Members of the West End Home & Neighborhood Watch Group celebrate the rededication.
Courtesy photo
Members of City Council, staff cut the ribbon celebrate the rededication.
Courtesy photo
Scouts or scout leaders of Troop 69, which met at the cabin, celebrate the rededication.
Courtesy photo
Patsy Mayes and family celebrate the rededication. Patsy’s father, Dewey Kinard was the Scoutmaster of Troop 69, which met in the cabin. The building is dedicated in his honor. Kinard was a boy scout leader in Newberry from approximately 1922-1989.
Courtesy photo
NEWBERRY – Members of City Council, staff and the community gathered last Wednesday for a rededication and ribbon cutting at Willowbrook Cabin, located within Willowbrook Park.
Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Director Collin Shealy shared that over the past year, the facility has seen numerous improvements, including a new HVAC system, refinished flooring, replacement of windows and doors, a kitchenette addition, and restroom upgrades.
He also highlighted recent playground and shelter enhancements at Willowbrook Park completed prior to the cabin renovations. Altogether, Shealy noted that within the last 15 months, approximately $115,000 has been invested in the park and cabin, with a portion of the funding provided through a Park & Recreation Development Fund grant.
“This facility is actually rented more than another other park shelter that we have on an annual basis,” Shealy said of the scout cabin.
With the new updates, Shealy said it truly makes it a great facility for the community to rent year-round.
Mayor Foster Senn shared some history of the scout cabin, adding that it had been an important place in the West End Community and the City of Newberry where people have come together for many decades.
Senn said it was his understanding that the cabin was built by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) created by President Franklin Roosevelt during the Depression and which had a camp in Newberry County.
The building has served many purposes, mainly as a scout cabin for many decades – including Boy Scouts, Cub Scouts and Girls Scouts.
The building is dedicated in honor of Dewey Kinard, serving as a Scoutmaster for decades.
It has also served as a voting location, a place to hold church services, meetings, and more.
“If you talk to someone from the West End, they will smile as they tell you their memories of the scout cabin, park, and the skating rink that was once here,” Senn said. “This building has been important across generations.”
Senn thanked the West End Neighborhood Association for initiating the efforts, along with city staff for carrying out the community’s requests well.
“We’re excited about this new renovation,” he said.
City Councilwoman Jackie Holmes echoed Senn’s thoughts by saying the scout cabin has served for more than just a building throughout the years.
“It’s a place where friendships were built, skills were learned and memories were made,” she said.
Holmes thanked those for their hard work and generosity of giving the cabin a fresh new look.
“These renovations will ensure that it continues to serve as a safe and welcoming home for folks in Newberry to be able to rent for different events,” she said.
Shealy mentioned that future plans for the cabin include replacing sections of the railing and ramp outside, along with exploring options for a parking area at the facility.