The street was named after Joshua Dawson, who in 1705 acquired land from Henry Temple and Hugh Price.

During the 19th century, commercial properties began to be developed on the street, and in the late 20th, these were converted or replaced with office blocks.

[4] The Mansion House, the official residence of the Lord Mayor of Dublin, lies near the southern end of the street.

The house has undergone several reconstructions, including external plastering of the original brick walls, and has been used for function rooms, and as a restaurant.

[2][6][7] The Dawson Lounge, Dublin's smallest pub, is located near the Stephen's Green end of the street.

From the 1960s onwards many of the Georgian and Victorian buildings on the street were demolished in favour of modern retail and office units.

A collection of 15 Georgian and Victorian buildings were demolished, including the original Elverys Sports corner store[11] and the 1870 McCurdy's Law Club.

Permission was granted to demolish this block in 2016,[13] and the construction of a replacement mixed-use development is due for completion in 2022.

It was popular with wealthy country dwellers and frequented by British Army officers in the 19th century, but gradually declined at the start of the 20th.