St. Louis Park's 1930s-era historic rock garden damaged with screwdrivers, chisels
Historic rock garden vandalized in St. Louis Park
A historic rock garden in St. Louis Park was vandalized amid its restoration. FOX 9's Mary McGuire has the story.
ST. LOUIS PARK, Minn. (FOX 9) - Children reportedly vandalized an historic rock garden in St. Louis Park with screwdrivers and chisels.
The city surveyed the damage on Monday.
St. Louis Park rock garden damaged
What happened:
Dennis Williams was out in his yard on Friday afternoon when he noticed something was off. A group of boys had tools and were damaging a structure at Rock Island, one of only two remaining rock gardens in the state of Minnesota.
"When they are on top of the old fountain of Rock Island on their knees...trying to pry the rocks out (with tools)...that concerned me," said Williams.
The kids ran away, but not before chiseling out some of the 100-year-old, hand-cut stones and breaking them.
History of Rock Island
Dig deeper:
Rock Island is one of seven 1930s-era roadside parks on Highway 100, built to employ people during the Great Depression and give families a place to relax.
Todd Tanner volunteered to help with landscaping at the unique park and says over years of highway construction, several of the parks have been lost, but Rock Island was preserved.
"A bunch of us in the neighborhood have been working really diligently to try and protect this," said Tanner.
In 2023, it was saved from demolition and the city bought the land from the state.
Local perspective:
St. Louis Park police responded to the scene and followed up with those involved.
City staff determined the damage can be restored.