| North Park Blocks | |
|---|---|
A statue of Elephants in the North Park Blocks |
|
| Type | Urban park |
| Location | Portland, Oregon |
| Coordinates | [1] |
| Area | 3.11 acres (1.26 ha) |
| Operated by | Portland Parks & Recreation |
| Status | Open 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily |
The North Park Blocks form a city park in downtown Portland, Oregon.[2]
Captain John H. Couch deeded the five blocks to the city in 1865, probably officially platted and dedicated to the city in 1869.[3][4] An ordinance was passed in 1904, setting aside one park block for women and children.[5] In 1906, another block was added for a children's playground.[5] The playground was divided into a boys playground and a small child and girl's playground.[5] Use of the North Park Blocks declined, especially as the 1924 zoning code did not preserve residential uses near them.[5]
By the 1940s, the North Park Blocks area was decidedly neglected.[3] A problem with the homeless and aggressive panhandlers led to Daisy Kingdom and the U.S. Customs House to hire security guards, and park sprinklers set to intermittently spray sleepers; in 1989, the problem had been worse, with the local Montessori School finding drug users and discarded needles in the city playground.[6]
In 2002, Chinese foundry owner Huo Baozhu gave bronze elephants, full-size reproductions of Shang Dynasty statues, to Portland. Portland placed them on the North Park Blocks where children could interact with them.[7]