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Please note The Museum of the Reconstruction Era will be closed for house tours Wednesday, Feb. 1 - Friday, Feb. 3 due to garden renovations, and the Robert Mills House will be closed for tours on Thursday, Feb. 2 due to a private event on site.

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2717 Canterbury Road

The "Little Parks" of Forest Hills

Prominent landscape architect and planner Harlan Page Kelsey (1872—1958) designed the layout and scenery of Forest Hills for Joseph Walker (1884—1983), a local cotton merchant who acquired the land in 1925 and served as the neighborhood's first developer. Kelsey was heavily invested in preserving and displaying the natural beauty of the Southeast, having been influential in the planning and creation of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. For the Forest Hills project, Kelsey combined his knowledge of horticulture, landscape design and residential trends such as the contemporary 'City Beautiful' movement. Kelsey's design of Forest Hills was aimed at addressing the ills of the modern world by expressing his naturalist philosophy. He created nine 'little parks' spread throughout the neighborhood, ranging in size. The streets and parks of Forest Hills follow the natural topography of the land.  
 

  • Park at Canterbury and Wellington

    The Park at Canterbury and Wellington, 2015. Historic Columbia collection

  • Forest Hills Plan

    Historic Columbia collection

34.011665, -81.00363

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Historic Columbia

© 2023 Historic Columbia

Administrative Offices
1601 Richland Street
Columbia, SC 29201

Tours
All historic house and garden tours start at the Gift Shop at Robert Mills.
1616 Blanding Street
Columbia, SC 29201

Questions? Call (803) 252-7742.

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