Stevens Park
Dallas, Texas
Stevens Park was originally developed by M.C. Kleuser and George E. Christensen in 1934 and constructed during a part of a larger WPA-funded park improvement program throughout Dallas. The park exemplifies the traits of other “New Deal Era” projects in the region by the use of the native stone walls and heavy timber roof construction for the pavilion, a similarly constructed latrine, stone drinking fountain and park benches of heavy, large stones.
The pavilion’s stone and mortar construction had fallen into a state of disrepair, largely due to subsidence and erosion of soils along Coombs Creek. After review of structural alternatives, the decision was made to methodically de-construct the stone bearing walls, store the stone in a carefully catalogued inventory and rebuild on a new drilled pier foundation nearby and further from the edge of Coombs Creek.
Exact positioning and location of all the original 4,867 native pavilion stones was recorded, numbered and carefully salvaged by hand, stored on pallets and reconstructed on the new foundation; replacing each stone where it had been originally placed in the structure.
Though site elements are repositioned on the site, the pavilion site is renewed in its purpose as a Dallas park amenity and maintains its presence as one of the many historic elements representing an era in Dallas history.
