Devendorf Park
Devendorf Park is a city park that occupies the block of Ocean Avenue and Junipero Street, Carmel-by-the-Sea, Monterey County, California, United States. The park is Carmel's central gathering place for outdoor events. The nearest larger town is Pebble Beach, California. The park is close to downtown shopping, the Carmel beach, and California State Route 1.
| Devendorf Park | |
|---|---|
 Devendorf Park at Ocean Avenue | |
 Location of Devendorf Park in Monterey County, California | |
| Type | Municipal Park and Natural Area |
| Location | Carmel-by-the-Sea, California |
| Coordinates | 36°33′21″N 121°55′17″W |
| Area | 4 acres (1.62 ha) |
| Created | 1932 |
| Operated by | San Francisco Recreation and Parks |
The park is sparsely populated and shaded by several live oaks. Flowers beds are located at the entry points at the corner of Ocean Avenue and Junipero Street. The city of Carmel holds special events in the park to mark the holidays. These include an annual Easter egg event, Veterans Day, Memorial Day, Fourth of July, the Halloween parade and pumpkin roll, and holiday tree lighting. It has a public restroom and a water fountain. No dogs are allowed in the park.[1] Devendorf Park was recorded with the National Register of Historic Places on July 25, 2002.[2]
History
In 1921, a group of Carmel citizens lobbied the city to purchase 15 ft (4.6 m) of dunes from James Franklin Devendorf, to preserve it for future generations. In 1922, the city approved the price set at $15,000. The purchase included the dunes, the Carmel beach, and Block 69, now Devendorf Park. For some time, the block served as a polo field, horseshoe pit, campground, and fairground. In 1928, the Mattie Hopper, wife of James Hopper, raised funds to support the park. In 1930, councilwoman Clara Kellogg and persuaded the city council to make it official by naming the park after James Devendorf.[3][4]
Michael J. Murphy gave a hundred yards of top soil for the project and Dr. R. A. Kocher provided Carmel stone and benches. Jane Deusner was the Carmel landscape architect and Jane Todd of Monterey selected the plants and materials. By 1932, planting had begun for the Devendorf Park.[4]
In 1937, as part of a WPA project, a redwood carving of Father Junípero Serra was designed by Carmel resident and sculptor Remo Scardigli and placed in the park.[5]
Devendorf's daughter, Edwina Dupre Devendorf (1881-1954), became a painter and sculptor. She made a bronze bust of her father that was dedicated to the park in 1949 with a plague saying:
J. Frank Devendorf
1856 - 1934
Pioneer-Builder-Friend
Remembered As
"Father" Of Carmel-By-The-Sea
Founded 1900
"Creation Is A Combination Of Vision And Will - Vision Gives The Plan, But Will Is The Human Energy That Builds To Completion."
Erected 1949, Edwina Devendorf, Sculptor[5]
A World War II memorial plague was placed in the park by the American Legion Post No. 512.[5]
In the 1970s, rules were put in place to not allow anyone to sit or lie on the grass at the Devendorf Park, because "so many people have abused our little park."[6] Today, you are allowed to sit and have lunch or take a nap on the grass.[1] In January 1971, the park made national news when the California Supreme Court overturned the "no sitting" law.[4]
In 1986, Public restrooms were added to the northeast corner of the park on the Sixth Avenue side. The bathrooms exteriors are layered with Carmel stone, which match the boarder walls surrounding the park.[5]
Gallery
September 11, 2001 Memorial
The Devendorf pond and fountain
Devendorf Park main lawn area
Oak trees at the park
References
- "Parks, Devendorf Park". ci.carmel.ca.us. Retrieved 2022-03-04.
- Kent L. Seavey (January 20, 2002). "Department Of Parks And Recreation" (PDF). National Park Service. Retrieved March 24, 2022.
- Grimes, Teresa; Heumann, Leslie. "Historic Context Statement Carmel-by-the-Sea" (PDF). Leslie Heumann and Associates1994. Retrieved 2022-01-18.
- "Devendorf Park's humble beginnings, controversial past". The Carmel Pine Cone. Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. June 15, 2001. Retrieved 2022-03-26.
- Dramov, Alissandra (2019). Historic Buildings of Downtown Carmel-by-the-Sea. p. 26. ISBN 9781467103039. Retrieved 2022-03-03.
{{cite book}}:|work=ignored (help) - "Carmel Gets Message Across to Any Hippies". The San Bernardino County Sun. San Bernardino, California. 13 Dec 1970. p. 33. Retrieved 2022-03-03.
External links
