Hemming Park is a 1.54 -acre public park located in the heart of downtown Jacksonville. The area was established as a public square in 1857 by Isaiah Hart, founder of Jacksonville. After Hart’s death in 1861 and the end of the Civil War, the Hart family deeded the land to the city for $10. It was first known as “City Park”, then “St. James Park” after the grand St. James Hotel was constructed across the street in 1869. The following year, another major hotel was built across from the park.
The area was renamed Hemming Park in 1899 in honor of Civil War veteran Charles C. Hemming, after he installed a 62-foot tall Confederate monument in the park in 1898.Hemming was born in Jacksonville. He later moved to Colorado Springs, Colorado and became a banker, making a fortune. The memorial is the oldest in the city and was the tallest at the time.
The Great Fire of 1901 destroyed most of the wooden structures in Jacksonville and many others, too. Hemming’s Confederate monument was one of the few structures to survive the fire.
During the 1960 presidential campaign, John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon both gave speeches at Hemming Park a few hours apart on October 18. President Lyndon B. Johnson delivered a speech in Hemming Park on October 26, 1964.
Also in 1960 Hemming was ground zero for Ax Handle Saturday.
In September 2014, the city of Jacksonville entered into a public-private agreement with the nonprofit organization,Friends of Hemming Park, to manage the park. The organization is charged with revitalizing and programming the square. The 501(c)3 nonprofit organization was created by community leaders and members of The Cultural Council of Jacksonville, and Downtown Vision, Inc.
The first Wednesday of every month, Hemming Park is converted into the centerpiece of Jacksonville’s Downtown Art Walk.