| Cathedral Park | |
|---|---|
St. Johns Bridge and grassy area of Cathedral Park
| |
 | |
| Location | N Edison Street & Pittsburg Avenue Portland, Oregon |
| Coordinates | 45°35′18″N 122°45′29″W / 45.5883°N 122.75799°W / 45.5883; -122.75799 |
| Area | 23.31 acres (9.43 ha) |
| Created | 1968 |
| Operated by | Portland Parks & Recreation |
| Status | Open 5 a.m. to midnight daily |
Cathedral Park is a park and the name for the eponymous neighborhood in the northernmost section of Portland, Oregon on the east shore of the Willamette River. The park is situated under the St. Johns Bridge, and was given its name due to the Gothic arches that support the bridge, which resemble a cathedral arch.[1]
The land the park occupies was originally part of the city of St. Johns. The St. Johns Bridge opened in 1931, but at that time there was no park.[1] In August 1949, a fifteen-year-old girl named Thelma Taylor was kidnapped and murdered under the bridge in the space where the park now exists.[2] According to local folklore, due to this, the park is supposedly haunted.[2] In 1968, the city acquired the land under the bridge, which became a dumping ground.[1] Residents then raised $7.5 million in the 1970s to build a park on the site, which opened on May 3, 1980.[1] A sculpture by Donald Fels was added to the park in 2008, entitled "Drawing on the River".[1] In August 2013, the amphitheater hosted the final "Trek in the Park" performance put on by the Atomic Arts group.[3] The boat ramp was used as a staging area for protests in 2015 against the MSV Fennica, an icebreaker used by Shell Oil.[4]
The park contains several walking trails, picnic benches, as well as a floating dock that extends onto the Willamette River. It also is home to a small outdoor stage, where the city has held an annual summer jazz festival since 1980.[5] The Cathedral Park Jazz Fest is the oldest free jazz festival west of the Mississippi River.[6] Cathedral Park also contains a boat ramp on the north end of the park. It is considered a popular location for weddings.[7] In 2021, Human Access Project (HAP) led an effort to remove 25 tons of concrete and rubble from the river's edge of Cathedral Park with help from partners and volunteers.[8]In 2022, HAP and Portland Parks & Recreation designated six safer swimming areas on the Willamette River: Audrey McCall Beach, Cathedral Park Beach, Kevin Duckworth Memorial Dock, Poet's Beach, Sellwood Riverfront ParkBeach, and Tom McCall Bowl Beach.[9][10][11] In 2013, HAP partnered with Green Anchors, other partner organizations and 200+ volunteers to remove 100 tons of concrete and rock from the south end of Cathedral Park Beach.[12]
