Founded in 1977, Restore Oregon is a state-wide, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, supported by members/donors, led by a volunteer board, and staffed by professionals, who help people save and revitalize historic places and spaces. We work on the front lines and behind the scenes to leverage relationships, resources, and creativity to preserve, protect, and pass forward […]
2020 Most Endangered Place Spring 2022 Update: Billy Webb Elks Lodge, Portland
Since the September 2021 fire that devastated the Billy Webb Elks Lodge (BWEL) ballroom, Restore Oregon and BWEL leadership have been working together on fundraising and restoration planning for the lodge, beginning with authorizing a condition assessment led by Restore Oregon Board member Sean Bolden, in collaboration with John Flynn of Resolve Architecture and Planning […]
Apply for the 2022 DeMuro Awards
Now in its 10th year, the DeMuro Awards promote historic preservation and reuse in Oregon by spotlighting and celebrating outstanding rehabilitation projects, and sharing the lessons learned from those case studies. The DeMuro Award honors the legacy of our friend and Board member, Art DeMuro, whose career embodied vision, persistence, creativity, excellence, and sound economics. The purpose […]
Portland Adopts Historic Resources Code
The Portland City Council’s January 26th meeting officially approved the Historic Resources Code Project. The code changes are now scheduled to go into effect on March 1, 2022. Restore Oregon has participated in the process and been an active member of the preservation community in this multi-year journey. City staff are hosting an online Lunch […]
Racist Attacks State Advisory Committee on Historic Preservation
The State Advisory Committee on Historic Preservation (SACHP) meets three times a year to review nominations to the National Register of Historic Places. Normally, this is a low-key, yet public event. Unfortunately, an anonymous, cowardly racist joined SACHP’s October virtual meeting to harass the all-volunteer committee with vile slurs — a committee which includes members […]
Stand For Preservation: Your Voice, Your Story is Needed
The Walnut Park neighborhood in Northeast Portland. Photo credit: Dan Everhart. Tell Portland City Commissioners that Our Historic Places Matter! Take Action: Testify on the Historic Resources Code Project at Portland City Council on November 3, 2021, at 2pm The Historic Resources Code Project (HRCP) is the biggest rewrite of policies governing the management and protection of […]
Contact U.S. Senators and Urge Support of Historic Tax Credit Enhancements
The Gray-Belle Building in Salem (top) and the Rose Apartments in Portland both used national historic tax credits to preserve affordable and create new housing and both are recipients of the 2021 DeMuro Awards. The biggest positive change to historic preservation tax credits in a generation could be within reach! Restore Oregon is partnering with the […]
Adventures in Concrete
By Brittany Hobbs After five and a half hours coasting north along I-5, I finally veered to the east. Past flat farmland and increasing forest density, I lost cell service about half an hour from my destination: Baker Lake Lodge, near Concrete, Washington. I turned to the Google Map I had printed out, reminiscing about […]
Historic Billy Webb Elks Lodge Devastated by Fire, Needs Help from Community
On Restore Oregon’s List of Most Endangered Places since 2020, the lodge has served the Albina neighborhood for close to a century In the early morning of September 11th, 2021, the Billy Webb Elks Lodge in North Portland’s Albina neighborhood suffered a devastating fire as a result of trespassers. The decking attached to the […]
Window Restoration with The National Trust
There is something magical about Astoria. I’ve been trying to put my finger on it…is it the abundance of beautiful old houses? The hospitality of the locals? The charming downtown? One thing I have recently come to notice and admire is the quality of the light. Through the clouds or reflected off of the river, […]