Terry Pettus Park

About

This park honors Terry Pettus, an activist and journalist who became one of the most influential advocates for Seattle’s unique floating-home community. After years as a reporter and labor organizer, Pettus moved onto a houseboat in 1958, just as Lake Union faced intense development pressure. Many residents feared losing the traditional long-standing cooperative model in which residents jointly owned shares tied to moorage sites. Pettus emerged as a leading voice in the effort to preserve this way of life, helping residents organize, govern themselves, and resist displacement by commercial developers. His work helped secure the cooperative structure that still defines Lake Union today. In 1977, Mayor Wes Uhlman signed a revised Equity Ordinance that protected homeowners who did not own their moorages from unreasonable rent increases or sudden eviction.

Pettus’ influence extended far beyond the floating homes. He played a major role in environmental and civic campaigns, including stopping the city from dumping raw sewage into Lake Union. He also contributed to the development of Washington’s Shoreline Management Act. His advocacy reflected his belief that the lake and its surrounding neighborhoods were vital community resources—places that deserved protection from industrial pollution and profit-driven development. Drawing on his skills as both an organizer and a journalist, Pettus mobilized residents and equipped them with the tools to defend their homes and their environment.

His activism came at personal cost. In 1948, the Washington State Legislature created the Canwell Committee—part of the McCarthy-era anti-communist witch-hunt investigations—to root out alleged communist influence. Pettus was among those accused of conspiring to advocate the overthrow of the U.S. government, “someday in the future, not presently.” In 1952, he and six others were arrested under the Smith Act. During the six-month trial, Pettus spent 60 days in jail before his conviction was overturned on appeal. Defiant afterward, he said, “I fought for old-age pensions, the right to organize, minimum wage, and against racism and discrimination—am I supposed to apologize for that?”

Pettus’ legacy endures not only in the thriving floating-home community of Seattle but also in the city’s recognition of his many contributions. On March 7, 1982, Mayor Charles Royer proclaimed March 7 as “Terry Pettus Day” in Seattle. A year after Pettus’ death in 1984, the city dedicated a small Lake Union shoreline park in his name. Terry Pettus Park stands as a testament to his work to preserve the houseboats, protect the lake’s ecology, and sustain the cooperative spirit that continues to shape Seattle’s floating-home community, a cherished part of the city’s character

Current Project

Visit Terry Pettus Park Renovation for information on the renovation of this park.