A large gathering of the City of Falls Church’s big wigs made their way to Mr. Brown’s Park on West Broad St. last night for its ceremonial renaming. The park’s name pays homage to Hugh Brown, the former owner and operator of long-tenured Falls Church business Brown’s Hardware, who died last November at age 92. Affectionately known as “Mr. Brown,” his fixture in the community spurred the City Council to commemorate the local icon by naming the park after him during a Sept. 9 vote. The Brown family had operated the home improvement store over multiple generations since 1883 prior to Hugh Brown’s death.

Mayor David Tarter spoke about the family’s 125-year legacy in the City while City Economic Development Authority chair Bob Young gave his thanks to those who helped bring the revitalized pocket park to life. Local poet Bruce Horovitz recited a poem in honor of Brown before the ribbon cutting took place. A live performance from Dusty Rose and Friends capped off the ceremony.