Throwback Thursday: Nearly 50 years ago, lawn bowling returned to Downtown Bowling Green

In the dog days of summer of 1976, the bicentennial celebration of the United States was being held throughout Bowling Green and Warren County. According to a Bowling Green Daily News article from July 1977, a year later, the Citizens National Bank figured out a way to revive the legendary old sport of lawn bowling – not just in the spirit of 1776 – but the in spirit of the alleged sports play that brothers George and Robert Moore played at the Big Spring near modern Spring Alley and Fountain Square.

We have told many stories of the founding of Bowling Green, its namesake of Bowling Green Park in New York City, the Moore brothers and their fascination with lawn bowling. 49 years ago, during the national bicentennial celebration, Citizens National Bank sat where U.S. Bank now does at the corner of East Main and State Street. As part of the big festivities celebrating our country, the Daily News reported local city and county officials playing lawn bowling games on the top floor of the Citizens National Bank parking structure. Makeshift lanes were made out of indoor/outdoor carpet laid on the pavement, and the games began.

Then in 1977, the bank put together a new park that sat at the corner of Main and Chestnut Streets. The park had a replica Big Spring, which was supposed to represent the spring the Moore brothers built Bowling Green around. That’s why Spring Alley has its name, running behind the bank and behind the East Main side of Fountain Square.

The bank intended the park to be used for lunches and special events, even for local artist and crafter fairs. But as the bank itself is no more, it is not maintained as it once was. The bank’s parking structure is still there though. Any chance for some lawn bowling returning to any fun downtown events there again? Maybe during Harvest Festival or Duncan Hines Days?