Learn About Sculpture Fields at Montague Park
Dear Hamilton,
I recently moved to Chattanooga’s Southside neighborhood and while exploring, stumbled upon a park with towering art installations. What can you tell me about this park and how it became home to so many sculptures?
Sincerely,
Admiring Art at the Park
T.G. Montague (Courtesy of the Chattanooga Public Library)
Dear Admiring Art at the Park,
That would be Montague Park – Chattanooga’s largest urban park and a great spot to explore! These days, the park is home to stunning sculptures and practicing athletes, but that
actually wasn’t always the case. In fact, it has had quite the journey over the past century!
Its beginnings take us back over 100 years. In 1911, Chattanooga resident Mary Thayer Montague donated 49 acres of land to the City of Chatta-nooga for use as a public park to honor her late husband, T.G. Montague, a prominent Chattanoogan and banker. The land was designated as a city park and named Montague Park in his memory. Plans were drawn up to develop this new park, but unfortunately, never came to life.
The site would remain untouched until three decades later, but it wouldn’t become a public park just yet. In 1948, the site was instead turned into a landfill, with plans to elevate its low profile and cap it for future recreational use. This plan moved forward, and 20 years later, a new plan was proposed to develop the now capped land into a community sports and recreation center. The vision included baseball and softball fields, a tennis and archery center, playgrounds, a community center, and parking. While this ambitious goal was only partially realized, the ballfields and parking lots were built, along with a motocross track, and the park soon became a lively home to softball and baseball leagues, motocross racing, and kite competitions.
“Anchors” by Peter Lundberg, displayed at Sculpture Fields
The public enjoyed recreation at Montague Park until 2003, when it hit another roadblock. An environmental study found concerning emissions of methane gas leaking from the landfill and closed down the park. It was fenced off, and it would remain a vacant brownfield for the next 10 years.
Not all was lost, though! The city began working to cap the deficient areas and was able to reopen the park and a new recreational field for rugby in 2012. Today, the rugby pitch and its surrounding acreage are home to the Chattanooga Football Club Foundation and its community soccer events.
“Temple Mayan” by Linda Howard, displayed at Sculpture Fields
Plus, before the park reopened, another plan was in the works – which brings us to the sculptures that now populate so much of Montague Park. Renowned contemporary sculptor, John Henry, and his wife, Pamela, had moved to Chattanooga and lived in a house overlooking Montague Park. Henry began to imagine the land as a sculpture park filled with works of art from artists around the world and, in 2006, began and led a grassroots effort to bring this vision to life.
“Anchors” by Peter Lundberg, displayed at Sculpture Fields
The effort was successful, and in 2012, a 40-year lease was signed with the City of Chattanooga to develop 33 acres of the park. Sculpture Fields at Montague Park opened in 2016, inviting visitors to enjoy a free, year-round public display of art from around the world. Today, Sculpture Fields houses more than 50 pieces of art from over 40 artists and has become the largest sculpture park in the Southeast. Henry passed away in 2022, leaving behind a lasting legacy and vision that only continues to grow stronger as Sculpture Fields remains a part of the city’s thriving art scene.
While Montague Park certainly saw some bumps in the road along the way, it’s now a prime spot for locals and tourists alike. Plus, with new plans to further renovate the park moving forward, its future certainly looks bright!
Hope this helps!
Hamilton Bush
Resident History Hound
Chattanooga, TN
