Learn more about the pocket park’s origins and dedication
Conceived by David Rawle, founder of marketing and communications firm Rawle Murdy, as a tribute to his late green-thumbed mother, Theodora Park has provided a shaded sanctuary to those passing by the Gaillard Center for the past 10 years, as seen in this collection of images. Located at the corner of George and Anson streets, the green space is a public-private venture, developed in collaboration with landscape architecture firm Wertimer & Associates, the City of Charleston, Charleston Parks Conservancy, and the support of individual donors. The formerly overgrown, underused playground known as the Ansonborough Tot Lot was transformed into a verdant public garden with the incorporation of palmetto trees, flowering plants such as camellias and azaleas, bluestone and brick pavings, a fountain lined with 370 tiles handmade by ceramic artist Paul Heroux, and a gate created by legendary Lowcountry ironworker Philip Simmons. Since its dedication a decade ago, Theodora Park remains a beautiful place of respite where residents and visitors alike can rest, gather, and, as Rawle noted, “simply draw comfort from nature and art.”
