By Jennifer Ritchie
Lifelong Lexington resident, Willie Wingard, was deeply devoted to her neighbors, appreciated the beautiful surroundings of the natural world, and exhibited such a compassionate spirit that one of her final acts of kindness to her community was monumental, generous, and inclusive. This is how and
why Wingard Park was conceived and established. As a direct result of “Miss Willie’s” dynamic vision and philanthropy, people of all ages will enjoy her legacy of benevolence for generations to come. The
evidence of this can be heard in the sweet and innocent laughter of unrestrained joy that emanates every day from the celebrated park founded in her honor.
Mrs. Willie Wingard (or “Miss Willie,” as everyone knew her) and her husband, Hugh, were very attached to and involved in the local community. Mr. Wingard, a World War II veteran (having fought in the Battle of the Bulge), was also an active member of Providence Lutheran Church, where he served as a member of the church council, a Sunday school treasurer, and a delegate to the South Carolina
Lutheran Synod Conference. Additionally, he was a charter member of the Lexington Jaycees, and a life member of both the Masonic Lodge No. 152 and the American Legion Post 7.
Alongside her husband, Miss Willie served on the church council and as a Sunday school teacher and was also a member of the ministry organization, Women of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. In addition to being a charter member of both the Extension Secretaries Association and
the State Extension Retirees Association, Miss Willie’s other interests included memberships in organizations such as the Lexington County Family and Community Leaders, the Lexington
County Garden Club, the Lexington County Beautification Committee, The Herb Bunch, and the Lexington County Historical Society. Not surprisingly, since both were lovers of nature and avid gardeners, the Wingard’s own yard was filled with azaleas, camellias, dogwoods, phlox, wisteria, jasmine, jonquils, forsythia, iris, and more. In the spring and summer, their property was a southern showcase of flourishing flora, a spectacle of color and beauty.
A few years before her death in the fall of 2019, as she was “getting her affairs in order,” the widowed Miss Willie contacted the Lexington County Recreation & Aging Commission (LCRAC) about a possible land bequest she was considering giving to benefit the local community. As a lasting legacy, she envisioned the creation of a passive park—a tranquil place that would allow visitors to observe nature, picnic, play, and gather—to be built on her family’s property.
Specifically, this undertaking would involve a sizable donation of 14 acres of land to LCRAC with the proviso that it would be used for a natural recreational space only (as opposed to accommodating ball fields, gymnasiums, subdivisions, industrial developments, etc.). Ideally, it was Miss Willie’s dream
that this park would be a place that everyone could enjoy, regardless of any disabilities or mobility assistance barriers, within the vibrant surroundings of the picturesque Wingard homeplace. As promised, LCRAC delivered. Randy Gibson, LCRAC’s executive director, commissioned ADC Engineering and Pyramid Construction for the design and construction of the park and engaged
multiple commercial playground equipment dealers for the purchase and installation of the play structures.
Opened in September of 2025, the new “Wingard Park” consists of 5,000 square feet of inclusive playground equipment and other recreational facilities as well as open green spaces where community members can enjoy outdoor adventures and relaxing activities. Mounted on artificial turf (to lessen the impact of inevitable falls), the main playground area contains equipment designed to remove both
physical and social barriers to exclusion. This festival of fun has jungle gyms, slides, track gliders (including one with a harness to provide stability), a spinning-tea-cup merry-go-round, rope climbing ladders, sensory attachments, “overgrown” steel flowers that offer shade in the summertime, and swings, swings, and more swings. Surrounding the playground area, additional ample space allows children to run, play tag, and turn cartwheels, while families with strollers and mobility equipment stroll along and enjoy the scene.
Since Miss Willie wanted the park to serve as a community gathering place, installing a large picnic shelter area was also essential. This section houses 12 picnic tables and is outfitted with four
family restrooms, complete with baby changing stations. Huge overhead ceiling fans help to beat the heat even on the hottest days, and the solid flooring is easy to clean and maintain. With the children’s
safety in mind, the playground area is completely fenced in, and its entrance is strategically connected to the picnic shelter, so that youngsters can only pass through this section when exiting and
entering the park, under the watchful eyes of their caretakers. Numerous refuse containers are scattered throughout the picnic shelter area to allow for easy cleanups, and to ensure the playground itself is well
maintained, park rules kindly request that no pets, food, or beverages be brought into the children’s play area.
Surrounded by a plethora of trees, shrubs, and flowering bulbs, Wingard Park is located at the intersection of Old Cherokee and Old Chapin Roads. Hours are from dawn until dusk, which is about 7:00am until 8:30pm for summer months, and there is ample parking including handicap-accessible spots, with additional overflow parking to the right of the park. In the future, LCRAC anticipates expanding the park by adding a walking path and additional shelters.
The Lexington community is deeply grateful to the Wingard family for such a
magnanimous, generous, and thoughtful gift, and the sounds of joy resonating from
this park are a timeless legacy that will be heard for many years to come.
