Cleveland Cascade

Last updated
Cleveland Cascade in August 2020 Cleveland Cascade, August 2020.JPG
Cleveland Cascade in August 2020

The Cleveland Cascade is a 250-foot-long ornamental stairway near Lake Merritt in Oakland, California, with cascades in the center, designed in 1923 by Howard Gilkey. It opened with great civic pride as "one of the few things of this kind in the West". [1]

The Cascade was reportedly modeled after features in the hill towns of Italy. From the lakefront downhill end, wide concrete steps rise to a landing, then divide around a round-topped fountain niche and pool, and continue to the top following the middle landing as two narrow stairways on either side of a series of concrete bowls that form the cascade. Water flowed down over twenty concrete bowls past colored lights.

It was adequately maintained into the early 1940s but then began to suffer from neglect and resulting disrepair. Until about 1950 the bowls were illuminated at night by colored lights, and an electric pump returned water from the pool to the top of the cascade. The lights and water were shut off sometime in the 1950s, and the bowls were filled in. As “Cleveland Stairs,” the Cascade never lost its popularity. The feature is an active pedestrian thoroughfare and popular with joggers. [2]

Over the past decade efforts have been underway to restore the Cascade to its past glory. [3]

Related Research Articles

Runway Area of surface used by aircraft to takeoff from and land on

According to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), a runway is a "defined rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for the landing and takeoff of aircraft". Runways may be a man-made surface or a natural surface. Runways, as well as taxiways and ramps, are sometimes referred to as "tarmac", though very few runways are built using tarmac. Takeoff and landing areas defined on the surface of water for seaplanes are generally referred to as waterways. Runway lengths are now commonly given in meters worldwide, except in North America where feet are commonly used.

Villa dEste Renaissance villa in Tivoli, Italy

The Villa d'Este is a 16th-century villa in Tivoli, near Rome, famous for its terraced hillside Italian Renaissance garden and especially for its profusion of fountains. It is now an Italian state museum, and is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Lake Merritt Tidal lagoon in the center of Oakland, California

Lake Merritt is a large tidal lagoon in the center of Oakland, California, just east of Downtown. It is surrounded by parkland and city neighborhoods. It is historically significant as the United States' first official wildlife refuge, designated in 1870, and has been listed as a National Historic Landmark since 1963, and on the National Register of Historic Places since 1966. The lake features grassy shores, several artificial islands intended as bird refuges and an interpretive center called the Rotary Nature Center at Lakeside Park. It has a boating center where sailboats, canoes and rowboats can be rented and classes are held. There is a fairy-tale themed amusement park called Children's Fairyland. The Gardens at Lake Merritt is also inside Lakeside Park. It is a 7.5 acre garden which contains seven themed gardens as well as community garden plots for growing food. The Gardens host the Autumn Lights Festival annually in late October, bringing over 100 artists to the garden with fabulous illuminated and digital art. A popular walking and jogging path runs along its Lake perimeter. The circumference of the lake is 3.4 miles (5.5 km) and its area is 155 acres (63 ha).

League Park Former baseball park in Cleveland, Ohio, United States (1891-1946)

League Park was a baseball park located in Cleveland, Ohio, United States. It was situated at the northeast corner of Dunham Street and Lexington Avenue in the Hough neighborhood. It was built in 1891 as a wood structure and rebuilt using concrete and steel in 1910. The park was home to a number of professional sports teams, most notably the Cleveland Indians of Major League Baseball. League Park was first home to the Cleveland Spiders of the National League from 1891 to 1899 and of the Cleveland Lake Shores of the Western League, the minor league predecessor to the Indians, in 1900. From 1914 to 1915, League Park also hosted the Cleveland Spiders of the minor league American Association. In the late 1940s, the park was also the home field of the Cleveland Buckeyes of the Negro American League.

Sutro Baths Large defunct saltwater swimming pool complex in San Francisco, now ruins.

The Sutro Baths was a large, privately owned public saltwater swimming pool complex in the Lands End area of the Outer Richmond District in western San Francisco, California.

Cascade, Seattle Neighborhood in Seattle, Washington, United States

Cascade is an urban neighborhood abutting Downtown Seattle, Washington, United States, located adjacent to South Lake Union. It is bounded by: Fairview Avenue North on the west, beyond which is the rest of the Cascade Neighborhood; the Interstate 5 interchange for Mercer St to the north, beyond which is Eastlake; Interstate 5 on the east, beyond which is Capitol Hill; and Denny Way on the south, beyond which is Denny Triangle. It is surrounded by thoroughfares Mercer Street (eastbound), Fairview Avenue N. and Eastlake Avenue E., and Denny Way. The neighborhood, one of Seattle's oldest, originally extended much further: west to Terry Avenue, south to Denny Hill on the South, and east to Melrose Avenue E through the area now obliterated by Interstate 5. Some recent writers consider Cascade to omit the northern "arm", while others extend it westward to cover most of South Lake Union.

