Cleveland Cascade facts for kids
The Cleveland Cascade is a beautiful set of stairs and water features in Oakland, California. It's located near Lake Merritt. Designed in 1923 by Howard Gilkey, it was once a very proud landmark for the city.
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The Cleveland Cascade: A Historic Stairway
What is the Cleveland Cascade?
The Cleveland Cascade is about 250 feet long. It features wide concrete steps at the bottom. These steps lead up to a landing. From there, two narrower stairways go up. They are on either side of a series of concrete bowls. These bowls are what form the "cascade."
A Look Back: How It Was Built
The Cascade was designed in 1923 by Howard Gilkey. It was said to be inspired by the hill towns of Italy. When it first opened, people in Oakland were very proud of it. They called it "one of the few things of this kind in the West." Water used to flow down over twenty concrete bowls. These bowls were even lit up at night with colored lights. An electric pump would send the water back to the top.
The Cascade's Changing Times
The Cleveland Cascade was kept in good condition until the early 1940s. After that, it started to get damaged because no one was taking care of it. Around 1950, the lights and water were turned off. The bowls that held the water were filled in. Even without the water, the Cascade remained popular. People still use it as a busy path for walking. Many joggers also like to use it.
Bringing It Back to Life
For the past ten years, people have been working to fix up the Cleveland Cascade. The goal is to bring it back to its original beauty. They want to restore the water features and lights.
