Jefferson Park (Seattle)

Jefferson Park golf course trees in snow

Jefferson Park is a 52.4 acre (212,055 m²) public park and golf course on top of Beacon Hill in Seattle, Washington, bounded on the east by 24th Avenue S. and 24th Place S., on the west by 15th Avenue S., on the north by S. Spokane Street, and on the south by Cheasty Boulevard S.

History

The park site was originally planned by the State of Washington for state university use. In 1892, it was the site of a "pesthouse," or isolation hospital. In 1898, the land was sold to the city of Seattle, with plans to build a reservoir and a cemetery. In 1908, the park was named for Thomas Jefferson.

The Olmsted Brothers included the park in their comprehensive plan for Seattle parks, and designed the 18 hole golf course which opened in 1915.

During World War II, Jefferson Park contained anti-aircraft batteries, and was requisitioned by the U.S. Army for a G.I. recreation center, with recreation facilities, a gym, and tent housing for soldiers and visiting family.

In the post war years, the park returned to normal; the Army structures were mostly removed, though a new Veterans' Administration hospital was built on the site of the original 9-hole golf course. (A replacement 9-hole course was built elsewhere in the park.) A lawn bowling green and playgrounds were also constructed at this time.

This is also the home course of golfing great Fred Couples.

The park today

Jefferson Park viewpoint, fall 2010

The Jefferson Park Golf Course, the Jefferson Community Center, Jefferson Lawn Bowling green, and playfields continue to be heavily used. Jefferson Park received $8 million from the recent ProParks funding levy, allowing redevelopment and remodeling to begin. Projects in this park revitalization effort include new walking paths, gardens, and a new gymnasium. The Jefferson Park expansion officially opened October 28th, 2010.

In 2012, the park will have a groundbreaking for the Beacon Food Forest, a 7-acre forest gardening project on the west side of the reservoir.

In June of 2014 a 'skate space' designed by artist CJ Rench opened up to the public. A sculpture that is specifically designed for skateboarding.

'Skate-Space' sculpture by CJ Rench

References

HistoryLink Essay: Jefferson Park Municipal Golf Course (Seattle)
Seattle Parks and Recreation: Jefferson Park (official City page)

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Jefferson Park, Seattle.

Jefferson Park Alliance, a group of neighborhood advocates for the park
Jefferson Park Community Center
Jefferson Park Lawn Bowling Club

Coordinates: 47°33′59.8″N 122°18′26.4″W / 47.566611°N 122.307333°W / 47.566611; -122.307333

Protected Areas of Seattle

Federal

National Parks	Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park Wing Luke Museum (affiliated)

City parks and
preserves

Greater than 50 acres (20 ha)	Alki Beach Camp Long Carkeek Discovery Genesee Golden Gardens Green Lake Interlaken Jackson Jefferson Lake Washington Boulevard Lincoln Magnolia Tidelands Magnuson Puget Schmitz Seattle Center Seward Westcrest West Seattle Golf Course Woodland

10–50 acres (4.0–20.2 ha)	Brighton Playfield Cheasty Boulevard South Colman Condon Way Centerstrip Dahl Playfield Emma Schmitz Memorial Overlook Fauntleroy Frink Garfield Gas Works Hamilton Viewpoint Herring's House Park (Tualtwx) Hiawatha Interbay Golf Kinnear Lakeridge Lawton Leschi Longfellow Creek Madrona Magnolia Magnolia Playfield Maple Leaf Reservoir Maple Wood Playfield Matthews Beach Meadowbrook Playfield Me-Kwa-Mooks Montlake Playfield Mount Baker Northacres Open Water Park Pigeon Point Pritchard Island Beach Queen Anne Boulevard Ravenna Park Riverview Playfield Roxhill Sam Smith Soundview Playfield Stan Sayres Memorial Volunteer Walt Hundley Playfield West Seattle Stadium

0.02–10 acres (0.0081–4.0469 ha)	Alvin Larkins Beer Sheva Bell Street Bryant Playground Cal Anderson Cascade Playground Cowen City Hall Commodore Denny Denny-Blaine East Montlake Fairview Freeway Fremont Peak Hing Hay Home of the Good Shepherd I-5 Colonnade Jack Block Jimi Hendrix Kerry Kiwanis Ravine Kobe Terrace Lake People Lake Union Lakeview Louisa Boren Madison Marshall Park McCurdy Meridian Playground Myrtle Edwards Nora's Woods North Passage Point Northacres Occidental Olympic Sculpture Park Oxbow Parsons Gardens Peace Rizal Roanoke Schmitz Boulevard South Passage Point Terry Pettus Park Tilikum Place Union Bay Natural Area Victor Steinbrueck Viretta Waterfront West Montlake Westlake

Under 0.02 acres (0.0081 ha)	Boylston Place Lakeview Place McGraw Square Westlake Square

Other

Farms, gardens and P-Patches	Beacon Food Forest Danny Woo International District Community Garden Interbay P-Patch Marra Farm Picardo Farm

Green belts	St. Mark's Greenbelt SW Queen Anne Greenbelt The Jungle West Duwamish Greenbelt

Zoos and aquariums	Seattle Aquarium Woodland Park Zoo

Arboretums and botanical gardens	Carl S. English, Jr., Botanical Gardens Kubota Garden Piper Orchard Seattle Chinese Garden Seattle Japanese Garden South Seattle Community College Arboretum Volunteer Park Conservatory Washington Park Arboretum

Landscape architecture	Alaska–Yukon–Pacific Exposition Olmsted parks

Bicycle trails	Burke-Gilman Trail Chief Sealth Trail

Seattle Parks and Recreation • List of parks in Seattle

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