During the revitalization of the neighborhood, the EPNA sought to create a local park for the neighborhood’s residents. Five adjacent parcels of land with seven structures at the corner of Lincoln and Abbeville Streets were selected. Several of the residences were relocated to other locations in Elmwood Park, including 2118 and 2220 Lincoln Street, to accommodate the new 0.79 acre park.

The park was named in memory of Mr. Roy Lynch. Mr. Lynch was an Army veteran and an employee of Anchor Continental Company. He lived in Elmwood Park from 1955 until his death from cancer on February 25, 1981. A father of eight children, Mr. Lynch was one of the founding members of the Elmwood Park Neighborhood Association. He was a tireless advocate for a neighborhood park because of his concern of children playing in the increasingly busy streets.

The park was approved with money furnished by a Community Development Block Grant and was dedicated on July 20, 1981 by the Honorable Kirkman Finlay, Mayor of the City of Columbia.

Over the next two decades, the City and the EPNA continued to improve the park by installing playground equipment and upgrading the park’s perimeter from a simple chain-link fence to a brick and wrought-iron enclosure that reflected our neighborhood’s historic character.
The park is used by not only our neighborhood’s residents, but also by the students at Logan Elementary.

In 2015, the Junior League of Columbia and the City formed a public/private partnership to renovate Roy Lynch Park. Phase One of the renovation was completed in 2016, and Phase two was completed in early 2017. The park now features a picnic shelter, butterfly garden, splash pad, pergola, and a diverse array of nature-themed playground equipment, including a 60-foot long zipline