Shute Park is a municipal park in the city of Hillsboro, Oregon, United States. Acquired in 1906, the 13acre park is the oldest park in the city. Located at southeast Tenth and Maple streets along Tualatin Valley Highway, Shute Park includes an aquatic center, a branch of the Hillsboro Public Library, and a community center. The park once had a pavilion that contained a roller skating rink, and was the center of civic activities before the opening of the Washington County Fairgrounds. Named for businessman John W. Shute, the park at one time included land on the east side of the highway that consisted mainly of a baseball field.HistoryOn December 21, 1906, the City of Hillsboro purchased a 15acre tract of land from banker John W. Shute for $1,622, with the condition that the land be used as a park and named in his honor. The city passed a levy to finance the purchase of its first park at 1.8 mills per assessed valuation. At the time, the total assessed value in the city was just over $600,000. The land had previously been the site of a brickyard, whose brick had been used in the construction of several buildings in downtown Hillsboro.In June 1920, voters approved a levy to finance the construction of a pavilion at the park. Finished in June 1921, the 71by building was designed and built without posts in the floor and included a stage. At first, the pavilion was used mainly for dances, but was later used as a roller skating rink. It also was home to an infantry unit and later artillery unit, and during World War II was used for drill by the national guard. Over time, the building eventually no longer met building codes, but the city felt the costs were too much to remodel the facility so the pavilion was torn down in 1974.
