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.