Fageol American vehicle manufacturer

Fageol Motors was a United States manufacturer of buses, trucks and farm tractors.

Musical fountain Type of animated fountain for entertainment purposes

A musical fountain, also known as a fairy fountain, prismatic fountain or dancing fountain, is a type of choreographed fountain that creates aesthetic designs as a form of entertainment. The displays are commonly synchronised to music and also feature lighting effects that are refracted and reflected by the moving water. Contemporary multimedia fountains can include lasers, video projection and three-dimensional imagery.

McClymonds High School Public secondary school in Oakland, California , United States

McClymonds High School is a public high school in the West Oakland neighborhood of Oakland, California, United States.

Burgess Falls State Park Protected area in Tennessee, US

Burgess Falls State Park is a state park and state natural area in Putnam County and White County, Tennessee, located in the southeastern United States. The park is situated around a steep gorge in which the Falling Water River drops 250 feet (76 m) in elevation in less than a mile, culminating in a 136-foot (41 m) cataract waterfall.

Oakland California Temple

The Oakland California Temple is the 15th constructed and 13th operating temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. During a January 23, 1961 meeting, plans for the temple were announced by David O. McKay. Ground was broken on May 26, 1962, with the cornerstone laid May 25, 1963, and dedication on November 19, 1964.

Temescal Creek (Northern California) River in California, United States

Temescal Creek is one of the principal watercourses in the city of Oakland, California, United States.

ProSlide Technology, Inc. is a Canadian designer and manufacturer of water rides and water park resorts. They design and manufacture both traditional slides and innovative rides such as water coasters, funnel-shaped TORNADO slides, and Bowl slides. ProSlide has received attention for being the first water slide manufacturer to build a water slide using linear induction motors and for designing the Mammoth watercoaster which was named the world's longest watercoaster by Guinness World Records in 2016. Since 1986, ProSlide has developed and designed water rides for water parks in over 40 countries around the world.

Joaquin Miller Park Public park in Oakland, California

Joaquin Miller Park is a large open space park in the Oakland Hills owned and operated by the city of Oakland, California. It is named after early California writer and poet Joaquin Miller, who bought the land in the 1880s, naming it "The Hights" [sic], and lived in the house preserved as the Joaquin Miller House.

Hubba Hideout Former public location used for skateboarding

Hubba Hideout was one of the most famous skateboarding spots. It was located in San Francisco near the Justin Herman Plaza on The Embarcadero. Its central features were two oversized sets of 6 stairs with large concrete ledges on both sides. The spot is part of a pedestrian walkway but was more commonly used by the local skateboarders and vagrants. The city of San Francisco made numerous attempts over the years to ward off skateboarders from the spot, and in January 2011 city workers completely demolished its ledges and stairs.

Morcom Rose Garden

The Morcom Rose Garden is located in a residential neighborhood in Oakland, California, near the Piedmont border. The exact address is 700 Jean St., Oakland, CA 94610.

Nishat Bagh Terraced Mughal garden near Dal Lake, in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India

Nishat Bagh is a terraced Mughal garden built on the eastern side of the Dal Lake, close to Srinagar in the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir, India. It is the second largest Mughal garden in the Kashmir Valley. Shalimar Bagh, is also located on the bank of the Dal Lake. ‘Nishat Bagh’ is Urdu, and means the "Garden of Joy," "Garden of Gladness" and "Garden of Delight."

Fountains of International Expositions

The Fountains of International Expositions in London, Paris, New York and other cities between 1851 and 1964 combined architecture, technology and theatre. They introduced the first illuminated fountains, the first fountains made with glass and other exotic materials, and the first fountains programmed to perform with music.

Cascade Falls (Jackson, Michigan)

TheCascades is a manmade waterfall attraction in Sparks Foundation County Park, Jackson, Michigan. The falls are both illuminated and choreographed and is the site of concerts and special events from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Three times a year, Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Labor Day, fireworks displays are presented at the Cascade Falls. Since its creation in 1932, millions of people have enjoyed the beauty of The Cascades.

Howard Ellsworth Gilkey (1890–1972) was an American landscape architect known for his civic works in Oakland, California and as a designer of garden shows.

References

  1. Waterfall on lake margin novel feature San Francisco Chronicle, March 11, 1923
  2. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2009-08-04. Retrieved 2012-02-29.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  3. "Oakland's Cleveland Cascade". Archived from the original on 2004-08-20. Retrieved 2012-02-29.

Coordinates: 37°48′23″N122°14′58″W / 37.80625°N 122.2495°W / 37.80625; -122.2495