Constance Witherby Park

Historic Legacy

Found in the Wayland neighborhood of Providence, Rhode Island sits Constance Witherby Park, a small but charming green space with a touching backstory. The park earned its place on the National Register of Historic Places back in 1975, giving it protected status as a piece of local history.

The story behind the park is rather poignant - in 1929, Mr. and Mrs. S. Foster Hunt donated this land to Providence in memory of Mrs. Hunt's daughter from her first marriage, Constance Witherby, who passed away at just 15 years old. Ernest K. Thomas, who served as the Superintendent of Parks at the time, lent his landscaping expertise to create this memorial space.

Park Features

Sandwiched between Waterman Street and Pitman Avenue (right across from the Salvation Army), this heavily wooded sanctuary spans just over 100,000 square feet. Despite its modest size, the park offers a peaceful retreat from city life with its abundant trees and scattered benches. It's one of those hidden pockets of nature that lets you catch your breath amid the urban bustle.

Memorial Sculpture

If you visited decades ago, you might have seen a bronze sculpture called "A Memorial to Young Womanhood" (also known as "The Spirit of Youth") created by sculptor Gail Sherman Corbett. This artwork depicted a young girl in a windswept dress, a tribute to Constance herself.

Toward the end of the 20th century, after unfortunately being vandalized, the statue found a new home on Blackstone Boulevard near its intersection with Clarendon Street. While the sculpture may have moved, the park continues to honor the memory of the young woman it was named after.