Cascade Playground is located in the Cascade neighborhood at 333 Pontius Avenue.
In his 1910 report recommending playground locations, John Charles Olmsted noted a particular “block of land north of Denny Way between Pontius Avenue and Howard Avenue being much wider than any other block in that part of the city, being fairly level, having only one house upon it and being only a block away from a large public school.” All these conditions made the site “particularly desirable for a small playground park.” Calling this scheme “Pontius Park,” he notes also that this location is almost exactly midway between existing Denny and Cal Anderson parks.
Olmsted was also cognizant of this land likely being expensive and so turned his view to “a larger area of land [available] for less money” west of Fairview Ave.
Cascade Park was acquired in 1926 following a massive community petition to create a “Pontius Playground” near to Cascade School.