Brush Square, one of the three remaining downtown parks in Austin's original city plan, is now the recipient of a Lone Star Legacy Park designation.
The square block sandwiched between a Hilton and a Marriott at 409 East Fifth Street was one of six Texas parks that the Texas Recreation and Park Society honored with the designation at its annual conference in Galveston in February.
The association defines a Lone Star Legacy Park as one that "holds special prominence in the local community and the state of Texas." To qualify for consideration, the park must have be a minimum of 50 years old and endured long enough to become iconic to those who have visited and made use of it. Nominated parks must also meet criteria related to historic, architectural, and natural significance.
Along with Wooldridge and Republic squares, Brush Square is one of the three out of four public squares in the 1839 original plat of Austin that still exists. Before Brush Square was developed into a park in 1913, it was used as a public market and cotton yard. Three historic buildings are located on the square: The O. Henry Museum, relocated in 1934; Central Fire Station #1, constructed in 1938; and the Susanna Dickinson Museum, relocated in 2001.
The Austin Parks and Recreation Department rehabilitated the O. Henry Museum and completed Phase I of the Brush Square Vision Plan in September, said PARD's Kimberly McNeeley, who added that it's "one of the oldest green spaces in the city."
Other Texas Parks recognized in 2024 include Carver Park in Cleburne, Huntsville State Park, Martin Luther King Park in San Antonio, Menard Park in Galveston, and White Rock Lake in Dallas.
Austin parks that previously received the Lone Star Legacy designation include Parque Zaragoza Neighborhood Park, Pease District Park, Zilker Metropolitan Park, Rosewood Neighborhood Park, Eastwoods Neighborhood Park, Givens District Park, and Pan Am Neighborhood Park.
