Washington Square, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Primary tabs
Looking southeast with St. Paul's Methodist Church on the left and Washington High School on the right. The land originally was owned by a man named Parsons and was known as Parsons’ grounds. George Greene, along with Nicholas Brown, Addison Daniels, Julius Sanford and Hosea Gray purchased the property in 1843. The land was donated to the city in 1849 by Judge George Greene, who requested that it remain open green space for public use. In 1900, the square was named Washington Square after Washington High School, but In the city’s semicentennial year, 1906, William Krebs, secretary of the Parks Commission, recommended the city council honor Greene by renaming the park after him. St. Paul's Methodist Church (demolished in 1920) is shown on the left and Washington High School (demolished in 1946) is shown on the right. Number 4277.