James John was the first resident in the area we now know as the Cathedral Park neighborhood. He settled in 1846, building a residence by the river, at the origin of the street we now call N Burlington Avenue. John ran a store and a ferry across the river to Linnton. He got right to work laying out plans for lots in his 320-acre claim, with all roads oriented towards the Willamette River. The original plaited area was named after him, St Johns on the Willamette.
Most of the waterfront in the Cathedral Park neighborhood was home to industrial activity, which started in the mid-1860s with the Pacific Barrel Company. OR & N railroad set up a rail line along the shore in the early 1900s. The development of the railway created jobs in the area, increased the number of ships coming to the docks, and brought more residents to the townsite. There was a variety of industrial activity in the area–wool clothing, lumber, asphalt products, flour, manufacturing tools, warships, and asbestos–right up through the 1950s. Although the industrial boom bolstered the area with money, jobs, and residents, it also had negative impacts on the landscape. Efforts to mitigate environmental pollution in the soil and waterways are still underway today.
The St Johns Bridge was constructed in the late 1920s, opening to traffic in 1931. Shipyards that were booming through the war went vacant in the late 1940s and the waterfront area beneath the bridge developed a reputation as a locus for crime after an unsolved rape/murder case. By the 1970s, residents in the area were focused on cleaning up the area for both social and environmental reasons.
Led by Howard Gilbraith, area resident and “honorary mayor” of St Johns, a group of residents began pushing the idea of developing the area beneath the bridge into a park for the community. Concerned residents argued that the site has historical significance significance to local Native American tribes who fished and camped there, and because it is noted as one of the 14 original Lewis & Clark landing sites.
The construction of Cathedral Park in the 1970s was a huge success for the community. A few years later, when vandalism in the park became a concern, a group of residents formed a neighborhood watch group to protect the area. Around this same time, Portland was pushing for the establishment of neighborhood associations as a way to engage more residents in city issues. The neighborhood watch group morphed into a neighborhood association, boundaries were set, and the Cathedral Park neighborhood was established in 1980.
Amenities
Cathedral Park’s western boundary is the Willamette River, the Burlington Railway line marks the southern boundary, Ivanhoe forms the eastern edge, and the northern boundary is Weyerhaeuser. Even though approximately half of the neighborhood is north of the St Johns Bridge, the residential heart lies in the southern half.
Residents of the neighborhood have great access to Highway 30 via the St Johns Bridge, and are just a few miles from the I-5 corridor. The bike lane along North Willamette is a popular route for commuters headed south to downtown Portland or to the Max line.
The neighborhood is home to a couple of private pre-schools but all of the public schools for residents of Cathedral Park are located in neighboring St Johns. Sitton Elementary and James John Elementary are the two elementary schools. George Middle School is the local junior high, and Roosevelt High School is the single high school in the area.
Points of Interest
The heart of the neighborhood is undoubtedly its namesake park at the foot of the St Johns Bridge. Both the bridge and the park are considered Portland landmarks. At nearly 22 acres, Cathedral Park has become both a treasured public park and event venue. The park hosts an annual jazz festival, weddings, and provides a beautiful backdrop for all sort of leisure activities. With riverfront views, a boat launch, and off-leash dog area, the park has plenty to offer all Portland residents.
Even though the bridge is called St Johns, it is located within the Cathedral Park neighborhood. Built in 1929 to bridge the Willamette River, the bridge replaced the ferry service that ran between St Johns and Linnton since the area was settled in the 1850s. The construction of the St Johns Bridge provided jobs for many area residents during challenging financial times. There are a number of remarkable facts about the bridge’s construction including that it was completed in one year, came in a million dollars under budget, and was the longest suspension bridge west of the Mississippi at the time. The accomplished design and engineer duo behind the bridge was David B. Steinman and Holton D. Robinson, both from New York. There are a number of great photos of the bridge during construction and through the decades here.
Culture
It’s easy to think of the Cathedral Park neighborhood as part of St Johns. Many Portlanders are not aware that the entirety of North Portland’s waterfront from the Railroad Bridge up to Terminal 4 is officially part of Cathedral Park. The waterfront is home to two large parks, Cathedral Park, and Baltimore Woods–a 30-acre corridor of woods and green space connecting Cathedral Park and Pier Park.
The majority of development Cathedral Park is residential, and contains a range of housing stock in the area including single family homes built at the turn of the century, mid-century and higher density new construction. While there isn’t a thriving commercial center in Cathedral Park, residents have easy access to the movie theater, shops, restaurants, and the weekly farmers’ market in neighboring St Johns. North Ivanhoe Street, the eastern boundary of Cathedral Park, runs parallel to North Lombard through the heart of the St Johns neighborhood’s commercial district.
There are still operational industrial sites clustered near the river but some of the old buildings have been converted to clusters of more retail-oriented businesses. Near Cathedral Park, a small business park is home to Occidental Brewery’s tap room, Urban German Wursthaus restaurant, and the St Johns Clay Collective. Just south of the park, on Willamette Boulevard is the popular Cathedral Coffee where you can get locally roasted coffee and house-baked goods.