With its roots in the Northwest School of Agriculture dating back to 1905, UMC today is a four-year, public university with nearly 1,200 full-time students. In the year 2005 the campus will celebrate a century of educational service to Northwestern Minnesota. The Centennial Park will serve as a monument to the history of the campus as it continues its tradition of excellence.

Located on the UMC Mall, the Peterson Gazebo is the focal point of the planned centennial park and garden. The target date for completion of the park is the summer of 2005. The Centennial Park will be developed around the Peterson Gazebo on the UMC Mall and will most likely involve a renovation of the sunken gardens just south of the Sahlstrom Conference Center. The project will involve alumni from UMC and the NWSA.

One of the features of the park will be a wall made to recognize donors and other special people.  Learn more (Adobe pdf).

See the construction progress.

Below are concept maps and computer drafts created by Widseth, Smith, Nolting and Associates in June of 2002. C lick any image for a larger version.

Above : one concept of the park as it may exist in 2005.  
Below: the sunken gardens as they appeared in the early 1930s.

Would you like to be a part of the development of the UMC/NWSA Centennial Park?  Learn how here! (Adobe PDF file)