Brentwood to Complete Smith Park Purchase

by Zachary Harmuth

This week, the City of Brentwood completed the purchase of the final 80 acres of land that used to be Smith family farmland but will soon become Marcella Vivrette Smith Park.

The plot, off of Split Log Road and Wilson Pike, sold for $2,920,875 and adds 77.89 acres to the 320 acres that Brentwood bought from the Smith’s in 2010. The park is across Wilson Pike from Ravenwood High School. The newest tract is on the north west part of the park.

The almost 400 acre parcel, which the newly-restored Ravenswood mansion sits on, is the biggest park in Brentwood.

For now, the new chunk will remain mostly undeveloped–an untouched wilderness except for pedestrian access point at Carriage Hills. But in the long run, the city may convert part of the wild into athletic fields or add more extensive pathways.
Ravenswood

The park, as a whole, will begin opening up in May and will hold hiking trails, pedestrian paths and athletic fields. The restored Ravenswood mansion will start hosting events in August.

For more on the story of the developing park and mansion click HERE.

According to a previous statement by the Brentwood Parks and Recreation department, Ravenswood was built in 1825 by James Hazard Wilson II. It was named for Sam Houston whom the Indians affectionately called “the Raven.”