Community Garden Bench Project

Lexington Manor Passive Park

Commmunity Garden Benches Coming Soon!

The Lexington Manor Community Garden has been quite the popular place for produce growing, bird-watching, planting and harvesting, and social gatherings.

With so much hard work being done here, a proper place is needed for a rest break. What would a garden be without beautiful benches?

From this single project, a community partnership evolved with a goal of bringing a variety of colorful and unique benches to the garden.

Through a generous $6,000 donation from the Lexington Park Lions Club and a call for painters by St. Mary's County Arts Council, six local artists were selected.

The wooden benches were created by Eagle Scout Keegan Creswell and members from Boy Scout Troop 561, with all materials and time donated by this dedicated group.

We also thank Lumber 84 of Lexington Park, especially Jack Larue, Manager Trainee, and John Damon, Manager, who added final touches to make the benches paint-ready!

The Lexington Manor Passive Park Steering Committee established a set of criteria (listed below) for the design competition, based on desired color schemes, themes, and creativity.

The artists were announced in November 2024. Congratulations to Kathleen Ball, Katie Brinkley, Yolanda Christensen, Jami Faith, Kristina Gray, and Kelly Perna!

One of six benches to be painted!

Thank you to Eagle Scout Keegan Creswell and members from Boy Scout Troop 561!

History:

Lexington Manor Park is a passive park located on Three Notch Road across from Patuxent River Naval Air Station. It is a parcel that is owned by St. Mary’s County and operated by St. Mary’s County Recreation and Parks. The parcel was the site of the Lexington Manor housing project, which was military housing built in the 1940’s for employees of the Patuxent River Naval Base. The housing was torn down in the 1980’s but many of the cherry trees that were planted from the beginning still remain.

The Community Garden offers a welcoming space for residents to grow fresh produce while fostering community connections. With accessible garden plots and events related to gardening and nutrition, the garden supports health, sustainability, and provides excess produce to local food banks.

Save the date!

The benches are planned to be installed by mid-March with a special Ribbon Cutting at the Cherry Blossom Festival on March 29th, 2025.

Steering Committee Project Design Criteria:

  • The benches will each have a different base color with Community Garden values associated with the colors:

    • Red - Connect, Share, Care - Building community, social connections

    • Orange - A Blooming Space for a Blooming Place - Beautification of public spaces

    • Yellow - Nourish Your Body, Nurture Your Soul - Healthy eating, wellness

    • Green - Rooted in the Past, Growing for the Future - Habitats, environmental quality, sustainability

    • Blue - Water is the Lifeblood of St. Mary’s County - Stormwater management, water quality, conservation

    • Purple - Empowerment Grows Here - Social justice, equity, opportunity

Thank you to Jack Larue (L), Manager Trainee, and John Damon (R), Manager, of 84 Lumber in Lexington Park!

This project has been made possible through a generous donation by the Lexington Park Lions Club!

Learn more about the Lexington Manor Passive Park Community Garden and upcoming events at the St. Mary’s County CDC website!