THIS SHOWS what the ornamental entrance to Jackson Park will look like when it is completed. The columns are on either side of the Ouellette avenue extension, and the low, curved wall is on the east side of the avenue. The pedestrian entrance, leading to the beautiful sunken garden is through this wall. The entrance is set back several hundred feet from Ouellette avenue and Tecumseh Boulevard, and is fronted by a lawn on which a flagpole stands. The paving of part of the Ouellette avenue extension, and the circular plaza within the gates, is part of the entrance scheme. The total cost is estimated at $12,000, of which one-half will be paid out of a federal-provincial unemployment relief grant. The sketch is the work of Mr. J. W. Leighton, Windsor architect.
The gates ended up looking a bit different from this preliminary sketch, but many of the elements we know today came from this initial plan. The flagpole, the low curved walls, the set back entrance. Those are all still part of the gates, an iconic Windsor landmark.
Interesting to see the breakdown of costs for this gate. Rumors were rampant that the city paid $4,000 for the gates, so later in 1931, the actual cost breakdown was released:
Interesting to learn that the gates were a make work project during the depression.