G oncrete Goncrete arks laygrounds Published by PORTLAND CEMENT ASSOCIATION The Public Park Today EARLY every community, regardless of size, has set aside a plot of ground for park purposes. The plot may be but a small area surrounding the court house or city hall—or it may be an extensive tract covering hundreds of acres. Whatever its size, it remains a place set apart from the humdrum of everyday life where men, women and children may enjoy the beauties of nature in an atmosphere of peace and quiet. The park is an ideal place for a stroll along its tree-lined path- ways or a drive over winding roadways stretching away into rustic settings. It pro- vides a place for outdoor recreation—golf, tennis, swimming and many other athletic pursuits which have become a part of American life. It is the purpose of this booklet to illustrate the many uses of concrete in public parks and recreational centers. Concrete structures, effectively designed, harmonize readily with the artistic treatment of park areas and being highly durable, aid in no uncertain measure the preservation of beauty in such improvements. ’ wneeustttl: IU a Peers Ee : c et + earspensentt in annawan An attractive entrance to the park is desirable. It may be only a column, erected on either side of the sidewalk or roadway or an imposing structure of cast stone such as the above en- trance to Franklin Park, Boston. ah J 3 P “< we Lome ot Se Vale Light-colored concrete fountains harmonize with the surrounding green landscaping of parks. Being plastic in its initial state, con- crete can be moulded into any shape. A pool surrounded by concrete which resembles natural rock to the most minute detail. Sar Saw Stic Pesaas 2RYj we pee e Parkways and park drives are being utilized more extensively to lessen congestion and speed up traffic. The photographs above and to the right show the new grade separation in Lin- coln Park, Chicago. The bridge is of reinforced concrete, faced with stone. Traffic on Sheridan Drive continues uninterrupted over the bridge while traffic turning to the left follows the circle to the right and passes under the bridge without blocking traffic on the Drive. Concrete drives in Elizabeth Park, near Detroit. ates (New Rocnenie: Bea ibe An attractive sign post in New Ro- chelle, N. Y. Left — Concrete lighting standards attractively placed on low concrete walls skirting the drives in Hialeah, Fla. Above—An example of the possibili- ties of moulding concrete in artistic designs for urns, flower pots and other park ornaments. Left—A concrete arch bridge of ar- tistic design in City Park, New Or- leans. EGER RRTAL LE NP EE SNL A wide concrete drive separated by an esplanade in Forest Park, St. Louis. ee ean | ee pa nes vg, page oe we ae AKG 74 Ly fy An attractive arrangement of concrete benches and flower pots in one of the public parks, Dallas, Tex. A resting place in the hollow of a concrete tree, Alamo Plaza, San Antonio. In Circle—Close-up of a “wooden” rail fashioned in con- crete. Note the knot holes, weather checks and shattered bark. Above—Concrete park benches are permanent and attractive.. They are not easily carried away and the only maintenance required -is replacement of the wooden seat strips in case of damage. aM et Asi saacncinlenae te ie 4 aint be i ] ee Above—Concrete benches, balustrades and adornments add much to the for- mality of park gardens. Below—Concrete statuary is especially adaptable to public parks. An attractive vine-covered coricrete shelter house, River- side Park, Indianapolis, Ind. Franklin Park, Boston, finished with portland cement stucco. Concrete enclosure around Rose Garden, Below—Concrete bandstand surrounded by concrete benches in Boston Commons. Above—A standpipe can be an ornamental as well as a utility structure, fit for a public park. Right—A pedestal bird bath of concrete—an attractive addition to the public park. Concrete steps, lighting standards and adornments in Forest Park, St. Louis. The rocks of this cascade in Glenwood Park, Minneapolis, are of concrete and resemble natural rock in every detail. An attractive concrete sun-dial is always a point of interest in park or garden. Concrete plays an important part in modern tree surgery. It seals the cavity left by the removal of the decayed portion. The bark then gtadually grows over the concrete filling and the wound is healed, A concrete monument dedicated to world war veterans has an appro- priate place in the public park. Natural surroundings reproduced in concrete—the bear dens in Forest Park, St. Louis. Note the strata and cracks built into the concrete to make it re- semble natural formations. L ef t—Concrete seats and bleachers provide a permanent improve- ment for the athletic field. Below — Concrete tennis courts in the shadow of the Washington Monu- ment at the Na- tion’s capital. Con- crete courts are per- manent and main- tenance-free. sap dicbaiges tes hrmarsgmenpens badass ot Pe ql ay ) a Right A dry stream bed in a public park is unattractive. Often a small concrete dam as shown in this picture would withhold a suffi- cient amount of water in the stream for boating, swimming, etc. An attractive concrete bath-house in Forest River Park, Salem, Mass. _ *. The utility of concrete extends to the golf course in the form of sand boxes and benches at tees. Park Structures Built ONCRETE is a universal material for con- struction. Architects in all parts of the coun- try have adopted it as the basic material for the de- velopment of a typical American type of architec. ture. The size of the structure or its architectural design make little difference in the adaptability of concrete for carrying out the improvement. In its initial state, concrete is plastic and can be moulded The Athenian Parthenon reproduced in exact detail and color with concrete serves Nashville as a museum. A