EP "Tom" Sawyer Park - Story of the Land

A Place With Deep Roots
Long before it became a state park or the future home of Derby Disc Golf Park, this land held a central place in Kentucky’s natural, cultural, and human history. The rolling woods, limestone formations, natural springs, and winding waterways made this area a natural place for settlement and use long before formal institutions were built here.
Indigenous peoples were the earliest stewards of this landscape, drawn by reliable water sources, fertile ground, and natural shelter created by caves and rock outcroppings. Later, early settlers recognized the same advantages. Natural springs and limestone caves provided water, cooling, and storage, while Goose Creek and its tributaries shaped the land into a mosaic of ridges, basins, and lowlands.
These natural features remain today. Hidden springs, shallow basins that hold seasonal water, and cave-like limestone formations still shape the terrain. They create unique ecological pockets and offer rare opportunities to design trails and recreational elements that work with the land rather than over it.
In the mid-1700s, much of this area was granted to Virginia militia officer Isaac Hite for his service in the French and Indian War, where he established a homestead and farm known as Cave Springs. Over the generations, land ownership changed and expanded, laying the groundwork for a significant chapter in Kentucky’s institutional and social history.
The Land During the Civil War
Before Lakeland Asylum, this land was at a critical crossroads of Kentucky and American history: the Civil War. Kentucky's border state status made it a complex, conflicted region, with Louisville becoming strategically vital due to transportation and supply routes.
The property's wooded ridges, open fields, natural springs, and caves served as temporary encampments, supply points, shelters, and troop movement corridors. While no major battles occurred here, the area witnessed significant military activity. Post-war, the immense task of rebuilding and addressing the psychological toll led to a growing need for centralized care facilities, setting the stage for the Fourth Kentucky Lunatic Asylum on this very land.
Lakeland Asylum: A Self-Contained Community
Established in 1873, the Fourth Kentucky Lunatic Asylum, later known as Lakeland Asylum, was a pioneering institution. The site was intentionally chosen for its fresh air, natural springs, and agricultural potential – qualities believed vital for patient treatment in the late 19th century.
Beginning with a single building for 370 patients, Lakeland quickly expanded into a sprawling campus of approximately 15 structures. It eventually served thousands, becoming a self-contained "city within a city" complete with patient wards, farms, workshops, and staff housing, all built in dignified Tudor and Classical Revival architectural styles.
Life, Labor, and the Land
Life at Lakeland was deeply intertwined with the land. Patients and staff worked the surrounding farms, tended orchards, maintained livestock, and cared for the grounds. This labor was seen as both practical and therapeutic, reinforcing the belief that structured activity and connection to nature could aid treatment.
Natural springs supplied water, while Goose Creek supported irrigation. Caves and limestone features were utilized for cooling and storage, embedding the natural landscape into daily operations. Over time, Lakeland grew to be one of the region’s largest mental health institutions, reflecting the compassion and limitations of its era. As medical science advanced, such large facilities declined, giving way to community-based care models.
Transition to Public Space
By the late 20th century, Lakeland Asylum’s role diminished as medical practices evolved. Patient populations declined, buildings aged, and maintaining the sprawling campus became impractical. Most original structures were demolished in the 1990s, leaving behind open land, foundations, and subtle remnants woven into the woods.
The Commonwealth of Kentucky chose a different path for the land. Starting in the 1970s, large portions of the former asylum property transitioned into public use. This culminated in the official opening of E.P. “Tom” Sawyer State Park in 1974, named after a respected community leader.
This transformation marked a philosophical shift: land once dedicated to institutional care would now serve the public for recreation, wellness, and connection to nature. While some areas developed with athletic fields and amenities, large wooded sections, particularly those further from main roads, remained largely untouched.
Over decades, invasive species took hold, access diminished, and much of the land quietly receded from public use. These forgotten sections now offer a unique opportunity to rediscover and restore the park’s natural heritage.
Remnants and Respect
Although the grand buildings of Lakeland are mostly gone, the land itself holds countless memories. Subtle artifacts remain: foundation stones, altered landscape contours, old access routes, burial areas, and the natural features that once supported the bustling campus.
These elements serve as quiet markers of the thousands of lives connected to this unique place. Derby Disc Golf Park is committed to honoring this profound history with care and restraint, acknowledging the past thoughtfully rather than erasing or dramatizing it.
Historic remnants will be preserved where appropriate, protected from disturbance, and incorporated into the park in ways that encourage respectful reflection.
Restoration Through Stewardship
Derby Disc Golf Park marks a new chapter for this historic land, focusing on dedicated stewardship to revitalize approximately 150 acres of wooded parkland. Our goal is to transform neglected areas into thriving ecosystems while creating engaging public spaces.
Invasive Species Removal
Systematic removal of invasive plants to restore ecological balance.
Native Ecosystem Reestablishment
Replanting native trees, plants, and ground cover to support local biodiversity.
Wildlife Habitat Improvement
Enhancing habitats and creating vital ecological corridors for diverse wildlife.
Natural Trail Development
Opening miles of natural trails that respect the land's contours and features.
Access to Natural Features
Enhancing access to Goose Creek, springs, basins, and wooded ravines.
The land’s natural complexity — its ridges, water basins, limestone features, and forest clearings — inspires thoughtful design. Trails and disc golf fairways will weave around these features, highlighting the land’s character rather than flattening it. Disc golf serves as a long-term stewardship engine, with regular use keeping corridors open and fostering a community invested in caring for the land year after year.
Join Us in Creating Something That Lasts
Derby Disc Golf Park is more than a recreation project—it's a commitment to Kentucky's natural heritage and our community's future. With your support, we're proving that conservation and community access can thrive together through thoughtful stewardship and shared values.
Derby Disc Golf Park
A project of Friends of Bluegrass, a nonprofit organization
Located at E.P. Tom Sawyer State Park
Louisville, Kentucky
Contact
Reed Nunnally
502-468-5630
reed@derbydgp.com
Get Involved Today
Your participation—whether through donation, sponsorship, or volunteering—directly contributes to restoring this landscape and building lasting community infrastructure.
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Derby Disc Golf Park and Friends of Bluegrass are committed to transparency, community partnership, and environmental stewardship. Together, we're restoring land and building something that will serve Louisville for generations.
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