By Brenna R. Kelly
The Cincinnati Enquirer

FLORENCE - The newest park in town and the only one in Old Florence has a name - Stringtown Park.

The name, based on Florence's 19th-century nickname, was chosen from more than 350 submitted in a contest to name the 8-acre park on Ky. 18 between Wallace and Kathryn avenues.

"I figured it was an old-fashioned kind of thing," said Terri Elmore, 44, who sent in the name. "I figured they would go with something more modern."

Elmore, a nurse, remembered the name from grade-school history class while learning about the 1900 John Uri Lloyd novel Stringtown on the Pike, which immortalizes Florence.

"You know, sort of like Newport on the Levee," she said. But the five-person committee that chose the name settled on Stringtown Park, said Lauren Perkins, recreation program coordinator.

"It started because we were having trouble coming up with something ourselves," Perkins said. "We wanted to get the public's input on it. They are going to be the ones that are using it."

Entire classes at A.M. Yealy and Florence elementary schools and at R.A. Jones Middle School submitted names.

The playground will have a castle theme, and many of the students' suggestions reflected that: Castle Park, Knights Landing, Castlewood Park, Cool Kentucky Castle Park, Enchanted 18 Park, Bricks-a-lot.

Other suggestions, Kentucky's Best Park, The Most Amazing Park Ever, Freedom Trails Nature Park, Peaceful Trails, Colonial Park, Camelot Park.

Elmore won a one-day family pass to the Florence Family Aquatic Center. She will also be honored at the park's groundbreaking this spring.

The park will have a picnic shelter, castle-themed playground, basketball court, paved trail, wetland boardwalk, sand volleyball courts and picnic tables. It is scheduled to be open by this summer.

E-mail bkelly@enquirer.com