Between 1784 and 1840 the Phillips family acquired 1,200 acres of land seven miles south of the river. The tract included two largely wooded hills and surrounding slopes. In 1864 Benoni Figg purchased most of Kenwood Hill, (then known as Cox’s Knob), from the Phillip’s family. In 1876 Benoni Figg sold 126 acres of the North Slope to his son-in-law, Charles Gheens.

(Reference: “A View from the Top, The Neighborhoods of Iroquois Park and Kenwood Hill”)

With the Panic of 1893 Mr. Figg found it necessary to sell off more land. He had his daughter and son-in-law (Katie and Richard Delph) buy some land and to give Mr. Figg a mortgage. On September 14, 1892, Fredericka Oswald bought from Benoni Figg the section of land that Colonial Gardens now occupies.

(Reference: Deed Book 399, Page 289-290, sale of land to Oswald; Deed Book 271, Page 628-629, mortgage to Delph)

On October 20, 1902 Fred Senning purchased this land from the estate of Fredericka Oswald for $6,000.00. He built Senning’s Park at this time on the property. He and his wife ran the Beer Garden.

(Reference: Deed Book 580, Page 454-456)

On September 15, 1926 Fred and Minnie Senning sold the property to their son and daughter-in law, (William and Ethel Senning). William collected exotic animals and caged them on the property, thus creating the first zoo in the state.

(Reference: Deed Book 1232, Page 362-363; Deed Book 1363, Page 112-114)

On September 18, 1934 Minnie Senning bought back the property in order to pay William’s creditors and keep the property in the family.

(Reference: Deed Book 1553, Page 3-4)

On January 8, 1940, Fred Senning’s widow, (Minnie Senning), sold the property to B.A.Watson. Mr. Watson remodeled the building (adding the columns on the front) and renamed the property, The Colonial Bar and Grill.

(Reference:Deed Book 1733, Page 337-338)

On August 20, 1985 Carl Schmid Jr. bought the property.

(Reference: Deed Book 5520, Page 319-321)

This ownership was expanded to his wife, Frances, and Carl and Jude Lynn Coombs on December 28, 1987.

(Reference: Deed Book 5738, Page 145-148)

In 1959 Wilburn “Curly” Bryant began leasing the property and changed the name back to Colonial Gardens. It still retains this name. It closed its doors in June of 2003. It is currently for sale.