60 Years of Fun: Laurel Parks and Recreation Celebrates Its History

If you’ve ever navigated a paddleboat on Laurel Lake, played at Discovery Park, or struck a yoga pose at the Armory, you’re one of countless people who have benefited from the dedicated efforts of Laurel’s Department of Parks and Recreation (LPR). The department probably has touched the lives of all Laurel families, in ways big and small, by maintaining the city’s parks, playgrounds, and community centers. LPR also runs hundreds of year-round recreational activities and community services, earning the nickname “department of fun.”

This is a year of extra fun, as LPR marks the 60-year anniversary of its founding. This past spring, Director Bill Bailey announced a year-long celebration filled with special events, kicked off by a party at Granville Gude Park in June which featured games, food, and a 60th-birthday cake. Celebrations went on throughout the summer with free outdoor movies and concerts and will continue at seasonal events such as the Harvest Hayride and multiple winter offerings.

Model of Excellence from the Start

LPR has a state-wide reputation as an innovator in parks and recreation. Its origins began in January 1965, before any city-level recreation departments even existed in Maryland, when Judith Nigh was hired to assess the city’s recreational needs. The Maryland General Assembly passed legislation in May of that same year allowing municipalities to create parks and recreation departments, and Laurel was ahead of the curve. Having already been briefed on Nigh’s recommendations, the Laurel City Council passed an ordinance just one month later, June 1965, establishing LPR and appointing Nigh its first director.

The department started with just a handful of employees and a few activities. A children’s day camp, a children’s theater program, and teen dances were the main services in the first few years, all held at Avondale Mill. In 1969, the department took over operations of Laurel Municipal Pool—which had been a private, whites-only swim club—and began offering swim classes and open swim times for all Laurel residents.

By the mid-1970s, the department had expanded by a few people and established its offices in the Laurel Armory on Montgomery Street. A voluntary recycling program launched in 1977 initially was run by LPR. Two years later, LPR expanded its generational reach by opening a senior citizen’s center at the old high school on Montgomery Street and starting a senior van transportation service. That service remains in operation, and the Phelps Senior Center was a hub of activities for decades, prior to the 2011 opening of the Greater Laurel-Beltsville Senior Center on Contee Road.

The 1980s saw additional growth under new Director Jan Chavrid, who faced the challenge of serving a quickly growing city. Laurel had annexed over 250 acres of land around Laurel Lakes in 1981 and another 275 acres at Patuxent Greens in 1983, with areas earmarked for recreation and nature preservation. Within a few years, Greenview Drive Park was opened, offering hiking and biking trails and a public pool. Then, in 1984, LPR opened perhaps its crown jewel of achievement: Granville Gude Park, a 26-acre recreation area featuring exercise paths around Laurel Lake. The Lakehouse opened in 1986, offering paddleboat rentals and indoor events space; McCullough Field and its performing arts stage also debuted that year. For over 40 years, Gude Park has hosted hundreds of community events, from the annual Lakefest to recurring festivals celebrating Independence Day, Juneteenth, Pride, and more.

Renovating and Reimagining

Following the 1980s growth spurt, LPR next focused largely on upgrading existing facilities under its new director, John Marshall. Around the city, playground equipment was replaced and basketball and tennis courts were resurfaced; Riverfront Park was updated to include a paved walking path, playground, and a picnic pavilion. The 90s did bring a major addition to the city’s recreation facilities with the construction of a community center on Cypress Street—the first one built specifically for that purpose. It opened in 1992 and is known today as the Robert J. DiPietro Center.

LPR’s next director, Mike Lhotsky, took over in 2002 and oversaw the creation of a skate park and a dog park, as well as the purchase of Greenview Pool, which had been privately owned by the Patuxent Green Homeowners Association. LPR renovated the pool and clubhouse and added tennis courts. Lhotsky also helped negotiate a win-win agreement with Prince George’s County: a portion of Emancipation Park’s acreage was transferred to the county to accommodate expansion of its Laurel Branch Library; in turn, the county built new basketball courts and paved paths, an amphitheater, and a playground with an interactive water feature. The 31,000-square-foot library and new play area opened in 2016.

