Denyse McGriff
OREGON CITY COMMISSIONER
NATIONAL TRUST FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION,
ADVISOR PORTLAND DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION, RETIRED
Preservation is about people.
At Restore Oregon, we believe not only in saving and rehabilitating the historic places that define our heritage as Oregonians, we believe in YOU. Each year, we travel the state and meet people who are making a positive difference in the livability and sustainability of their communities through historic preservation. We think it’s time to recognize them. This series, People in Preservation, will highlight the stories, views, and projects of Oregonians who are working to save and pass forward the places that matter to all of us.
Meet Denyse McGriff
Denyse McGriff grew up in a military family and gained an appreciation for the small older communities adjacent to the bases. She arrived in Oregon in 1975 to attend graduate school at the University of Oregon and went on to graduate with degrees in Political Science (MS) and Urban and Regional Planning (MURP).
She’s had a life-long interest in preservation and has worked for a number of local governments, including the Lane Council of Governments, Columbia County, City of Tillamook City, Deschutes County, City of Oregon City and rounded out her career at the Portland Development Commission. Her public service career was multifaceted with an emphasis on historic preservation/conservation, adaptive reuse and land use planning. Denyse is active in several preservation organizations and efforts in the Portland metro area including the Bosco-Milligan Foundation, the McLoughlin Memorial Association, Restore Oregon, Canby Historical Society, and the Willamette Falls Heritage Foundation.
Denyse was appointed to join the Board of Advisors with the National Trust for Historic Preservation in 2009, representing the State of Oregon (along with Restore Oregon’s Ex Officio Rick Michaelson and advisor George Kramer). Her work with the Trust includes two National Treasures: the Willamette Falls Locks and Veterans Memorial Coliseum.
In 2013, she was awarded the Ruth McBride Powers Memorial Award for Service. The award notes the following: “Denyse’s passion for preservation and love for her community is very evident. No matter what hat Denyse has worn over the years, she continuously pushes everybody she meets to try a little harder and aim a little higher”- Vicki Yates, Oregon City Historic Review Board member. In addition, in 2018, she was a member of the Rose Farm Management Committee who received the Ruth McBride Powers Memorial Award for their service.
Her civic activities include eight years of service on the Oregon City Planning Commission, as well as a member of her neighborhood association. Earlier this year, Denyse became the first person of color to serve as an Oregon City City Commissioner.
For the last twenty years she and her family have been restoring their circa 1912 home in Oregon City…walking the talk! Let’s find out what she has to say about historic preservation in Oregon. The following interview has been edited for length and clarity.
R.O. Why should Oregonians be advocates for historic preservation?
D.M. Our historic built and unbuilt environment gives us a sense of our past and our identity. Whether it is a building, a site, or a landscape, we should all be advocates for preservation. It is a part of and reinforces community pride and produces tangible economic benefits, as well. Our places, buildings, and sites not only connect us to our past but also provide a catalyst to our future.
We must be and continue to be advocates for our historic places because if we allow them to be neglected, or demolished, we lose the unique character of those places and we lose the sense of ourselves and our past.
R.O. Why does preserving the historic fabric of a community matter?
D.M. Older buildings, places, and sites should be preserved, not just because they are old, but because they are a part of who we are and where we come from. Our future is linked firmly to our past. For example, I may be the owner of my 1912 bungalow, but really I am just a caretaker–maintaining it and telling its stories. I am preserving it for the next caretaker.
R.O. What is the future of the historic preservation movement, in general and/or specifically in Oregon?
D.M. What preservation means to Oregonians has evolved from one of mainly saving buildings that have architectural significance to a broader view of telling the stories of the people who inhabited those places. This “new” approach has reached out to many more people who never thought they were preservationists. Those stores were always there, just waiting to be told.
R.O. How do you think historic preservation can be part of solving major issues we’re dealing with today like climate change, affordability, and sustainability?
D.M. Historic preservation is definitely a part of the solution to our sustainability issues. Our society also has to change its lifestyle. Our current way of life is not sustainable because it is predicated on endless growth. This growth has led to a disposable society where everything that is consumed is generally thrown away, including our built environment. This cannot be sustained. Older buildings can be upgraded to be more efficient (funding is needed) using less resources. Older neighborhoods are generally more dense than suburban areas. New construction uses a great deal of embodied energy – preserving an older building saves all of that embodied energy. The greenest building is the one that is already there.
R.O. Restore Oregon is working to bring preservation and its tools to more places and people of Oregon so that it can be used to preserve the cultural heritage of all Oregonians–not just the buildings. Do you have any thoughts on that?
D.M. There are many more stories to be told about the places that matter to us. These stories deserve to be and need to be told. I look forward to discovering and sharing these stories with my fellow Oregonians.