Madeleine Tilley

January 7, 2014
Period 1 English
Mrs. David

The Sentimental Value of Acorn

Park
Acorn Park is a nice place to go, whether its to have fun with your family,
have a picnic or even just run around in. It is also a historical landmark. But have
you ever considered why it is, or why it has been preserved? Acorn Park was first
just open land, when Francis Preston Blair discovered a tiny burbling stream through
the shiny mica sand. Two years after the discovery, Blair and his wife moved into a
300 acre summer estate called Silver Spring. Blair built an acorn shaped gazebo on
the land. Unfortunately, the summer estate was demolished in 1955. However, the
Blairs winter home was preserved, and is now the presidents guest house. Also at
Acorn Park are a few beautiful murals from the past, as well as the main attraction,
the acorn gazebo.
The 3 landmark criteria Acorn Park fits are architectural merit, association
with people who made a lasting contribution, and a few events happened there, too.
It fits the criteria of architectural merit because the acorn gazebo is not modern
architecture. It represents rustic garden structures and furniture popular in mid1800s. It also fits the criteria of association with people who made a lasting
contribution because Blairs son, Montgomery is the founder of Montgomery Blair
High School. There is also the fact that President Andrew Jackson read Francis Blairs
editorials in the local newspaper, and then asked Blair to help save a failing
newspaper, the Globe, and to transform it into a pro-administration publication. And
lastly, Acorn Park had many events take place in its field, but the one everybody
remembers is when Blair proposed to his wife under an oak tree at Acorn Park.
The importance of Acorn Park to the community is that Blair was pretty much
the founder of Silver Spring, so it has been kept up in dedication to him. Also,
families can go there to just enjoy themselves. While theyre there, they can also
see the remains and the beginning of Blairs summer estate (they would only be
looking at the land, not the building). And lastly, students can go there for field trips
on the history of Silver Spring.