The story of Dunlap Alumni Park began in the fall of 1999, when plans were announced for the former Dunlap High School/Pioneer Junior High School building. The news was difficult for many Dunlap High School alumni who had strong memories connected to the building.
While five classrooms and the gymnasium that had been added to the original high school in 1957 were retained and renovated, several older portions of the school were scheduled for demolition. These included the gymnasium built in 1930, the two-story high school building added to the gymnasium in 1935, and the agriculture/shop building constructed in 1952. The area where those portions of the school stood was to become a parking lot.
Recognizing the importance of the building to generations of Dunlap students and alumni, the district took several steps to preserve pieces of the historic school. The cast-stone surround from the front entrance of the old high school became the centerpiece of a new wall projection on the north side of the renovated 1957 portion of the building, now known as the Dunlap Activity Center. Bricks from the former school were also incorporated into the new wall.
The lantern lights from the old school's main entrance were preserved and installed at the new main entrance of the renovated building. In addition, bricks were saved and sections of the old gymnasium floor were cut into smaller pieces so alumni could have keepsakes. These items were made available at the 2000 Alumni Banquet.
After demolition was completed and the new parking lot was laid out, a small area of green space remained near the corner where the school had once stood. MaryEllen (Brattain) Strode suggested that the Alumni Association might plant a tree or place a plaque there in memory of the former school. Her idea soon grew into the concept for Alumni Park.
The Alumni Board presented the idea to Dr. William Collier, Superintendent of Dunlap Community Unit School District #323, who enthusiastically supported the project. Alumni Park was subsequently created as a permanent place to preserve the history and memories associated with the former Dunlap High School building.
One of the park's most significant features is a large gray granite memorial stone located near the brick wall projection. The stone stands approximately five feet tall, 40 inches wide, and eight inches thick. A photograph of the former gymnasium and school is etched into a black granite oval near the top.
The inscription explains that the nearby wall projection contains bricks and decorative materials from the former school and that the “Dunlap High School 1935” panel incorporated into the wall originally stood above the school's north entrance. It also commemorates the building's years of service to the Dunlap community:
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Dunlap High School: 1935–1975
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Pioneer Junior High: 1976–1998
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Building razed: 2000
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Alumni Park dedicated: June 2, 2001
The memorial concludes with a simple reminder of the purpose behind Alumni Park:
“Even though the building is gone, our memories remain.”