Historic preservation in Oregon took a big step towards equity in 2021, focusing largely on culturally diverse designations in the National Register of Historic Places.

In total, 18 properties were designated. Twelve more have been approved by the State Advisory Committee on Historic Preservation, and forwarded to the National Park Service (NPS) for listing.

Included in Oregon’s 18 new designations are:

  • African American Resources in Portland, Oregon from 1851 to 1973 (MPD*) 
  • The Oregon Trail, Oregon, 1840 to 1880 (MPD*)
  • Mallory Avenue Christian Church - Portland, Oregon: Located in Portland’s Albina neighborhood, the 1949 Mallory Avenue Christian Church is recognized for its notable early postwar modern architecture and association with Portland’s Black Community.
  • Darcelle XV - Portland, Oregon: Darcelle XV is nationally significant for the role it played in creating acceptance for drag and gay rights, and as a safe place that anchored the LGBTQ community far beyond the reach of any LGBTQ bar. Learn more about the larger scale, award-winning Darcelle Project here. Walter Cole (Darcelle) previously listed his 1896 Queen Anne-style home in Northeast Portland in the National Register as the Elmer and Linnie Miller House in 2020. 

Included in the group of National Register nominations pending approval from the NPS are:

  • Oregon’s New Deal Resources from the PWA and WPA, 1933-1943 (MPD*) and the State Library of Oregon: Both nominations were funded by a grant from Oregon Heritage administered by Restore Oregon.
  • Dallas Cinema - Dallas, Oregon and Rex Theatre - Vale, Oregon: These nominations resulted from the National Park Service Rural Historic Theater Grant awarded to Oregon Heritage in partnership with Restore Oregon in 2019.

*An MPD (Multiple Property Documentation) form is a document that provides historical contexts for a group of properties to simplify applying for future nominations.

Tremendous progress was made in recognizing and designating sites associated with Oregon’s Black history over the past year.

Prior to 2021, only seven individually listed properties in Oregon were associated with African American history. Five of the seven were located in Portland, including the Billy Webb Elks Lodge of north Portland, one of Oregon’s Most Endangered Places. The African American Resources in Portland, Oregon from 1851 to 1973 MPD has paved the way for designation of Portland’s Mallory Avenue Christian Church, Mt. Olivet Baptist Church, Dean’s Beauty Salon and Barber Shop, and Golden West Hotel in 2022. It took an inexcusable 36 years between our state's first Black history listing and it's second, but rest assured that Oregon’s preservation community is working hard to identify and designate additional resources to help improve equity in our historic record.

We look forward to the official designation of the pending properties and will keep you updated on progress. The first State Advisory Committee meeting of 2022 will be live-streamed to YouTube on Friday, February 18, where nominations will be heard for Sarah Helmick State Park in Polk County, the Phoenix Pharmacy building in Portland, and the Portland Golf Club Clubhouse.