This roughly four-and-a-half acre, relatively level rectilinear park is located in a residential neighborhood approximately two-and-a-half miles southeast of downtown. Situated opposite an elementary school, the park was established by the city in 1922 to serve white residents; in 1941 the park board approved the construction of a fence through the park to “eliminate some sources of interracial trouble.” As African American families purchased homes and moved to the neighborhood following World War II, racial tensions continued to rise. Between 1950–1951 the neighborhood witnessed racially motived bombings and other acts of violence towards African American homeowners. Many white residents moved away and in 1953 the city designated the park for African American use. By 1958 the city installed a community pool, complementing a recreation center and athletic fields constructed in the previous decade. In the 1970s tennis courts were installed and two decades later local advocates led the rehabilitation of the recreation center. The original pool was replaced in 2019.
Today, the park is framed on three sides by streets, sidewalks, and lawn verges planted with allées of oak trees. In the absence of a perimeter fence, the park provides unfettered access to its neighbors. The recreational center and amenities (play equipment, swimming pool, and tennis courts) are arranged in an L-shape along the park’s northern and eastern sides, framing an athletic field and lawn.
The park is located within Queen City Heights Historic District, listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1995.
