Washington Park

Washington Park. Pasadena. , Visionaries Make a Dream Into Reality , "What could be more interesting and educational, to the people at large, than a public park devoted to plants indigenous to our dry and semi-arid lands..." , -Ralph D. Cornell , Washington Park is one of the City of Pasadena's earliest public parks. Renowned landscape architect Ralph Cornell and horticulturalist Theodore Payne were hired by the City in 1922 to create a plan for the park and “sunken gardens.” Their design included curving paths, river rock walls, ramadas, picnic areas, and many native plants and formal plantings. Included also were tennis courts and a children's playground. Among Payne and Cornellis other Pasadena projects are Memorial Park and La Pintoresca Park. Torrey Pines Preserve and the grounds at Occidental College were further collaborations. Individually, Cornell's many projects include Elysian Park and Griffith Park; Payne's include Rancho Santa Ana and Descanso Gardens. The Theodore Payne Foundation for Wildflowers and Native Plants operates a nursery and carries on his work today. , A wash that ran through the park may have been part of a stream called Woodbury Creek. The Eastside Storm Drain captures run-off for a large area north of the park and cuts through the park on the west side. In 1940, the Works Projects (formerly Works Progress) Administration constructed a sidewalk to cover it and built a natural stone retaining wall. , In 1945, 2.1 acres to the east were added to the park, allowing for a new playground, parking lot, restrooms, and softball field. , In 2003, new picnic shelters, an Interpretive Center, native plant demonstration gardens, ADA-compliant pathways, and a stone stage were added to the park. , The Community House was completed in January 2024.