Restore Oregon manages and maintains the only program in the state which saves a historic place in perpetuity: a historic conservation easement. A historic conservation easement allows the owner of a historic property to retain title and use of a property and, at the same time, ensure its long-term preservation. It is a legal contract by which the owner agrees to maintain the property according to the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards. The easement contract can protect both exterior and interior elements of a property, such as the exterior façade or the interior floorplan. This summer Restore Oregon received four new easement donations in the Willamette Valley and on the Coast from two generous donors.
Three of the easements were donated by a long-time supporter of Restore Oregon, Karla Pearlstein. They are all exceptional historic places which have undergone meticulous and period-appropriate rehabilitation. The Delaney House, located in Salem, is one of the oldest structures in the state. Pearlstein saved the property from demolition, and to ensure it is not threatened again, put a historic conservation easement on the property. The second Pearlstein easement is on an 1851 Settlement-Era Italianate House. Her third easement is on a 1932 English Cottage located in Warrenton. All three of these easements have protections for both exterior and interior features of the buildings. The fourth easement was donated by the Lower Columbia Preservation Society. The easement protects the exterior of a 1909 apartment building in Astoria.
“After pouring my heart and soul into restoring these houses and their unique history, I wanted to make sure they were permanently protected for future generations,” said Karla Pearlstein.
Restore Oregon wants to thank our generous donors for the easements of these historic properties, which will protect their historic integrity and ensure they remain a valuable part of Oregon’s cultural heritage in perpetuity.
To learn more about our program, you can check out our historic conservation easements page: https://restoreorgon.org/conservation-easements/