Address: 17130 Vashon Hwy. SW, Vashon, WA

Ober Park is a 5.47 acre multiuse community park located in the center of Vashon-Maury Island on the north end of town. The park includes the site of the Vashon Branch of the King County Library, leased from the Vashon Park District. The Ober Administration Building is located in the center of the site, housing the District’s administrative offices and containing a springboard-mounted floor performance space for gymnastics, dance classes, etc. The partially wooded site has picnic tables, a children's playground, a Ron Hook mural, and a dedicated Vietnam War Memorial. The grassy, rolling lawns are used for summer gatherings, community festivals, and concerts.

History
In the mid 1800s a Seattle developer claimed property on Vashon-Maury Island by pre-emption, including the site of today’s Ober Park.  In 1884, the land was purchased by John Blackburn, an early Vashon Postmaster and the first elected legislator to the Washington Territorial Legislature from Vashon. In 1886, Blackburn donated the land to the School District, and in 1887, the first “box” type schoolhouse was built on the site.  The first schoolhouse was later replaced by a larger, two-story schoolhouse. 

In 1912, the two-story schoolhouse became a community building. Still owned by the School District, this building was used for agricultural fairs, theater, pageants and meetings. In 1925, wives of Vashon Veterans Memorial Foundation members raised over $1,000 to purchase the Ober Park property from the School District for continued use as a community building.  This was called the “Island Community Club.”

In the 1950’s, the Island Community Club became the Veterans’ Athletic Club for returning WWII combat veterans.  Veterans did not use it for this purpose, but the building continued to be used as a location for fairs, theater and events.  In the early 1950’s, the Vashon Veterans Memorial Foundation designated the park “John Ober Memorial Park” to honor one of Vashon’s most active teachers and conservationists, John Elliott Ober (September 3, 1897 – May 22, 1952).  Also, about this time, King County built a ‘concrete block’ building, referred to as the “Youth Center,” which constitutes the existing westerly portion of the Ober Park building. The first school building behind the Island Club was remodeled into the Boy Scout Cabin where the library currently stands.

In 1971, King County Parks razed the entire “Island Club” structure and built the ‘administration portion’ of the current Ober Park building.  In 1973, the exterior plaza, landscaping and walkways were added around the current building. 

In 1991, VPD entered into a Use Agreement with King County to allow for community use of the Ober Park Building. In 1994, VPD assumed full responsibility for the maintenance and management of the Ober Park Building with full ownership transferred in 1995.