concrete bench be- neath a concrete “umbrella tree.” Concrete is chosen as the medium of expression by ton Park, Chicago, executed by Lorado Taft in ‘Athenian architecture reproduced in concret: Marysville, Calif., children enjoy many happy hours in this delightful concrete wading pool. f Permanent M. aterial or shaped in any desired figure. All the beauty of design imparted to the structure at the time of con- struction becomes an integral part of it, never to be lessened by the passing of time. Concrete is an economical material and is, therefore, especially at- tractive to the small community which is forced to | demand permanence and low cost of upkeep, after the initial expense. the sculptor. The Fountain of Time in Washing- dicates the versatility of concrete in modern art. > at Soldier Field, Grant Park, Chicago. Concrete swimming pool in Tibbetts Brook Park near Yonkers, N. Y. TER Concrete table and benches for picnic use. This concrete wading pool in a public park at Kansas City, Mo., is in harmony with natural surroundings. Above—Grandstand at State Fair Grounds, Birmingham, Ala., built of reinforced concrete and concrete units, surfaced with portland cement stucco. Left—A concrete drive in Ault Park, Cincinnati. Below—A concrete bridge of attrac- tive design, Oconomowoc, Wis. Ideal for spanning the park stream. — cornion” TIL LAMDLL LIME AMG Per MMM RRI TAMA, Right—A cool relief from the summer heat is this wading pool amid rustic setting in Pontiac, Il. Below—The Elephant House, Frank- lin Park, Boston—a permanent home of concrete for “Jumbo.” 9 a TH OTANI LEENA RTE OSCARS BR A ESS Left—Bird cage in public park, Houston, Tex. The rocks and trees shown in the pic- ture are of concrete fashioned in exact semblance, both in color and in texture, to the natural habitat of the birds. Left—The concrete swim- ming pool, Fair Grounds, Aurora, IIl., provides recrea- tion all summer long. EEL RTS Below—The concrete pool aids materially in beautify- ing the sunken garden. Ro NENTS Below — Concrete BA bandstand at Salem, © Mass. Right—Ice-skating on frozen surface of Aurora pool, shown at top of page. Below—Concrete is ideal for the adornment of park gardens. Garfield Park, Indianapolis. A concrete roque court is always smooth and playable, even after a heavy rain. This concrete light- ' ing standard does _ double-duty as a street marker. A concrete handball court provides countless hours of pleasure for children and grown-ups alike. Concrete swimming pool at Ivyside Park, near Altoona, Pa. This pool is 185 feet wide and 625 feet eae and will accommodate more than 3,000 people at one time. Concrete lighting standards in Sullivan Park, San An- tonio. These standards are designed in pleasing har- mony with surrounding landscape. Part of the enclosing wall, Meridian wi Daan 2 Park, Washington, D. C., A unique concrete walk and steps built to harmonize with the contour of the rolling ground. designed by Horace W. Peaslee. Permanent concrete masonry build- ings containing kitchen, dining room, bath and laundry are pro- vided for tourists in the camp ground at Wichita, Kansas. Below—Concrete table and oven in tourist park, Orange County, Tex. This community swimming pool at Stanleigh, Maryland, provides many hours of pleasure, away from the heat of a summer’s day. Concrete drive, Gordon Park, Cleveland. Concrete park walk lined gh with concrete Pee benches. Above—An ornamental pool of concrete finished with portland cement stucco. Concrete lighting standard, Beverly Hills, Calif. Bridge in Hampton Park, Charleston, S. C. Beauty and dignity are readily built into bridges with concrete. BERS SP ARERR MALTS SREB RIESE RSP SILK OT COANE vy Right—This concrete drive through Hudson Park, Harri- son, N. J., is separated from cross traffic by this graceful con- crete bridge. a REREER ERE AAE ARRAN TTA Ty te res ML Concrete swimming and wading pools in High- land Park, Dallas, Tex. ve, Concrete drinking fountain of sturdy An artistic concrete bridge in rustic Bartlesville Park, design and permanent construction. Washington County, Okla. Left—A picnic bench and table of unique design. The round table top and the cir- cular bench seat are of concrete, supported by natural rock. Right — “Happy,” the Hippopotamus, enjoys his bath in this concrete tub, Franklin Park, .Bos- ton. Bear ches es F: Concrete benches and park ornaments in Florida. Concrete drive winding through City Palm Beach is seen on the opposite shore. Park, Everett, Wash. 3 aS ate hail ae | A concrete entrance arch welcomes tourists to Camp Grande, El Paso, Tex. Campanile, The Tower of Bells, Mooseheart, Ill. Left—Pavilion in Grant Park, Atlanta, Ga., serves a dual pur- pose—band concerts on the upper deck, a rain shelter below. Right—A small arched foot- bridge of concrete in Francis William Park, Boston. Such structures have a utility value and enhance the beauty of the park as well. Write for These Free Booklets on Public [ mprovements Besides the booklets pictured on this page you can obtain those listed below. Just sele& the ones that interest you and write our nearest office. Concrete Sidewalks Concrete Pipe Sewers Sewage Treatment Plants Concrete Highway Bridges Facts About Concrete Roads Concrete Improves Your Alley A Sewerage System for Every Town Tennis Courts for All Year Sport PORTLAND CEMENT ASSOCIATION A National Organization to Improve and Extend the Uses of Concrete DISTRICT OFFICES AT Atlanta Denver Lincoln, Nebr. New York Salt Lake City Birmingham Des Moines Los Angeles Oklahoma City San Francisco Boston Detroit Milwaukee Parkersburg Seattle Chicago Helena, Mont. Minneapolis Philadelphia St. Louis Columbus, O. Indianapolis Nashville Pittsbur, Vancouver, B. C. Dallas Jacksonville New Orleans Portland, Ore. Washington, D.C. Kansas City Richmond, Va. Concrete for Permanence dee ay iid 4 up ays ay