The library obtained land adjoining the west side of the library after Charles Eckhart purchased it from the city of Auburn in 1910. Mr. Eckhart wanted to ensure that the library would be visually prominent. The city then allowed Eckhart to landscape the site. Next, Mr. Eckhart purchased a fountain in 1911, which became the centerpiece of the park.

Through a generous gift from the Willennar Foundation, the library board was able to restore the aging fountain and renovate the park. The board hired landscape architect Kevin McCrory ( McCrory and Associates of Fort Wayne, Indiana) to redesign the park during a library expansion project in 1997. The expansion project resulted in the library’s main entrance being moved from the east side of the building to the west, along with the addition of a large terrace on west side of the library. A prime focus of the renovation became the relationship between the library’s entrance and the park’s fountain.

The original park was mostly grass, augmented with a few overgrown shrubs and trees. During the renovation project, the fountain was encircled by a brick plaza, with new diagonal sidewalks leading to Van Buren Street. The brick-paving theme was carried through to the surrounds of the restored streetlights located around the library. McCrory stayed with “old time” plants in the landscaping project, such as formal boxwoods and yew hedges. A perimeter hedge was planted around the park to give a sense of enclosure and privacy to those using the park. According to McCrory, the park is like a house. Within a house you have defined spaces. Within the park can be found several defined outdoor reading areas: the fountain area, the butterfly gardens and several quiet places toward the edges of the park.