In the 1840's, William Brown Hodgson (1801-1871) conceived the idea of setting aside ten acres of wooded land at this site for development of Savannah's first recreational park. It was named for former Georgia Governor John Forsyth (1780-1841). William Bischoff created the original landscape design. In the early 1850's improvements to the park included removal of some pines for walkways and ornamental plantings, benches and iron fencing around the perimeter. In 1854 the fountain and radiating walks were added. Originally created as a military parade ground, the twenty-one-acre Park Extension was added 1867. The forts found on the grounds were built in 1909 and used for training during World War I.