It all started with a corn field and an idea.
Bureau of Identification Photographic Laboratory. [Planting Tree at Brentwood Elementary],photograph, March 1952
2025
New FOBP website and rebranding is launched at the VCCW Spring Festival.
FOBP rallies a new Garden Club to better maintain the park’s pollinator planting beds.
2024
With funding from Brentwood NA, Olive Farleigh (third from left) completes her Girl Scout Silver Badge and adds two Brentwood Blue picnic tables to the park.
2020
The Brentwood Playground Project committee wins the Golden Shovel Award from Austin Parks Foundation. PARD shares a Facebook video about the new park playground amenities.
A wildflower no-mow zone along Yates is installed in December 2020 (led by Denman Netherland)
A memorial bench is installed for Wendell and Elaine Freeman.
2019
Longtime FOBP volunteer Dave Shulder passes away just a couple days after the November IMPD. A Texas Ash along Yates is planted in a Waterboxx in his memory (led by Kat Correa).
2017
The Brentwood Playground Project Committee is formed.
The Double Arch steel sculpture (Emily Hoyt) is installed for several weeks as part of the Art in Public Places program.
2016
The Hyperprism aluminum and crystal sculpture (Autumn Ewalt) is installed for several weeks as part of the Art in Public Places program.
2015
A memorial bench is installed for Sidney Paschal and Billie Jean Shelton, Brentwood Street residents for 57 years. The planting bed was installed afterwards in 2016 (led by Marie Taylor).
2014
Sports amenities are refreshed, new benches installed, and water fountain replaced (led by Emily Wilson).
A memorial bench is installed for David Sikes, a founding member of Brentwood Neighborhood Association.
2013
The crushed granite trail that borders the park is completed in September (led by Emily Wilson).
A memorial bench is dedicated to Renald Ferrovecchio on his birthday on October 5th.
A Waterboxx tree planting pilot program for 22 trees is successfully installed.
2012
The Purple Martin colony with 24 gourds is installed in early spring before the birds arrive via migration.
The picnic pavilion project is competed over the summer (led by Kat Correa).
2011
A neighborhood wide park survey is conducted to determine park needs, and a master park plan is drafted (led by Denman Netherland).
Voices of the Violet Crown debuts their short film titled We Planted 115 Trees.
2010
The first It’s My Park Day even is held on March 6, 2010. The Welcome sign planting bed is installed (led by Karen Lorenzini).
An historic tree planting of 115 trees takes place on November 6, 2010 (led by Emily Wilson, Hedrich Michaelsen, and Elaine Dill). Documented by Voices of the Violet Crown.
2009
Neighbors Hedrich Michaelsen and Emily Wilson participate in the city’s Green Neighborhood Challenge and adopt Brentwood Park. Friends of Brentwood Park is formed and registered with the Austin Parks Foundation. (Hedrich Michaelsen and Emily Wilson, left and center, with Nancy Yelle). Fellow gardeners are rallied to join the founding FOBP Leadership Team.
2003
The first Violet Crown Community Works May festival is held in Brentwood Park to raise money for artist Jean Graham’s Wall of Welcome mosaic art project at the Woodrow shopping center. Read more history about the VCCW May festivals.
1997
A tree and plaque are dedicated in memory of Hardy Aldridge, Brentwood neighbor and BNA steering committee member.
1987
A tree and plaque are dedicated in memory of Jack Lenhart, Brentwood neighbor and charter member of BNA.
1984
Sponsored by Crestview Methodist church, Scout troop 48 officially adopts Brentwood Park to help care for recently planted trees.
1957
Brentwood Park is again named a Superior Playground by the city of Austin. The park was also recognized in 1955 (see original plaque installation photo).
1956
The Brentwood Recreation Club and Austin Recreation Department co-sponsor a junior baseball league at Brentwood Park for over 230 boys.
Some time in the mid-1950s, construction began on the concrete basketball court at Brentwood Park. Best guesses suggest the basketball court was constructed before the tennis court, which was announced for bids in 1955.
1955
The city of Austin calls for bids (left) for the construction of reinforced concrete tennis courts at Brentwood Park.
The Brentwood Recreation Club holds a variety show and annual fundraiser at Brentwood school for playground equipment. The Briar Patchers perform (right), and Cactus Pryor headlines the show.
1955
“Brentwood was named the superior playground for 1955 and was awarded a plaque by Mayor Tom Miller at the annual Play Day program in Zilker Park.” ~Austin American Statesman
Reasons for the award were the community night programs, inter-playground participation, an active Parents Club, the varied playground equipment, and the number of neighbors using the playground.
1954
Keeping their tree planting as an annual event, the Brentwood Recreation Club plants 50 trees, gathering many Sycamore saplings from Onion Creek.
1953
The Brentwood Park children’s pool is completed just north of the elementary school and opens for the summer. It has a maximum depth of four feet, and the water is drained each night into the arroyo.
1952
The Brentwood Recreation Club is formed and plants 48 trees in the near the school and park in March. In May, the park is officially dedicated by members of city council and the Park and Recreation Board during a fundraising festival hosted by the Brentwood Recreation Club. It is the only city park north of 45th street. Monthly summer potlucks are held in the park, and for ten years, a park director planned numerous summer activities for neighborhood children. The recreation club later meets with city officials for the development of a playground.
1952
The Brentwood Parents Playground Club meets with city officials to plan the development of Brentwood playground. They also asked permission to begin planting 50 trees.
1952
The Brentwood Park is officially dedicated in May by members of city council and the Park and Recreation Board during a fundraising festival hosted by the Brentwood Recreation Club. It is the only city park north of 45th street. Monthly summer potlucks are held in the park, and for ten years, a park director planned numerous summer activities for neighborhood children. The recreation club later meets with city officials for the development of a playground.
1950
The city of Austin purchases a plot of land from the Pease family to build Brentwood school. The cornfield behind the school stretches up to the homes on Justin Lane and becomes Brentwood Park.
View the original image to zoom in on Brentwood School, which is the white building in the field in the upper left quadrant of the photo. Parts of both Brentwood and Crestview are visible in the top half of the photo. The empty plot of land to the right of the school becomes Brentwood Park.
With this view facing west, note the angled intersection of Airport and Lamar Boulevards in the lower left quadrant. Justin Lane is to the left of that intersection. Visually follow Justin Lane westward as it intersects Reese, Grover, Woodrow, and Arroyo Seco. To the right, notice the Crestview Shopping Center located in between Woodrow and Arroyo Seco where the Minimax IGA opened in 1953.
Douglass, Neal. Aerial view of Jefferson Chemical Plant, photograph, October 3, 1951;(https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth74571/: accessed April 19, 2025), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Austin History Center, Austin Public Library.