Harvey S. Firestone, famous industrialist and founder of the iconic Firestone Tire and
Rubber Company, was also a generous benefactor to his hometown of Columbiana, Ohio. In
1935, he donated the money and the land to build a public park for the enjoyment of all.
Firestone Park has received many small upgrades over the decades, but the first major
overhaul began in 2018 with a goal of reinvigorating the landscape and underscoring the legacy
of this community asset. The Idabelle Firestone Gathering Place and Garden is a tribute to Mrs.
Harvey S. Firestone, celebrated in her day and beyond as a devoted wife to Harvey Firestone,
caring mother, gifted music composer and lover of gardens and flowers.
In honor of her love of music, flowers, and community, together with the Clients we
developed a design narrative which laid out their ideals and defined the many uses expected
from this structure. The Idabelle Firestone Gathering Place and Garden was conceived to be a
central character in the Park that supported the community’s daily lives. We knew that The
Gathering Place was to become a visual anchor to the many gardens, walks, and allées that
were developed in the recent upgrades to the Park, but it also needed to provide necessary
support (read: restrooms and drinking water) to the scores of walkers, joggers, and passers-by
who would frequent the new Legacy Trail. In addition, it would also need to serve as a functional backdrop to musical performances, wedding ceremonies, outdoor lessons, or impromptu children’s performances, while guests take a seat in the great lawn and simply enjoy
the show.
Columbiana, 2022
Landscape Architecture – Terra Design Studios, Pittsburgh
