New Mural Beautifies John V. Baggett Park!
John V. Baggett Park at Laurel Grove offers a wide variety of recreational opportunities including baseball/softball diamonds, a batting cage, tennis/pickleball courts, and a basketball court. Visitors can also enjoy the accessible playground, horseshoe pit, picnic pavilion, a one-mile nature trail, and other amenities.
A section of the Three Notch Trail, constructed on the former railway right-of-way, intersects the park as part of the 2003 Rails-to-Trails project in St. Mary’s County.
Through the “Paint a Park” program, a partnership between St. Mary’s County Arts Council, the St. Mary’s County Recreation & Parks, and local businesses/community groups, artists guide mural projects at local park sites.
The John V. Baggett Park mural was funded by a generous private donor, Cedar Point Federal Credit Union (CPFCU), and led by artist Eric Clark Jackson. Eric designed the four part mural and employees from CPFU enjoyed assisting with the painting process, a fun team-building activity!
The result is a colorful mural situated at one of St. Mary’s County prime park locations!
“Cedar Point employees had a great time working on the mural. It was a fantastic morale-building exercise for our staff and their families. We're excited to have left our mark on the park!” ~ Kristin Kauffman, CPFCU Chief Marketing Officer
“Being part of this mural project was an incredible experience. It was amazing to see this design come to life alongside not just my coworkers but also the Arts Council. We were able to transform a blank wall into something vibrant, meaningful, and full of life for the community to enjoy for years to come.” ~ Brandi Mick, CPFCU Graphic Designer
BEFORE PHOTOS
IN PROGRESS
COMPLETED MURAL PROJECT
INFO FROM THE ARTIST (Eric Clark Jackson)
“I’m really interested in community-oriented artworks, and especially creating opportunities which involve people in celebrating the physical place itself - a location's ecology and the history of the place. This mural started with community listening sessions, involving stakeholders from Recreation and Parks, the art community and especially regular visitors to the park itself. Through those feedback sessions and the additional research into the park area, there were four themes that emerged.
1. Cycling and Movement: As a major access point for the Three Notch Trail, cyclists are some of the most regular visitors to the park. The cycling wall is meant to be a celebration of contemporary cycling culture with bright, vibrant colors and round elements that evoke movement.
2. Enjoying Nature: The "Three Bridges" nature trail winds through the back acres of the park, and is populated with local flora and fauna. The nature wall facing the parking lot includes wildlife meant to celebrate the natural environment at the park. Laurel leaves (Laurel Grove), robins and oak leaves all pay tribute to the wildlife around the park.
3.. History and the Three Notch Trail: With the trail itself occupying the railbed of the former Southern Maryland Railroad, the train wall was meant to be a historical reference to the Mechanicsville area.
4. Cycling and Movement: As a major access point for the Three Notch Trail, cyclists are some of the most regular visitors to the park. The cycling wall is meant to be a celebration of contemporary cycling culture with bright, vibrant colors and round elements that evoke movement.
We organized the first volunteer days to take place on October 25th and 26th, but the planning meetings and input sessions began in August. The final brushstrokes were laid down on November 25th, 2025.”
St. Mary’s County Arts Council and Eric Clark Jackson want to thank the volunteers who helped with this community project:
Cedar Point FCU, including Kristin Kauffman, Brandi Mick, and their entire teams of volunteers
Susie Glauner
Sam Glauner
Max Stumpf
Sabine Dillingham
Ana Espinoza
Wesley Sawyer
Cody, Travis, and their other friend, who wanted to help after every one of their little league games
Della and Daisy, who helped in between all their trips to the playground
Links of interest:
Cedar Point Federal Credit Union - Project Sponsor
Eric Clark Jackson - Bay Fiber Studios
St. Mary’s County Recreation & Parks - John V. Baggett Park
St. Mary’s County Arts Council - Paint a Park Program
The Historical Marker Database - Three Notch Trail - John V. Baggett Park
John V. Baggett Park address: 26929 Three Notch Road (Maryland Route 235), Mechanicsville, MD 20659
