Parks crew uncovers 50-year-old tennis practice wall at Alice Sweet Thomas Park

By Rylee Dunn

A parks maintenance crew in Arvada stumbled upon a historical artifact recently when they uncovered a 50-year-old tennis practice wall at Alice Sweet Thomas Park while performing regular maintenance. Arvada's Director of Vibrant Communities and Neighborhoods Enessa Janes said her department was considering the possibility of restoring the wall.

Janes said the wall was discovered during renovation of the tennis courts at Alice Sweet Thomas Park. A team was removing damaged siding and exposed the wood paneling underneath it, revealing the old practice wall.

"I'm not familiar with the historical significance," Janes said. "The tennis courts were built in 1974; we have parks maintenance workers who've been here for three decades — this was a surprise. My hunch is it's been covered up for a long time.

"It's very cool and retro-looking," Janes continued. "The unique look of the wall has generated interest into the city's plan."

Janes said that plan is still up in the air. The wall is assembled using a tongue and groove method, which generally requires a more unique skill set to restore. Janes added that some of the wood has rotten and would have to be replaced. The wall was likely used to practice tennis individually.

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This story is from Colorado Community Media. CBS News Colorado is a newsgathering partner with CCM, a network of two dozen newspapers and online publications serving eight metro-area counties on the Front Range.