Lhotsky’s successor, Joanne Barr, took on LPR’s next big project: a 3-year, $500,000 renovation of Laurel Armory, which was built in 1927 and needed extensive work. The gymnasium floor was resurfaced, a workout area was furnished with modern fitness equipment, and a dance room and game room were added. While this was a huge undertaking, Barr says her biggest challenge actually came a few years later: navigating the Covid-19 pandemic. Barr reflects that, “as bad as the pandemic was overall, it was good for the parks and recreation profession in that it allowed us to shine. The only way people could socialize was by using outdoor spaces, and our staff worked hard to provide safe activities. We opened our pool when so many others didn’t; we held our traditional Halloween and Christmas activities, but we were creative in how to run them safely.”

Discovery Park became a major gathering place during Covid, especially for the city’s youths. Realizing the park’s importance to the community, LPR used some of the city’s federal relief funds to upgrade the turf field, add bathrooms and a little free library, and enclose the park with fencing for safety. And, while it had always been accessible, the park became even more inclusive with the addition of zero-gravity swings, non-verbal and Braille communication boards, and more. “Our idea was to create a space for everybody to participate together, regardless of abilities,” says Barr. “That was the one thing I really wanted to do before leaving LPR.”

Barr spent the last few years of her LPR tenure working with then-Assistant Director Bill Bailey on the multiservice center, which came about after a city task force on homelessness identified the need for a social services facility. “We visited a lot of sites, we learned a lot, and we worked hard to come up with something that would work in Laurel,” Barr says. The Craig A. Moe Multiservice Center opened in September 2024, two years after Barr passed the directorship baton to Bailey.

Secrets to Success

Bailey and his staff now operate from a newly renovated 1850s-era house locally known as Gude Mansion. Reopened in 2022 and christened “The Mansion at Laurel,” the picturesque house and grounds can be rented for special events. Interviewed there recently by Laurel TV for a promotional video, both Barr and Bailey reflected on the department where they’ve spent most of their careers. “I’ve worked in every division and done it all,” says Bailey, who joined LPR as a part-time groundskeeper in 1983. “People stay because they like it and they have a passion for the job.”

Barr told Voices of Laurel that the low LPR turnover rate—including among its directors, of which there have only been six—reflects a family-like atmosphere among the staff and also “is a testament to community members, all the great people we’ve met.” She also cites LPR’s good relationship with Laurel’s Mayor and City Councilmembers. “Throughout each decade, they have been cooperative and really supportive. They allowed us to be creative and provided funding for our ideas.”

Already looking to the future, Bailey notes that the 60-year celebration will continue, but so will the work: “Our population is growing, so we have to keep moving.”

A Timeline of Laurel Parks and Recreation

January 1965: Judith Nigh is hired to assess community’s recreational needs

May 1965: New state legislation allows for municipality-level DPRs

June 1965: Laurel City Council passes Ordinance 449 establishing DPR

1969: City’s DPR begins operating pool and swimming program

1975: Armory is established as the department’s offices

1976: Citizens’ advisory committee to Parks and Recreation is formed

1977: Recycling program begins

1979: Senior citizen van operations start

1981: Laurel Lakes is annexed (267 acres)

1982: Phelps Center re-opens for senior activities

1983: Greens of Patuxent is annexed (275 acres)

1984: Granville Gude Park opens

1985: Parks and Rec purchases 1840s mill worker house, renovations begin

1986: McCullough Field and its stage are dedicated

1986: Lakehouse opens, boat rentals begin

1991: Avondale Mill burns down and is razed

1994: Riverfront Park’s paved trails and playground open

1996: Laurel Historical Society opens its museum in renovated mill house

2016: Emancipation Park re-opens with modern equipment and splash pad

2022: Discovery Park is upgraded to be all-inclusive

2022: The Mansion at Laurel opens, becomes the department’s headquarters

2025: Parks and Recreation celebrates 60 years

Parks and Recreation by the Numbers

Today, the department has 29 full-time employees, assisted by additional summer staff. It maintains:

• 280 acres of land

• 15 parks

• 10 playgrounds

• 3 gymnasiums

• 2 outdoor pools

• 2 community centers

• 1 dog park

Parks and Recreation Directors

1965–1979: Judith Nigh

1979–1990: Janet Chavrid

1990–2002: John Marshall

2002–2016: Mike Lhotsky

2016–2022: Joanne Barr

2022–now: Bill Bailey

Diane Mezzanotte is a staff writer and member of the Board of Directors for The Laurel History Boys. In addition to covering Laurel city municipal news, she also reports on all things from South Laurel.