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Susan Weathersby, Councilwoman Angie Henderson, Mayor David Briley, Barby and Govan White, Metro Parks Director Monique Odom
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Richard, Barby, Govan, Molly, and Davidson White
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Restored gates
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Restored gates
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Bill Rubino, Laura Knox, Leah Rubino
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Sally Nance, Lloyd Crockett, Laura Knox, Elizabeth Crockett, Dudley White
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Crowd assembles for ribbon cutting
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Metro Parks Director Monique Odom and Claire Corby
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William Morgan, Dudley White, Jane and Bill Coble
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Govan White addresses the crowd
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Mayor David Briley
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Pre-ribbon cutting
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Ribbon cutting
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Crom Tidwell, Warner and Madge Bass, Emily and Lea Tidwell
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Councilwoman Berkley Allen, Henry and Lynne Trost
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Elizabeth Lamar, Barby White, Kathleen Estes
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Hunter McDonald III and IV, Betsy McDonald, Dudley and Govan White, William Dudley Morgan
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Jacob, Sam, and Caroline Speight, Lindy Thompson, Barbara Speight
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Kevin Roddey and Fran Hardcastle
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Tara Armistead, Laura Knox, Susan Weathersby
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Clark Akers and Jodi Banks
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Families who led the restoration
On Friday, June 22, a ribbon cutting ceremony was held to reopen and celebrate the complete restoration of Percy Warner Park's iconic sandstone gates. Speaking at the event were Mayor David Briley, Metro Parks Director Monique Odom, Councilwoman Angie Henderson, and Warner Parks board members Susan Weathersby and Govan White. Nearly 40 descendants of Percy Warner were in attendance.
The $190,000 restoration of the gates, which were originally dedicated in 1932, was privately funded by hundreds of community members with the lead gift provided by Govan White, great grandson of Percy Warner, his wife Barby White and their children Margaret Lindsley, Govan Davidson, Jr., and Richard Warner.
The new inscription on the restored gates reads, 'So that future generations may continue to enjoy the beauty of wood and field and flower, this gateway to the park has been restored to its original splendor in memory of Percy Warner.”
For Percy Warner Park, the second phase of the park's restoration will be to fully restore the historic Allée staircase designed by Bryant Fleming in the early 1930s. That fundraising effort has just begun. Donations can be made to Friends of Warner Parks.
Photos by Warner Tidwell Photography.