Dawson Park

Dawson Park was acquired by the City of Portland in 1921; it is named in honor of an Episcopal minister, the Rev. John Dawson, who was an advocate of child welfare and civic improvement in the 1920s. This space was once a cow pasture and then a ballfield used by the Immaculate Heart Church and School. It was also a frequent stopping place for small circuses and medicine shows. By the late 1940s, it functioned as an unofficial town square for the surrounding African American community. The park was the epicenter of many political and social movements during the next 30 years. Robert F. Kennedy spoke here. Civil rights marches began here.

The gazebo in the park was built in 1978 to showcase the 120 year-old cupola salvaged from the Hill Block Building, once a cornerstone of the Albina commercial district and an informal gathering place for the Black community. The onion-like dome was landmark architecture on the Hill Block Building located on the northwest corner of the intersection of N. Russell Street and Williams Avenue. The building and many other businesses and homes were torn down in the early 1970s to make room for a proposed expansion of the Emanuel Hospital campus, displacing many Black residents. However, the expansion did not take place due to a cut in federal funds, and many lots are still vacant today.

By 2007, the park had fallen into some disrepair, and a Dawson Master Plan, developed with the community, envisioned restoring it as a key community gathering space. The plan prioritized a list of desired improvements, including the restoration of the Dawson Park Gazebo. In 2008, Urban Renewal funds were used to restore the 120-year-old cupola salvaged from the Hill Block Building.

When additional funding was secured in 2011, park neighbors and users, community organizations, and local churches provided input to Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R) and Portland Development Commission (formerly PDC, now known as Prosper Portland) on how park improvements could promote better use, create a more inviting feel for families, and highlight the park’s deep cultural and historical roots. The final park design by Portland landscape architects 2.ink Studio reflected all of these elements. The improvements included a new playground, benches, picnic tables, a drinking fountain, pathways, lighting, lawn, plantings, and a splash pad with 12 historic interpretive boulders.