Its history remains largely shrouded in mystery, especially to those charged with determining its future.

Nevertheless, the future of Fluehr Park at Eden Hall seems distinctly bright at this stage, now that $700,000 in park improvements are well underway after several years in the planning stages.

Water drainage is being improved. The access to motor vehicles is being restricted. Existing ballfields are being renovated. The natural beauty of 64 acres of green space is being complemented by a durable, paved path suitable for walking, jogging, even in-line skating.

All things considered, it's probably no big deal that the people in charge actually know very few specifics about how the park, which lies south of Grant Avenue and east of Torresdale Avenue in Torresdale, became another hidden jewel in the city's Fairmount Park System.

We're not talking about the basics here.

Many Torresdale residents know the legend of the 1888 blizzard, when sweeping snowdrifts stopped a passenger train in its tracks a short distance from the edge of the present-day park grounds.

At the time, the site was a Catholic all-girls school known as Eden Hall Academy, operated by the Sisters of the Sacred Heart.

The shivering train travelers had no idea of the school, as visibility was probably nil. But the sisters knew of the train. They pulled the passengers from the freezing, desolate night and gave them a hot meal and a warm place to sleep.

Likewise, it's pretty common knowledge that the school remained active until 20 or 30 years ago. But when it closed, decay rapidly set in. Fires claimed the students' living quarters and other structures on the site. The only surviving building today is the boarded-up, 151-year-old chapel.

Twenty-some years ago, according to Tom Kline, a park engineering manager for the city, the Fairmount Park Commission acquired the land as "open space to be developed into a park for that area."

A group of concerned residents eyeing the potential for positive development (and probably the potential for environmental disaster, too) formed the Friends of Fluehr Park at Eden Hall in 1990. Headed by Bob Wombwell, the group made a name for itself through annual fund-raising festivals in the park, attracting as many as 2,000 people a summer.

Then in 1994 or 1995, Wombwell said, the park commission approached the Friends group, seeking help in raising money toward a development project.

In all, Kline said, the Friends contributed $15,000 in 1997 toward a park study that led to the master development plan. The Friends group now has about 250 on its mailing list, Wombwell said.

The $700,000 for the actual work, meanwhile, is all tax money, half from the state and half from the city. The aforementioned improvements, including a restricted driveway, parking lot, paved walking paths, drainage and ballfield improvements, constitute just one phase of the overall development plan, which has not gotten total funding.

"We have had problems with people trying to drive anywhere in the park because there's no curb control," Kline said. "The access road and parking lot will be curbed."

The two-lane driveway will be accessed from Grant Avenue and continue parallel to the former main driveway into the center area of the park. The parking lot will have 110 to 120 spaces and rest on ground formerly occupied by dilapidated tennis courts. Gates will be added at the entrance to prevent vehicular traffic at night.

The walking paths will loosely follow the perimeter of the park. One will be built parallel to the new driveway. The athletic fields (five soccer and two softball) will get a general sprucing up.

The goal is to offer seclusion to those interested in a so-called "passive" park, as well as facilities for those interested in more organized activities.

"We call it 'active' or 'passive,'" said Jack Eckenrode, a city project design engineer supervising the construction. "For the active, we have (ball) fields and open space for other play, like Frisbee. Or (for passive) if they want to walk their dog or sit under a tree, they can do that, too."

The park commission hopes the future will bring more funding and other projects, such as restroom facilities, a small office for permanent staffing, and restoration of the chapel. For the Friends group, on the other hand, the chapel is the first priority. The Friends currently leases the building from the city for $1 a year.

"Our next project will be to turn around and look at the chapel itself," Wombwell said.