History of the Park
The effort that resulted in Newtown Park began in 1990 when a group of parents approached the Fulton County Commission and expressed their desire for a swim center. The Friends of Newtown Park, a community advocacy group, was formed to persuade the Commission to purchase land and build a park where a 1971 Fulton County map indicated a future park.

The slogan, “We need a place to play”, became their rallying call through the terms of three Fulton County chairmen and three Fulton County park directors. As a result of their persistent work with county officials, the county acquired land in 1991, 1994, 1997 and 2001 for a total of 52 acres.

The late Commissioner Bob Fulton played a critical role in bringing the park to fruition. The Board of Commissioners approved funding for Phase I construction of Newtown Park in 1997. Newtown Park officially opened to the public in May of 1999. The new park included baseball and softball fields, picnic shelters, restrooms / concession building, playgrounds and a pond with an amphitheater.

Newtown Park Community Foundation
The Friends of Newtown Park was re-established in 2001 to promote continued improvements in the park including the repair of massive erosion problems. The Newtown Park Community Foundation was incorporated in 2002 by the Friends of Newtown Park. Between 2002 and 2006, the Foundation worked in collaboration with the District 3 Commissioner and the Fulton County Department of Parks and Recreation to make numerous improvements. They played a key role in preserving the original Newtown School building and assisting Fulton County in the process of acquiring placement on the National Register of Historic Places in August 2006.

Following the demolition of the 1950’s addition to the original Newtown School building in 1929, the Foundation began a year long project with Southern Polytechnic State University School of Architecture (SPSU) to create an overall redesign of the interior of the school plus a large addition to serve as an intergenerational community center. Fulton County participated in this collaborative endeavor, which led to the Commission funding the design development plans for a Newtown School Community Center. Construction documents for the community center were completed by Hartrampf Engineering, Inc. in 2006. Commission Lynne Riley staunchly supported this project, overcoming numerous challenges in the process.

A year prior to the City of Johns Creek acquiring Newtown Park, Commissioner Riley secured funding for a revised comprehensive Master Plan to complete the vision of Newtown Park. She also directed funding for improvements including repairs to the children’s playgrounds and construction of a new a dog park, basketball courts, and picnic pavilion. The Foundation received funding from Fulton County that same year to continue work on several targeted projects in Newtown Park.
Newtown Park is now part of the City of Johns Creek park system and you can expect to see more improvements to the grounds and facilities over the next few years.