City commissioners unanimously agreed during their Dec. 16 meeting that they weren’t interested in having the Historic Resources Commission pursue the request, citing limited staff capacity.
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City commissioners were also concerned that historic registry status would make it harder for nearby homeowners to make alterations and renovations to their properties.
However, the Historic Resources Commission has autonomy to move forward with the process to see if the parks can be added to the registry, and the board had already voted in favor.
The Historic Resources Commission will next meet at 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 19 at City Hall, 6 E. Sixth St. They will hear comments on the nomination during the meeting and accept comments via email to planning@lawrenceks.gov until 10 a.m. the day of the meeting.
HRC meeting agendas are available via this link.
The Lawrence Register of Historic Places currently lists 95 properties and two historic districts, according to the city.
Here’s more info about the park from the city’s release:
“Watson Park was shown on the original town survey in 1854 as an open space with the ravine clearly denoted and by the 1855 town plat it was identified as Central Park. Since 1855, the open space between 6th Street and 8th Street has continued to be a city park. The park was renamed ‘Watson Park’ in 1990 in honor of Buford Watson who was the city manager for Lawrence from 1970-1989.”
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Kaw Valley Almanac for Jan. 26-Feb. 1, 2026
The cold temperatures have frozen over most rivers, except for where the current is fast enough to keep it open, as it has in several spots near the Bowersock dam in Lawrence. Eagles, geese and other birds looking for food/protection are concentrated by the open water.
