Jenny and Michael Messner
Potent Pathways: Designed in 1906 by Olmsted’s son John Charles, Hampton Park is one of the Messners’ favorite Lowcountry spots. “It just draws you in; the paths invite you to meander and explore, and that’s really the essence of a classic Olmsted design,” says Jenny.
When the couple hosted a free screening of Olmsted and America’s Urban Parks in 2013, it was a homecoming for daughter Rebecca, who wrote and produced the PBS documentary.
Rebecca and Jenny with Olmsted narrator Kevin Kline
Family Foundation: Now that their three children (George, Robert, and Rebecca) are grown and flown, the Messners prioritize family gatherings at their beloved Pennsylvania stone farmhouse, where Jenny’s grandparents lived, she summered, and her own children returned every summer.
The Brays Bayou Project in Houston aims to link parks and trails along the waterway to improve flood control, economic development, and community quality of life.
Unused Norfolk Southern line now: Currently barren and blighted, the abandoned Norfolk Southern rail lines that run beneath I-26 through the heart of downtown will be reclaimed and turned into a multi-use linear park, connecting the Neck and the lower peninsula and adding much needed recreational and bike/pedestrian access through what is now no man’s land.
An early rendering of what the Low Line could be: Currently barren and blighted, the abandoned Norfolk Southern rail lines that run beneath I-26 through the heart of downtown will be reclaimed and turned into a multi-use linear park, connecting the Neck and the lower peninsula and adding much needed recreational and bike/pedestrian access through what is now no man’s land.
Transformative Tracks: Taking their cues from the incredible success of Manhattan’s High Line, the Friends of the Lowcountry Low Line envision similar urban redevelopment potential, aesthetic enhancement, and heavy recreational use spurred by the nearly two-mile trail.
Manhattan: These aerial maps, with parks highlighted in green, demonstrate the difference in dedicated public park space between Manhattan and Charleston. The bustling metropolis has 3.9 square miles of park space or 13 percent of the total area, while Charleston, south of I-526, has less than a half square mile or two percent.
Charleston below I-526: These aerial maps, with parks highlighted in green, demonstrate the difference in dedicated public park space between Manhattan and Charleston. The bustling metropolis has 3.9 square miles of park space or 13 percent of the total area, while Charleston, south of I-526, has less than a half square mile or two percent.
Charting Progress: In addition to their support of local parks, the Messners have helped launch two new public charter schools: Carolina Voyagerand Allegro, which infuses music education throughout its curriculum.
Former Mayor Joe Riley and Charleston Parks Conservancy director Harry Lesesne with the Messners during the Hampton Park Wi-Fi wire-cutting ceremony
Fresh Connection: Adding free Wi-Fi to the city’s parks is one of many initiatives supported by the Messners’ Speedwell Foundation. The rollout began at parks closest to under-resourced neighborhoods, giving more families Internet access. Here, the couple visits with some students from Carolina Voyager Charter School at the Hampton Park wireless connection celebration.
