Oct 092011
Cathedral Park
Portland, Oregon
This is Cathedral Park in Portland, Oregon. It is believed to be one of the 14 Lewis and Clark landing sites in the Vancouver-Portland area. It’s cathedral-like appearance comes from the fact that it sits under this gorgeous bridge.
The St. Johns Bridge is a steel suspension bridge that spans the Willamette River. It is the only suspension bridge in the Valley. The bridge has two 408 foot tall Gothic towers, a 1,207 foot center span and a total length of 2,067 feet. It is also the tallest bridge in Portland.
It was dedicated on June 13, 1931, and during the ceremony, the bridge engineer, David B. Steinman said: “A challenge and an opportunity to create a structure of enduring beauty in the God-given wondrous background was offered us when were asked to design the bridge. It is the most beautiful bridge in the world we feel.”
Love that bridge… someone made it beautiful AND functional!
That bridge is gorgeous upside AND down!!!
Fabulous bridge – good form and good function!
Beautiful bridge, and fantastic perspective!
Beautiful! How wonderful that a park was built under the bridge! Someday I would love to get to Portland…
I love Portland — what a vibrant and friendly city! I don’t remember the bridge, so thanks for capturing its beauty and sharing it with us.
A neat piece of engineering! It suits its environment well.
I really like your two architectural photos, but I’m wondering how you took the picture of the bridge. I hope someone else was driving. 😀
It really is beautiful. I would love to see it in person.