Historic Canby City Hall

Location: Canby, Oregon

Year Constructed: 1936-1937

Work Completed: 2022

Nominator: Hanlon Development, LLC

Project Budget: $800,000

DeMuro Award Recognizes: Historic Preservation, Skilled Craftsmanship, Oregon Heritage, Adaptive Reuse 

 

History: In 1939, a national review of over 10,000 local and state-level PWA-funded projects identified 330 structures as ideal examples of design serving function. Among the seven buildings identified in Oregon is Canby’s City Hall. Originally named the Holly Street City Hall, Canby City Hall was designed by Portland architects George Howell Jones and Harold D. Marsh. Both were Portland natives who studied architecture at Oregon State College and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Canby City Hall was identified for preservation as an example of a Colonial Revival style civic building in the statewide Multiple Property Documentation of Oregon’s New Deal Resources from the PWA and WPA (1933-1943), adopted by the National Park Service in 2021, which was funded by a grant from Oregon Heritage administered by Restore Oregon.

 

Overview: An integral part of a city economic redevelopment effort known as the Canby Civic Block, the Canby Historic City Hall is the centerpiece of the downtown Canby business district, but rehabilitation of this historic structure was in some ways more challenging than constructing a new building. From unearthing antique firehouse finds, to diligently restoring the interior by refinishing hardwood floors, installing historic light fixtures, and replicating historic wooden doors and windows, great care was taken to preserve the character of this building in a way that can support future use as a retail space. The renovation was guided by historians working with experienced local artisans and contractors. The entire team was committed to quality and to ensuring that their work would last for generations. 

 

Congratulations to the entire project team:

Hanlon Development LLC

SERA Architects

CCB CH LLC

Emerick Construction

Anderson Roberts Financial

Anderson Financial

City of Canby

Scott Edwards Architecture

Carol Palmer, Local Historian

Froelich Engineers

Barg Singer PC

Aurora Landscape

Global Pacific Environmental Inc

WeBe Painting LLC

The Harver Company

Paulson's Floor Covering

Pure Floors

Oregon Metal Fab

Harder Mechanical

NW Masonry LLC

NW Steele

American Heating

Olde Good Things

Schoenholtz Photography

Elliot, Powell, Baden and Baker Inc.

 

Photos by Michael Schoenholz.