Gardens at Speed Park
175 Indiana Ave, Sellersburg, IN

The Gardens have a nearly 100-year history, beginning with efforts in the 1920s of Mr. and Mrs. W. S. Speed, to develop the village of Speed into a thriving company town. Speed Community House quickly became the focal point in the area. In 1922, the lots behind the Community House were cleaned up and, by the middle of the decade, converted into a picturesque park with shade trees. The area around the Community House was landscaped at that time with walkways and flower beds.

With the closure of Speed Community House in 1966, the park quickly fell into a state of neglect and disrepair. It was not until 1992 that Essroc Cement Co. intervened to revitalize the park for the community. Dead trees and shrubs were removed, picnic and children’s play areas were created, a gazebo was built for family reunions, the fish pond was cleaned, and the gardens were landscaped.

 

Since 2004 Sunnyside Master Gardeners have been involved in the upkeep and expansion of the garden area. Plans for the future include making the entire gardens more pollinator- and butterfly-friendly and placing identifying plant markers. We are also in the process of re-establishing all the original edgestones around the flower beds. Our goal is to continue the legacy of the Speed family and provide a place where the local community can meet, learn, observe and enjoy the beauty of nature in all its many facets.