Lafayette Square? Not just for old men anymore.

The entire story of Lafayette Square goes back to the original city plan for Oakland. It is one of the six squares set aside as public parks, but it is the contemporary history of the square that interests me the most. The reality of present day Lafayette Square is the story of a definitive change in attitude towards what a park is, whom it is for, and how it should be used.

Bounded by 10^th and 11^th streets and Martin Luther King jr. Way and Jefferson, the park is a short walk to City Hall and the city center. For many years, it was the “front yard” of Oakland High School and for years after that, it became a meeting ground for older adults living on the edge of downtown in what is sometimes called the Gateway neighborhood. Its popularity with the over 50 set gave it the common name of Old Man’s Park.

By the late 1950’s, the square had become rundown, despite, or because, of its popularity. In 1958 the park was renovated with help from the Oakland Women’s Club and new seating, a shelter, and a “hammock tree”–– a central pole from which hammocks could be strung––was set up. Because of its popularity with men, the ladies set aside a special area for women only––“the weaker sex” according to the Tribune. This renovation lasted up until the 70’s, when most American cities were close to broke.

"The women weren't overlooked..." No, they insisted on this corral of sorts.

courtesy of oakland history room

The park fell into disrepair and by the 80’s, it was by and large a center for Oakland’s cast aside homeless population. (It is worth noting, that during this period, the Federal housing budget was slashed from 33 billion dollars to 8 billion.) In 1989, the East Bay Express reported on a city study that declared, “It would be in the city’s best interests to devise a strategy to displace the users of Lafayette Square”. The city, in its grand style, took the advice to heart and sent in the cops. During the infamous Police raids of June 6, 1989, officers descended on both Lafayette and Jefferson Square, carting away nine truckloads of possessions in the process.

This brought on a storm of protest from neighborhood groups like the Center for Urban Family Life and the Oakland Union of the Homeless. Calling attention to the plight of those being displaced made them people, not numbers or mere nuisances.  One of the key figures in this struggle was “Mother” Mary Ann Wright, Oakland’s own "Mother Teresa". Mother Mary heard the call in 1980 and decided to help those in need. Mary heroically fed upwards of 200 or more people every Saturday in Lafayette Square throughout the 1980’s, while tending to her own family of 12. By all accounts, Mary was an incredible woman of uncompromising grit. Her compassion and respect for those less fortunate helped pave the way for a change in thought.

Possibly the oldest live oak in oakland. Confirmation, anyone?

By the early 1990’s, it was agreed that the park needed help. It was in disrepair, the neighborhood was changing, and there was money to implement the will to change. Walter Hood’s design firm, Hood Design, won the contract. The design the team came up with is notable not just because it is pretty, functional, or fun, but for its core philosophy. Instead of simply kicking people out, burying the old and plastering it with something new and exciting, Hood decided to pay homage to the entire human history of the Square.

The observatory donated by Anthony Chabot

courtesy of oakland history room

Open on all sides, the Square is totally inviting, verdant even. The mound on the northeastern side pays homage to the observatory Anthony Chabot installed there in 1883, there are checkerboard game tables for chess or checkers, the restrooms are OPEN, the water fountain works, the barbecue pits are functional, the small hillocks on the western side are great for Frisbee, the play structure is clean––the entire park is clean and that is in many ways a reflection of hard work by the Parks Department but also the vigilance and efforts by the citizen volunteers of the 10,000 steps project.

Succulents at the end of the horseshoe pit.

I love this little square. Warm nights for a spot of wine by the old oak tree, rolling around freestyle, watching a game of horse shoes, or the tai chi crew; its free entertainment of the sort I love best…. people watching. As a person living alone in a small studio, the square is a perfect safety valve for when the “hello wall” conversation gets a bit too wooden.

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all photos k.thomson