Old Weems School Grounds to Become a Park

By Alyssa Schnugg
News editor
alyssa.schnugg@hottytoddy.com

Now gone, the grounds where Weems Elementary School once stood will be turned into a community park.
File photo

In the 60s, the Weems Elementary School served the children in Taylor’s African-American community.

Soon it will serve all Lafayette County residents – old and young – as a new community park.

On Monday, the Lafayette County Board of Supervisors approved leasing 3 acres of land where the old school was located to a newly formed nonprofit group, Taylor Park Recreation.

The building was heavily damaged after a fire broke out in March 2018. It is believed to have been accidentally started by a homeless individual who was had sought shelter inside the empty building.

What was left of the building was demolished in May 2018.

Since then, a community-based group, led by Tammie Hairston, approached the Board about building a community park on the grounds.

Supervisor David Rikard said the group has held several meetings and is currently working on raising funds to build the park.

“They hope to have a walking path, pavilion and playground,” he said Monday.

The county is leasing the property to Taylor Park Recreation for $1 a year with the agreement that the park will be built with funds raised by the nonprofit group, which has received its 501c3 tax status.

“They plan to build it out in three phases,” Rikard said. “There’s been a lot of hard work by citizens and Taylor community leaders so far on this project.”

Before approving the lease, the Board of Supervisors voted to declare the 3 acres as surplus property.