B.F. Howard Park honors Benjamin Franklin Howard, a prominent African American civic leader and co-founder of the Improved Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks of the World (IBPOEW), known as the "Black Elks." Howard, a Covington native, helped relocate the IBPOEW headquarters to the city after facing opposition from white Elks groups in 1899. His leadership secured Covington’s place in African American fraternal history, and he was praised in local newspapers as "the Black Ingersoll," a nod to the famed orator Robert Green Ingersoll.
Located at 11th and Greenup Streets in the Eastside neighborhood, B.F. Howard Park features a landscaped green space, a central fountain, and a historical marker commemorating Howard’s lasting contributions to the community.