Waldron Brothers Drugstore (The Dalles) - After years of uncertainty about the fate of this 159-year old building, The Dalles City Council made a momentous decision about its future this past October – they voted unanimously to pursue preservation in place! The Friends of the Waldron Brothers Drugstore will work with the City to identify projects, such as repointing and the repair of the structural crack at the NW corner, develop options and a budget, and identify funding and grant opportunities. Check our website at www.restoreoregon.org for updates. Photo by Katelyn Van Genderen.
Gates School (Gates) - Announced in September as the 59th historic resource to be named a Most Endangered Place, Gates School demonstrates the fire recovery efforts and resiliency of communities in the Santiam Canyon, as well as providing a case study for access by people with disabilities. Restore Oregon will be working with Upward Bound, the nonprofit owner of Gates School, on preservation, reuse, and climate resiliency planning. Head to www.upwardboundcamp.org/gates-school-restoration-project for more information and to donate to the effort. Photo by Gary Calicott.
Billy Webb Elks Lodge (Portland) - As Oregon’s 5th individually-listed site of Black historical importance in the National Register of Historic Places, BWEL has worked closely with Restore Oregon staff to raise nearly $200,000 in grant funding since experiencing a devastating fire last year, including $140,000 from the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund, However, they still have a large funding gap to fill before they can become fully operational. Restore Oregon is assisting BWEL with fundraising and a reconstruction plan. To contribute to the project, visit https://www.gofundme.com/f/historic-billy-webb-elks-lodge-devastated-by-fire. Photo by Katelyn Van Genderen.
Rural Historic Theaters (Statewide) - For the past two years, Restore Oregon has acted as a technical consultant for eight grant-funded historic theater projects totaling $615,000, many of which were affected by the pandemic, shutdowns, inflation, and supply chain disruptions. Although these obstacles prolonged project timelines, an enormous amount of progress has been made to complete restoration, and systems and life-safety upgrades. In July, the Liberty Theatre in North Bend, shown here, celebrated the restoration and return of the Moorish copper domes to its roof after 48 years—a stunning visual capstone to the years of behind-the-scenes planning and fundraising by Little Theater on the Bay, the nonprofit owner of the Liberty Theatre. Photo by Katelyn Van Genderen.
Cumberland Church (Albany) - Since the church’s move to a new location in late 2021, its owner - the nonprofit Cumberland Community Events Center (CCEC) – has fundraised with Restore Oregon’s support to rehabilitate the building for use as a community center. Recently, CCEC received a grant from the Kinsman Foundation to repair the church’s siding and historic steeple. Restore Oregon will continue the partnership with CCEC as technical preservation and fundraising consultants throughout the restoration process. Future phases include purchasing three adjoining lots, interior renovations, and an addition to accommodate future community center programming. Visit www.albanycumberland.org for information on how to help with the restoration. Photo by Camron Settlemier.
Jantzen Beach Carousel (Portland) - Our Carousel Preservation Roadmap is nearly complete, including detailed protocols for wood repair, repainting and jewel replacement. Having exceeded all expectations, these protocols will guide future restoration of the carousel. Also, on November 18, the Oregon Historical Society opened The Odyssey of the Historic Jantzen Beach Carousel, an exhibit examining the carousel’s journey from Parker’s Leavenworth factory to California’s sunny shores to the Jantzen Beach Amusement Park and beyond. You will have until April 30, 2023 to check it out! Learn more at https://restoreoregon.org/saving-the-jantzen-beach-carousel/. Photo by Stephanie Brown.
Legacy Business Initiative - Restore Oregon’s Legacy Business Initiative (LBI) launched this year with a statewide economic and demographic study performed by Mary Bosch of Marketek, Inc. The study, funded by a grant from the National Trust for Historic Preservation, helped inform the outreach phase of the project being conducted by our intern, Jordan Sobrino. Funded by a grant from the Oregon Cultural Trust, Jordan began work in early July to perform outreach to Oregon’s legacy businesses that will result in a report with recommendations for how a statewide legacy business program can provide necessary resources to business owners. Photo of Dean's Beauty Salon & Barber Shop, located in Northeast Portland – one of the oldest continuously-operating Black-owned businesses in the State of Oregon. Photo courtesy of the Dean Family.
Historic Conservation Easements - Restore Oregon added its 46th historic conservation easement this year, the Armstrong House in Northeast Portland. The Queen Anne home built in 1895 is listed in the National Register of Historic Places for its architectural significance. The easement includes the exterior of the home, various interior elements including plaster ceiling medallions, original woodwork, and stained glass windows. The corner double-lot, and a monkey puzzle tree planted for the Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition in 1905, are also protected under the easement. Find out more about our conservation easement program at www.restoreoregon.org/historic-conservation-easements/. Photo by Nicholas Emilio Photography.
Restore Oregon Modernism - In May, Restore Oregon hosted architect Paul McKean for an informative lecture on "Sensitive MCM Restoration," including his exciting 10-year restoration of architect Richard Campbell’s home in Southwest Portland, also known as the Cain-Wong Residence. As a fundraiser for Restore Oregon, Jeff Weithman of w(here) Real Estate, who is also a member of the Restore Oregon Modernism Committee, hosted an exclusive tour of the home which is one of Portland's best examples of the Northwest Modern Style. We also launched our first self-published book: Oregon Made, A Tour of Regional Mid-Century Modern Architecture. You can buy your copy today at https://store.bookbaby.com/book/oregon-made. In 2023, we will be launching the Restore Oregon Modernist Society, an exciting opportunity to be part of a series of exclusive mid-century modern events. Check our website in the coming weeks for information on how to join! Photo by Chuck Smith at Spin Photography.