Legacies: A History Journal for Dallas and North Central Texas, Volume 15, Number 1, Spring, 2003 Page: 14
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board agreed and paid $30,000.00 for the 5 1/2
acres.The move proved to be a shrewd one for the
Bishop. He turned over control and maintenance
of the property to the city, but in reality the nowpublic
land remained accessible to the church and
college for regular use.34
The park's popularity with the surrounding
neighborhoods was quickly established. In fact by
1920 the park, designed by George Kessler, was
one of the most beautifully landscaped in the park
system and was the regular venue for summer
church services, movies, and outdoor performances.
The park was so popular for such events
that in 1945 the Park Board commissioned a
study for redevelopment of the design. The Hare
& Hare redevelopment plan included a proposal
for a stage with a large grassy seating area suitable
for up to 900 spectators.35 Unfortunately, the plan
was never implemented.
Garrett is a dramatic example of park decline.
Today, all of the beautiful Kessler-designed features
have been removed and the park is little more than
an open piece of land with a play apparatus and
multipurpose court.While the decline of the park
is certainly attributable to the broader issues that
affect the park system in general, a more specific
cause may be logically inferred in this case.
Originally, the most popular purpose of the park
was as a summer venue for events, entertainment,
and social gatherings. At its most basic level, it was
an escape from the heat in a time without air-conditioning.As
technology provided relief and entertainment
inside, appreciation for the park began to
diminish. Outdoor church services were no longer
necessary, large indoor venues provided more
attractive accommodations for events and entertainment,
and general usage by the neighborhood
population diminished dramatically.
Lessons of the past
Today, the Dallas Park and Recreation
Department is rediscovering its historic roots.
Most recently, the department has undertaken a
project to identify, catalog and sensitively archiveits historic drawings collections. The project will
continue to open new windows into the understanding
of the city's cultural landscapes.Through
these studies, the park department will draw from
the finest aspects of its historic park designs in
order to establish a set of sensitive and compatible
design standards for the system.
While the documentation work is not yet
complete, the city's parks are already benefiting
from the research. For example, recently rediscovered
original drawings of the rose gardens at Lake
Cliff Park are being utilized to accurately reconstruct
pavilions damaged by fire.3' Similarly, in
redevelopment plans for White Rock Lake, the
park department is utilizing drawings and design
standards created byWPA project designers in the
1930s and 1940s. In addition, sites like Tee Pee
Hill will receive sensitively-designed new elements
that interpret the important role they have
played in the history of our community.
From its humble beginnings in City Park, the
Dallas park system has grown to include more
than 400 properties.These parks take on a seemingly
infinite variety of types and sizes, from
medians and road triangles, to large and extensive
developments such as White Rock Lake and Kiest
parks. The story of each is equally varied but is
intricately tied to the social and economic history
of the neighborhood in which it lies.
Approximately 100 of these cultural landscapes
have been a part our city's history for more than
fifty years. *
NOTES
'Although commissioned by the Park Board, the Kessler
Plan was not limited to Dallas parks.The comprehensive
planning document included analysis and recommendations
for managed planning and growth strategies for the entire
city including Oak Cliff. Most of Kessler's suggestions
proved too expensive or politically controversial for
implementation. However, many of his suggestions, such as
Union Terminal, were fully realized, while others, such as
a system of interconnecting parkways, were partially
implemented. Other elements of his design, such as the14
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Dallas Historical Society. Legacies: A History Journal for Dallas and North Central Texas, Volume 15, Number 1, Spring, 2003, periodical, 2003; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth35094/m1/16/: accessed April 23, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Dallas Historical Society.