One of the most prominent amenities in West Columbus is none other than Westgate Park, which is a 46.3-acre city park located in the heart of the Hilltop area. The park has existed as a major meeting place for families since the 1930s.

The park today features a fishing pond, a rain garden, walking trail, athletic courts, a playground and picnic areas. The area looks vastly different compared to 80 years ago, where it was thick with woodland including white oak, red oak,hickory, willow, walnut, ash and elm trees.

It is also the site for many of the annual community celebrations. The most attended being the Historic Hilltop Bean Dinner and most recently, the Westgate Summerjam festival. There’s also a number of public arts projects installed around the park, which honor the history and mood of the community.

Sean V. Lehosit is a freelance journalist and local history writer. He is the author of Images of America: West Columbus, which was released earlier this year by Arcadia Publishing.

