Preserving the Legacy Westerville honors lasting legacy of past Westervillians By Rocco Falleti
T
he Westerville Parks and Recreation department had its eye on the southeastern quadrant of Westerville for years. So, once land owned by the W.B. Johnston-McVay families became available, the Westerville Parks and Recreation department jumped at the opportunity. Even if you are unfamiliar with the stories of W.B. Johnston and Dorothy and Maurice (Mac) McVay, you’ve almost certainly benefited from their legacy of immense pride for Westerville and philanthropic work. Mac and Dorothy married in 1929 in Newport, Kentucky, and shortly after moved to Dorothy’s hometown of Westerville. The couple lived on Central Avenue and owned
a furniture store where Amish Originals now stands. In the 1940s, the two purchased a farm on Hempstead Road, where the McVay-Johnston Park is today. The farm welcomed horse racing and served as a community hub for business people to come talk and groom horses and enjoy a nice picnic. Dorothy and Mac were well-known in the community and were extremely active in their philanthropic efforts. Perhaps most well-known is their donation of 15.8 acres of land to the Westerville City School District where McVay Land Lab now stands alongside McVay Elementary. “Their kindness, devotion, hard work, support and generosity helped to shape
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12 March/April 2021
www.westervillemagazine.com
