Lownsdale Square

Lownsdale Square is named after Daniel Lownsdale who left his home state of Kentucky and arrived in Portland in 1845. When he arrived in Portland it had a population of about 800 people. At one time he controlled 640 acres of land which is basically a large part of what is now downtown Portland.
In 1906 Soldiers Monument was dedicated to the Oregonians and Portlanders who lost their lives in the Spanish American War of 1898. The Soldiers Monument has a stone base and is topped with a bronze statue of a soldier of the Second Oregon Volunteer Infantry. This statue sits in the very center of the park.
At the base of the statue are two canons that were used by Union Troops to defend Fort Sumter during the US Civil War in 1861. They were also used by the Confederacy after the fort was occupied and so one faces north and the other faces south.
There is a memorial limestone fountain dedicated to servicemen killed in service in the Philippines. The Fountain for Company H, was installed in 1914. Money was raised for the fountain by family members of the fallen. Sadly, it is not operational at the present moment. It is located on the sidewalk across from the courthouse and you can’t really tell what it is if you are standing in the park.
A nice place to sit and relax in downtown PDX.

This is a nice little park in downtown, The park is across the street from the courthouse. It has lots of trees and benches. It’s a great place to relax or have lunch (if for example you have jury duty), or just get some fresh air.
Sitting in the middle of Lownsdale Square, this monument is a memorial to the soldiers from Oregon that died in the Spanish American war. According to the plaque the Monument has two cannons from Fort Sumner. One faces north, and the other south. there is in the middle a granite obelisk with a bronze statue of an inventory man on top.

Lownsdale Square is a splendid urban investment. It is tilted towards Pioneer Place, of which in addition to the Multnomah County Courthouse, it nears. Lownsdale is smaller than Chapman Square with there consequentially being fewer benches. The park is defined by a few statues in the center.
Before visiting Chapman Square, Lownsdale’s «twin» park, I tried reading a book for experimentation’s sake at Lownsdale. It was a calm experience, where I heard the traffic less than at Chapman. The benches had the dividers in the middle so that none can sleep there, but someone who isn’t a sumo wrestler could likely get their feet through it and sleep anyway. My book reading was enjoyable and I got more information through my mind.
The mix of the urban and nature defines our core, and Lownsdale Square exemplifies this.

wow, i love how there’s a park in the middle of all these huuuuge buildings. it was like a mini forest with very tall trees with super green moss on them. this park is so green i love it. great spot to just pause for a minute and appreciate nature.

A vest-​pocket park, one of the many that PDX does so well. There’s a wonderful memorial to those who served in the Spanish-​American war. It’s designed in a very classic american municipal style by Douglas Tilden, a west coast sculptor whose work has always interested me. There’s fairly little happening here other than benches, paths, and a bit of lawn under the stately trees, but it’s happening in the space of a block in the middle of a bustling downtown core, and that’s really, really cool.

The companion to Chapman Square, this was originally designated for men to use (women used the other park). This park is a great stop during the day, especially on a summer day. Plus, there are some impressive war memorials in these two parks.