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Gift of Julia Lee’s Park celebrated in Madison Valley

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A photo posted by Patrick (@patrickirl) on

Central Seattle has a new city park though neighbors around the Madison Valley are pretty familiar with the neighborhood open space. In a ceremony Monday, members of the Knudsen family celebrated the donation of the quarter-acre Julia Lee’s Park to the City of Seattle.

The plaza-like park at 27th, MLK Jr. Way, and E Harrison was established by Calvert Knudsen in 1993 “as a statement of his love for his wife and life partner Julia Lee Roderick Knudsen who passed away in 1990,” according to a statement from Seattle Parks and Recreation about the gift.

“Our father created this park as a physical representation of the depth and power of love between him and our mother,” daughter Page Knudsen Cowles said in the parks department statement. “He believed that a small neighborhood park in Madison Valley would uniquely serve as a memorial to her, while further enhancing the greater Madison Park community with a natural, quiet place for reflection and enjoyment.”

(Image: Seattle Parks)

(Image: Seattle Parks)

“The park holds an Italianate garden with handsome wooden benches and has become a green and peaceful meeting place for Madison Valley residents of all ages,” reads the city’s description of the new park.

Onetime chairman and CEO of Canadian forestry company MacMillan Bloedel, Calvert Knudsen passed away in 2009. The Madison Valley Park Foundation he formed in 1993 has administered the small plaza acquired from the family of Seattle auto dealer John Blume. The land valued at $398,000 according to King County records will now be owned by the city.

Madisonvalley.org has more information about the life of Julia Lee Knudsen and the origins of the park:

Afterwards, her husband purchased an empty lot to build a memorial. He hired architect Glen Takagi and landscape designer Ann Smith Hunter to create the park. Ms. Hunter chose mature shrubs and trees for a lush look, as well as plantings that would require little maintenance. During spring the park abounds with azaleas and rhododendrons in full bloom.

Julia Lee’s Park is located at 2701 E Harrison. You can learn more at seattle.gov.

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Brad
Brad
7 years ago

Thanks for the history of this charming little park. I’ve always wondered about it.