Demolition of the Ancient Order of United Workmen Temple is well underway in downtown Portland today. It did not need to happen. Restore Oregon did as much as we could to stop it. Though the preservation community and local government leaders objected in terms ranging from dismay to outrage, there is little recourse in Oregon when the owner […]
How to Guide: Finding Information on Your Portland Neighborhood
So you want to find out information on your historic house or neighborhood, but you are not sure where to start? Fear not, for the City of Portland and Multnomah County offer several online databases to help you start your search. For this how to guide, we will use an example from one of Restore […]
William Fletcher, An Unapologetic Modernist
Greeted by glass walls which flank the front door combined with glass walls at the rear of the living and dining rooms, the visitor’s approach to the Hurtado House is dominated by uninterrupted views of Lake Oswego. Without stepping through the front door one can see the panorama for which the home was designed and […]
Four Amazing Oregon Places Protected in Perpetuity
Restore Oregon manages and maintains the only program in the state which saves a historic place in perpetuity: a historic conservation easement. A historic conservation easement allows the owner of a historic property to retain title and use of a property and, at the same time, ensure its long-term preservation. It is a legal contract […]
What’s up in Walnut Park? – Building Consensus
Community engagement, also called public or civic engagement, is a term often used, but can be difficult to define. Depending on who you ask, you might receive several different answers. Community engagement might mean mailing out letters to notify property owners of a project that will affect them and their land. It might mean holding […]
Join Us in Union for the 2017 Heritage Barn Workshop
Have you ever wondered what steps you need to take to restore a historic barn? Or how to fund a rehabilitation? Well, look no further! Restore Oregon is hosting its fifth annual Heritage Barn Workshop in Eastern Oregon! This is the first time the workshop will be held on the east side of the state […]
A Preservationists’ Perspective: What Went Right in the Oregon Legislature this Year
It was exciting to see that the voice of Oregon preservation is loud, clear, and strong! Many thanks to community organizers across the state for advocating for their neighborhoods and the places that matter to us all. Here’s the three things that mattered to us this session: SB 311 – An early victory: Our first […]
Inventorying Portland's History
Restore Oregon is working with Walnut Park to document and survey its own architecture and history. Documentation is the first step in discovering the stories of a place and telling them, and it is a fundamental tool for historic preservation. It’s impossible to preserve a place if that place and its story are unknown. While […]
Introducing Walnut Park
Walnut Park is important. But it’s likely that you’ve never heard about it. That’s forgivable. Restore Oregon didn’t know it existed until last summer. It’s probable that even some residents of Walnut Park don’t know that they live within its boundaries. When platted in 1904, this undeveloped island of forest in Northeast Portland was bounded […]
SUCCESS! HB 2007 Has Been “Fixed!”
The introduction of HB 2007 blindsided many of us in the preservation community. As cities across the nation struggle to solve the affordable housing crisis, Restore Oregon strongly believes that historic places and neighborhoods are part of that solution. As an attempt to relieve some of the housing pressure in Oregon, HB 2007 was introduced […]