Singer Hill Creek Falls

The falls include a series of five drops; four are 10-foot drops, and one is a 12-foot drop. They are constructed of concrete and stone from the Center Street quarry. A set of trails and steps up the side of Singer Hill was included as part of the project. They are also constructed in a similar fashion, using locally-quarried stone.

Statement of Significance

The Singer Creek Falls and Steps were built in 1936 and 1937 as WPA projects. The falls divert Singer Creek, which once ran freely down the side of the bluff, where it powered William Singer's flour mill in the 1880s and 1890s. The waterfall is now the only place that the creek is visible before it enters the Willamette River beneath the downtown. The steps replaced an earlier set of wooden stairs and have become the only remaining set of pedestrian steps on the bluff. They connect the downtown with the bluff at the end of McLoughlin Park.

The total cost of the project was $2500. Because the falls and steps are virtually intact (except for minor repairs) they should be considered eligible as contributing resources in a historic district.