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Fairfax City’s School Street Park now has its first bench, giving visitors a place to rest while honoring deceased members of the Woman’s Club of Fairfax.

City officials and club members dedicated the bench during an Oct. 25 ceremony at the quiet pocket park between School Street and University Drive. Mayor Catherine Read and City Council members Anthony Amos, Rachel McQuillen and Stacy Hall attended. McQuillen and Hall are also members of the Woman’s Club.

The nearly 50-member organization adopted the park in June 2023 through the city Parks and Recreation Department’s Adopt-A-Spot program. Members meet quarterly to pull weeds, tend the grounds and add plants.

Club member Janet Jaworski said the group wanted to improve the park because parents walk through it with children heading to the Daniels Run Elementary school bus stop on University Drive. The bench also provides a spot where visitors can sit and relax.

During the ceremony, club President Martha Peacock described the bench as a permanent tribute to the women who contributed to the organization during its nearly 70 years in Fairfax City. A plaque commemorates former members who have died.

The bench was obtained through the city’s Parks and Recreation Department with money raised by club members and donors.

It is the latest feature the club has brought to the park. Members previously installed Roxie, a whimsical “snake” made from painted rocks, and created a yellow-tulip garden to raise awareness about the stigma surrounding mental illness.

Peacock said the new bench offers visitors “a tangible invitation to rest, linger and enjoy this lovely park.”