2717 Canterbury Road
The "Little Parks" of Forest Hills
Prominent landscape architect and planner Harlan Page Kelsey (1872—1958) designed the layout and scenery of Forest Hills for Joseph Walker (1884—1983), a local cotton merchant who acquired the land in 1925 and served as the neighborhood's first developer. Kelsey was heavily invested in preserving and displaying the natural beauty of the Southeast, having been influential in the planning and creation of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. For the Forest Hills project, Kelsey combined his knowledge of horticulture, landscape design and residential trends such as the contemporary 'City Beautiful' movement. Kelsey's design of Forest Hills was aimed at addressing the ills of the modern world by expressing his naturalist philosophy. He created nine 'little parks' spread throughout the neighborhood, ranging in size. The streets and parks of Forest Hills follow the natural topography of the land.
