Causland Memorial Park

In a previous post, I spoke of the Red Rock Quarry next to the new John Tursi Trail as a source of stone for Causland Memorial Park.  This is Causland Memorial Park in Anacortes, Washington.

Originally, the park was built as a memorial to World War I veterans from Anacortes.  Later memorials were added for World War II, Korea, and Vietnam.  The park is named for Harry Leon Causland, "one of the one hundred immortals D.S.C. 6795."  He received the Distinguished Service Cross for actions in France that resulted in his death.  Fourteen others from Fidalgo, Guemes, Decatur and Cypress Islands are also named in the memorial.  The park is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

On the day I visited, the flag was at half staff in recognition of the Orlando, Florida nightclub slayings.

What makes Causland Park unique are the colored stone mosaics that decorate the bandstand and surrounding wall.  The source of the stone is the Red Rock Quarry next to the John Tursi Trail.  French-Canadian artist and architect John Baptiste LePage designed the park and supervised its construction between 1919 and 1921.  He lived here with his family during those years.

The park occupies a city block between 7th and 8th Streets, and between M and N Avenues.

Causland Park is in a pleasant residential neighborhood that includes the Anacortes Museum (above) and churches.  I had an awful time trying to straighten this photo.  I finally figured out, it's the flagpole that's cockeyed.





Something struck me about the mosaics on the park's surrounding wall.  The artist LePage may have been familiar with the artistic traditions of Northwest Coast indigenous peoples.  Both the forms and the colors evoke these traditions.

If you visit Anacortes, you may want to include this hidden little treasure in your itinerary.