Students from Pinckney School make their way through Clinton Park on their way to Halloween trick-or-treating in this file photo from Oct. 31, 2011.

The weathered stone retaining wall built into the hill at Clinton Park is one clue that the park isn’t new to the Lawrence landscape. However, a more official recognition of the park’s place in the city’s history is in the works.

On Monday, the Lawrence school board approved the park’s nomination for the Lawrence Register of Historic Places. The school district owns the park in conjunction with the city. The city’s Historic Resources Commission will review the nomination next week before it is brought to the City Commission for final approval.

In addition to preserving the park itself, the designation would mean that demolition or construction within a 250-foot radius of the park would need to be reviewed by the HRC. The board unanimously approved the nomination after ensuring that its timing would not delay upcoming construction at Pinckney Elementary School, which is adjacent to the park.

Construction at Pinckney is scheduled to begin by June and includes a two-story addition to the school’s northwest side. Reviews were already conducted because the school falls within the radius of a nearby historic home, and the board was reassured that the district would not need to repeat the review process should the City Commission approve the park’s historic designation.

“That was really important to the board that construction could still happen in line with the current plans even if we made that change,” said school board President Vanessa Sanburn.

Clinton Park spans about four acres near Fifth and Alabama streets and has been a part of Lawrence since its beginnings. The park was one of three parks included in the original townsite plan of 1854, said Lynne Braddock Zollner, the city’s historic resources administrator. Braddock Zollner said the HRC tries to find a variety of historic properties, covering different socioeconomic status and uses.

“It’s meant to be an all-encompassing honor roll for significant places in Lawrence,” she said.

In addition to being part of the original townsite, Braddock Zollner said one of the main reasons that the park is significant is because of its stone retaining wall. The wall was built by laborers with the National Youth Administration created by President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal program. Though, Braddock Zollner said there is evidence the wall’s construction was also a communal effort.

“We do have some indication that actual residents from the Pinckney neighborhood helped with the building of that wall,” she said.

The park also has long-standing ties to the school district. About one-third of the park has served as the playground for Pinckney students for decades. Last year, the city sold that portion to the district. The deal with the city included a no-build easement and a right of first refusal for the city should the district ever decide to sell the property, which was meant to ensure that the district’s portion of the property will retain its character as an open-space in the future.

The HRC will review the nomination next Thursday. If approved, the City Commission will vote on whether to approve the designation at an upcoming meeting.