page_title: Lowertown Historic District (Saint Paul, Minnesota)
section_title: Mears Park
hierarchical_section_title: Lowertown Historic District (Saint Paul, Minnesota) / Mears Park
caption_attribution_description: English: Mears Park, Lowertown St Paul Clock 433125593 o
context_page_description: The Lowertown Historic District is a historic district in the Lowertown neighborhood of Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States. This 16-block warehouse and wholesaling district comprises 37 contributing properties built 1870s–1920. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983 for the significance of its river and rail connections, economic impact, architecture, and urban planning. Lowertown was originally the lower landing on the Mississippi River; the first port of access to the Twin Cities. Several warehouse, railroad, banking, and distribution buildings served the entire Upper Midwest from 1880 to 1920. A significant concentration of these buildings survive, unified by similar architectural styles and construction materials. Many were designed by the city's most prestigious architects, including Cass Gilbert and Clarence H. Johnston Sr.
context_section_description: Previously known as Smith Park, Park Square, and Baptist Hill, Mears Park is bounded by 5th, 6th, Sibley and Wacouta streets. The site was originally the home of the First Baptist congregation, who built their church on top of a hill in the middle of a city block. In 1849 the land was donated to the city by a man named Robert Smith after the church expanded to a new location a few blocks north. The hill was leveled and the square was formally created in 1888.
  For most of the next century, the park was a traditional city square with a central fountain and sidewalks radiating about it. In the early 1970s, the park became known as the “Brickyard” after a renovation covered much of the square in bricks. After his death in 1974, the park was officially renamed after Norman Mears, a St. Paul inventor in the printing and etching field; his inventions were used to fight World War II and make color televisions. After retirement, Mears had set his sights on the revitalization of Lowertown.
  Modern-day Mears Park was opened in 1992 following a major reconstruction designed by landscape architect Don Ganje and artist Brad Goldberg. The new design received rave reviews for brilliantly mixing natural and manmade elements, from the rocky stream to the metal bandshell, and has proven popular year after year. Today the park sits in the middle of a re-energized Lowertown, hosting handfuls of fairs and festivals throughout the season including Music in Mears, the Twin Cities Jazz Festival, and Concrete and Grass Music Festival. Volunteers known as the Friends of Mears Park maintain the gardens.
caption: Mears Park, Lowertown St Paul Clock
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