Dr. David Rembert was accompanied by his wife Margaret (far right), his children: David Rembert III, Augusta Rembert Greene, and Llewellyn Rembert Shealy with her husband Kirby Shealy (left), and grandchildren Emma B. Shealy (absent from photo), David B. Shealy, Margaret R. Greene, and Thomas B. Greene.
In 1905, a group of Columbia’s citizens organized the Civic Improvement League of Columbia to draft a plan for their vision of “The City Beautiful.” The Civic Improvement League brought in the architect Harlan Kelsey from Boston, Massachusetts to guide its planning. Kelsey envisioned a series of parks thoughout the city connected by green space and/ or wide streets around the city center to the Congaree River.
In 1910, George R. Rembert, the owner of 50 acres of property along what is now Blossom Street, offered the city 15 acres as a park. In March, 1911, Columbia City Council accepted Rembert’s offer and named the park after Maxcy Gregg, a Columbia native who was a hero of the Mexican War and was mortally wounded in the Civil War.
George R. Rembert was born in Rembert, S.C. on April 25, 1875. He moved to Columbia in the 1890s. He completed his law degree from the University of South Carolina in 1902 and began his law practice. He invested in land in Columbia near the university and formed the Rembert Land Development Company.
Rembert built his home on Green Street overlooking the proposed Park. The home was torn down in the 1970s to become the site for the University of South Carolina School of Nursing. At the time of his death on November 9, 1913, Rembert was serving his second term in the S.C. State Legislature.
On Sunday, October 9, 2011, the Mayor of Columbia Steve Benjamin and City Council member Belinda Gergel, along with local and state leaders and the descendants of George R. Rembert gathered in Maxcy Gregg Park on Blossom Street to recognize the achievements of city leaders and the Rembert family in their efforts to restore and create a safe, fitness-friendly, and accessible park. In the words of City Council member Belinda Gergel, “We want this park to be a beautiful, fabulous place in our city.”
Hundreds of neighbors and area residents were in attendance to celebrate the Centennial Celebration. The crowd was entertained by the Capital City Big Band, the Logan Elementary School Steel Band, and the Benedict College Concert Choir.
Visitors were invited to use the walking trails and visit the exhibit tables. Nonprofit organizations participating in the Centennial Celebration included the Capital Senior Center, Columbia Green, Earth fare, Historic Columbia Foundation, and the Garden Club Council of Greater Columbia.
Dr. David H. Rembert, professor of biology at the University of South Carolina and grandson of George R. Rembert has served as a strong supporter and contributor to the restoration of Maxcy Gregg Park. He said that the Sunday’s Centennial Celebration showed that “his grandfather’s vision had become a reality. “
Rembert was accompanied by his wife Margaret, his children Augusta Rembert Greene and Llewellyn Rembert Shealy with her husband Kirby Shealy, and grandchildren Emma B. Shealy, David B. Shealy, Margaret R. Greene, and Thomas B. Greene.
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