- City:
- Dallas, TX
- Site Type:
- Parks and Recreation, Picnic and Other Facilities
- New Deal Agencies:
- Work Relief Programs, Works Progress Administration (WPA)
Description
In 1931, Edwin Kiest, an influential Dallas businessman, made a gift of 247 acres of land to the City of Dallas for a regional park as a memorial to his wife, Elizabeth Patterson Kiest, who had died in 1917. The Works Progress Administration (WPA) built several stone structures in Kiest Park including stone gates at three entrances to the park, a stone picnic shelter and a stone field house.
The WPA also built a formal garden at the heart of Kiest Park. A pergola was built at the head of the garden in 1934 with WPA money. It fell into ruin and was cleared away, but the time of removal was not recorded. The Friends of Oak Cliff Parks restored the historic garden and the city rebuilt the pergola in 2013 based on the original plans.
Source notes
https://friendsofoakcliffparks.org/product04.html https://www.artsjournal.com/aestheticgrounds/wp/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/parkPavilions-map.pdfSite originally submitted by Larry Moore on June 29, 2014.
Contribute to this Site
We welcome contributions of additional information on any New Deal site.
Submit More Information or Photographs for this New Deal Site
Join the Conversation