508 Park is a beautiful Art Deco building with a past. A quite exciting one, to be sure. This 1929 downtown Dallas building was once owned by Warner Brothers and was used for sound recordings for movies (then referred to as “talkies”). It was later used by Brunswick and Decca Records. In June 1937, its notoriety in the music world soared when legendary bluesman Robert Johnson strolled in to record some of his iconic tunes. The building’s popularity and beauty came and went, and its former glory was no more. Now, the building is making history once again. Here’s what makes this area known as 508 Park Dallas so fascinating:
This three-story Art Deco structure was once part of America's early music scene.
It had been repeatedly vandalized and anything of value stripped. There was talk of it being torn down.
Next door to it was the Stewpot, a community center run by First Presbyterian Church that provides medical services and counseling to Dallas' homeless population. The Stewpot and Church had a vision and purchased the dilapidated building in 2011.
It began raising funds to create a multi-use social campus with a museum of street culture, an amphitheater, community garden, recording studio, and art space.
The Encore Park Project Committee determined to return 508 Park as much as possible to how it appeared in 1930, when construction on the building was completed and historically significant events happened there.
The park area also features a community garden that connects nature with the right to healthy food. It provides guests opportunities for employment as well as garden-sourced meals.
The collaborative effort has transformed an eyesore into a source of pride for Dallas.
Future phases will provide additional attractions and refinements, and will open as funding allows.
Have you visited this part of Dallas, either in the present or in the past, or perhaps watched this building’s rebirth to a rightful place of city history? Keep abreast of the Encore Park’s progress on its website. More changes will be happening soon!
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