Located between the City Center and the Lettered Streets Neighborhood in Bellingham, Washington, Maritime Heritage Park provides the community with a place to relax but has also become a gathering spot for important events. This connection to the people and culture of the area has been enabled by the unique monuments and features that it contains, highlighting what it can mean for an urban greenspace to represent something much more to a city and community.
Engagement and Opportunity
Since being established in 1979, the community has been able to use Maritime Heritage Park to reconnect with the history and legacy of the entire area. Numerous restored salmon habitats and public education efforts are centered at the park. Additionally, the Whatcom Creek Salmon Art Trail connects park visitors with natural history, approximating the shape of a salmon across the map.
Gerard Tsutakawa’s 2001 bronze fountain “Confluence” is the most notable aspect of the park, but it’s hardly the only place where the community aspect of the park is evident. Many of the supporters of the creation of the piece have been immortalized in the bricks surrounding the sculpture that helped to enable its’ creation in the first place.
The Amphitheatre at Maritime Heritage Park contains tiered seating with an incredible view of the Bay. Seating up to 350 people, the amphitheater is available for reservation. Additionally, the pavilion located in the park is also available for reservations, highlighting an important direct source of revenue.
These sources are revenue are ultimately enabled by the strong sense of community that Maritime Heritage Park has come to represent, much of which has coalesced around a distinctive monument that continues to create opportunities for individuals and the entire city of Bellingham.
Community Connections
As a space that has been known to gather over 5,000 people, Maritime Heritage Park is an important element of the Bellingham community. By featuring such a distinct monument as well as a notable place for events to take place in, the park has been able to cultivate a legacy that will enable community connections across the eras.
