Civic Association of Hollin Hills |
One of the most distinctive features of Hollin Hills is the 30 acres of parkland that weave through it, providing beauty and recreational areas for residents, a gentle setting for the architecture, and a rich, diverse habitat for animal life, from deer and foxes to migratory birds.
The parks were originally the brainchild of developer Robert Davenport. In 1954, shortly after establishing the community, Davenport set aside 13 acres of land to be used as parks, which would be owned and managed by the Civic Association of Hollin Hills. The parks were named in a community contest.
That parkland has grown to over 30 acres as the community has expanded, and now provides a varied setting for community get-togethers (such as the annual 4th of July picnic), concerts, play areas for kids, hiking, dog-walking and other activities.
As part of the community's ecosystem, these largely forested areas function as important wildlife habitats, improve air quality, contribute to stormwater management, reduce ambient summertime temperatures, and provide a wealth of material for nature study.
The parks (with the exception of McCalley Park) are owned by the Civic Association of Hollin Hills, which maintains them for the use of the community through its Parks Committee and park wardens. As stewards of the parks, the CAHH works to keep the parks healthy and safe, conserve wildlife habitats and native plants, protect water quality and address drainage and erosion issues.
The CAHH Parks Committee monitors the conditions of the parks, organizes periodic “clean-up parties” (see Events calendar) to remove invasive plants and do other maintenance work, and contracts out work for larger projects such as removing dead or dying trees, repairing play equipment, and mowing grassy areas.
The CAHH Parks Committee administers the Civic Association's annual parks budget, which is $38,800 for 2024—funding which comes from Civic Association membership dues, parks donations and grants from organizations such as the Friends of Hollin Hills.
While the CAHH Parks Committee takes the lead role, community support and participation are crucial to maintain the parks. Please consider joining one of the many clean-up parties held throughout the year, volunteering to become a park warden, and/or making a financial donation to the parks.
The EntrancesThe Parks Committee also looks after the entrances to Hollin Hills at Fort Hunt Road and Sherwood Hall Lane. With a grant from the Audubon Society, the Committee in 2021 replaced the non-native plants at the Fort Hunt entrance with an “oasis” of native species that provides berries, seeds, nectar, and pollen for insects and birds; food for butterfly and moth larvae; and nesting sites and shelter for birds and other wildlife. Details about the plants used are available in this handout -- HH_Entry_handout.pdf The Sherwood Hall Lane entrance is also getting a makeover, and is being replanted with native species in 2024, thanks to a generous donation from Jim Wheeler and Sally Watkins. |
Voigt ParkVoigt Memorial Park is a set of three properties totaling 9.77 acres with an open rectangular, 3.41-acre park located between Fort Hunt Road and Rippon Road at the eastern edge of Hollin Hills, abutting the swim club. It’s the site of the annual 4th of July picnic and other community get-togethers, and boasts a swing set, picnic tables and other play equipment. In 2021, volunteers built a bocce court in the south end of the park, along Rippon Road. In 2024, volunteers planted a willow dome. The main entrance to Voigt Park is at the corner of Rippon Road and Paul Spring Road, but the park can also be accessed from Rippon Road further to the south. The park is named after landscape architect, Lou Bernard "Barney" Voigt, who was instrumental in the overall Hollin Hills site plan and responsible for many of the individual property landscape plans. Sadly, Voigt’s work was cut short in 1953 by his untimely death at 37. The following year, the existing park — known as Rippon Park — was renamed Voigt Memorial Park, in recognition of his innovative work. Voigt Park is located in a state and locally regulated Resource Protection Area, which is a part of the Chesapeake Bay Preservation program. Voigt Park has endured periodic flooding in recent years, and has benefited from frequent volunteer work parties, as well as repairs to park amenities funded by the Civic Association and Friends of Hollin Hills. |
Goodman Park & TrailCharles Goodman Park is named after the neighborhood's master architect and planner. The sloping, narrow 3.20 acre park runs roughly north-south from Paul Spring Road to Martha's Road, and can be accessed at either end. (The park is currently closed as erosion and replanting issues are addressed.) One of the original areas designed as a park and deeded to the Civic Association in 1956, the park was initially known as East Stafford Park; it was renamed in 1992. A stormwater management project was launched in Goodman Park in 2021 to address the erosion problem that had caused deep chasms in the park. Construction ended in 2022, and the park has been replanted with thousands of native species, replacing the English ivy and other invasive species that had overrun the park. The park and trail directly border 28 home properties and is similar to Brickelmaier Park in that a riparian zone exists along its stream and it is mostly forested land following the Paul Spring Branch stream with a riparian corridor. |