Mrs. Florence Lynn donated about 80 acres of Piedmont landscape to the University, in order to preserve the site for wildlife and natural history education.  Mrs. Lynn and her husband moved to this location early in their marriage, but he died at an early age, and she lived at Lynnhaven for most of the rest of her life.  An avid and able birder, she engaged in years of feeding, and the bird diversity on her property became so rich that researchers from universities in the eastern migratory flyway came to this location for bird trapping and banding.  Early in the 1970's, Mrs. Lynn was one of the leaders involved in establishing a Columbus Chapter of the National Audubon Society.  Another organizer and first chapter president was a Columbus College associate professor, George Stanton.  Mrs. Lynn expressed her wishes to preserve her home site in perpetuity and Stanton arranged for her to work with college leadership to arrange a bequest to the college.  In the 1980's, another college professor, Bill Birkhead, was elected president of the Audubon chapter, and he too worked with Mrs. Lynn to maintain the relationship with Columbus College and to develop the area for nature studies.  Professor Zack Faust laid out a trail for tree identification, and Professor Birkhead implemented the construction of a small wetland on the property.

Mrs. Lynn converted the property to Columbus State University with the provision that she be allowed to continue living there for the duration of her life.  A group of her friends and fellow Audubon members established a Lynnhaven Garden Club which volunteers care for the property and uses it to provide educational experiences for area children.  Professor emeritus, Flora Clark, who used Lynnhaven for teaching during her 25-year tenure at CSU, is a member of the garden club.

Mrs. Lynn died at age 89 on 22 December 2002.  She left behind a legacy of personal commitment to environmental protection and wildlife education and conservation.  She has also left a piece of land, in our rapidly expanding urban landscape, that, as it has for the past 20 years, can continue to serve CSU science students and faculty for years to come.

The site supports pine communities, nice hardwood stands (including some impressive old trees), an intermittent stream, and a small wetland.  The Lynnhaven Garden Club has also planted and maintained a butterfly garden.