| David Campbell Memorial | |
|---|---|
 The memorial in 2010 | |
| Type | Public park |
| Location | Portland, Oregon, U.S. |
| Coordinates | 45°31′22″N 122°41′24″W / 45.522735°N 122.690011°W / 45.522735; -122.690011 |
| Operated by | David Campbell Memorial Association |
| Status | Open all year |
| David Campbell Memorial | |
| U.S. National Register of Historic Places | |
| Built | 1928 |
| NRHP reference No. | 10000802 |
| Added to NRHP | September 24, 2010 |
The David Campbell Memorial, installed in an area known as Portland Firefighters Park, is a firefighter memorial in Portland, Oregon, United States. It was dedicated in 1928 in honor of Portland fire chief David Campbell.
Description
The David Campbell Memorial is located in southwest Portland, Multnomah County, Oregon, in a triangular traffic island bordered by southwest Alder Street to the north, southwest 19th Avenue on the west, and southwest I8th Avenue on the east. The east half of the triangle includes a grassy area that is considered a non-contributing resource because it was constructed after the period of significance for the Memorial. The grassy area is sometimes referred to as Portland Firefighters Park. The triangular space in which the David Campbell Memorial and the park are situated is city right-of-way to the surrounding streets, so it was never platted or assigned a block number. It is owned by the city of Portland but is not maintained by Portland Parks and Recreation. Care is provided by the David Campbell Memorial Association.
The open end of the Memorial faces north. It includes a staircase leading to the floor. On either side of the convex staircase is a limestone pedestal with dadoes featuring carved, grotesque, humanoid faces with rams horns growing from their heads. On top of each pedestal are bronze lanterns with stylized classical ornamentation including bay-leaf garlands and pendant strings of bellflowers. They were provided by the Pennsylvania light fixture company Smyser-Royer.
Two stone benches, one on either side, lead to the head of the Memorial at the south point, which is punctuated by a fountain and pool beneath it. The fountain head features a bronze bas-relief of Fallen Fire Chief David Campbell. It shows David Campbell from the knees up, wearing his firefighting turnout coat and holding his helmet in his right hand. A single fern frond shows behind the profile of Campbell's head. The plaque is embossed with the words, "Chief of the Portland Fire Department 1893-1911 who lost his life in the performance of his duty June 26, 1911. 'Greater love hath no man than this."
Bronze plaques commemorating Portland's Fallen Firefighters are inlaid into the floor of the Memorial in front of the fountain. In the middle is a plaque that reads, "In memory of members of the Portland Fire Department who gave their lives in the performance of their duty."
History
Portland fire chief David Campbell was killed on June 26, 1911, while responding to a fire at a Union Oil distribution plant. A memorial to Campbell, designed by Pennsylvania architect Paul Philippe Cret, began construction in 1927 and was dedicated in 1928.
The memorial was added to the National Register of Historic Places on September 24, 2010. It experienced several instances of vandalism in 2023, with multiple brass plaques honoring dead Portland firefighters being stolen. As of 2024, the David Campbell Memorial Association was in talks with the City of Portland to raise funds to repair and upgrade the memorial.
See also
- David Campbell (1912 fireboat)
- David Campbell (1927 fireboat)
- Firefighting in Oregon
- List of firefighting monuments and memorials
References
- ^ Weinstein, Nathalie (March 16, 2010). "Firefighters memorial eyes historic register". Daily Journal of Commerce. Archived from the original on October 10, 2010. Retrieved December 10, 2010.
- "National Register of Historic Places Registration Form". National Archives Catalogue. September 24, 2010. Retrieved December 31, 2024.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - Perry, Douglas (February 8, 2024). "Fire chief's death shocked Portlanders in 1911; his memorial – and heroism – now fades from view". OregonLive. Archived from the original on February 13, 2024. Retrieved December 28, 2024.
- "Memorial Work Slated". The Morning Oregonian. October 25, 1927. p. 5.
- "Cenotaph Unveiled to Chief Campbell". The Morning Oregonian. June 29, 1928. p. 22.
- "Oregon National Register List" (PDF). Oregon Parks and Recreation Department. June 6, 2011. p. 31. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 25, 2018. Retrieved August 6, 2023.
- Shults, Thomas (September 9, 2023). "Portland firefighter memorial near Providence Park damaged by vandals". KGW. Archived from the original on November 20, 2023. Retrieved December 28, 2024.
- Shults, Thomas (September 17, 2023). "Vandals continue to steal name plates from a Southwest Portland firefighter memorial". KGW. Archived from the original on September 30, 2023. Retrieved December 28, 2024.
- "David Campbell Memorial Service – Media Invitation (Photo)". City of Portland. Retrieved December 28, 2024.
External links
Media related to Portland Firefighters Park at Wikimedia Commons
| Public art in Portland, Oregon | |||||||||
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| Key: † No longer extant or on public display | |||||||||
- 1928 establishments in Oregon
- 1928 sculptures
- Beaux-Arts architecture in Portland, Oregon
- Firefighting in Oregon
- Firefighting memorials
- Monuments and memorials in Portland, Oregon
- Monuments and memorials on the National Register of Historic Places in Oregon
- National Register of Historic Places in Portland, Oregon
- Outdoor sculptures in Southwest Portland, Oregon
- Parks in Southwest Portland, Oregon
- Protected areas established in 1928
- Sculptures of men in Oregon