Recent Advocacy Work of Restore Oregon – Federal and State Although there is a direct connection between policy and what happens on the ground, it‘s often difficult to make that connection. In the very big picture, if Oregon had more tools and financial incentives for historic preservation, existing historic properties would be less threatened with […]
Meet Robert Rummer
Photo of Robert and Phyllis Rummer. About Robert Rummer Robert Rummer, now a fixture of Oregon’s mid-century architectural landscape, was not immediately moved by modern design. It wasn’t until 1959 that Rummer, a man in his 30s with a successful insurance business, turned his attention to building modern tract housing. The credit for his change […]
Urgent Community Call: Join Together this Sunday at 2 pm in Portland
Although we fought against it, the Yamaguchi Hotel is slated for demolition starting next Monday. This important building is where Masae Yamaguchi served as the community’s midwife and the Yamaguchi family ran a hotel from 1921-1941. Please join us at the Japanese American Museum of Oregon’s (JAMO) event to remember this historic site this Sunday […]
State Forester’s Office: Ready for Restoration and Adaptation
This National Register-listed WPA-era gem faces decades of deferred maintenance and operating upgrades to make it ready for its next century. By Doug Decker, RO Board member and retired State Forester The fire that destroyed the original Oregon State Capitol building on the night of April 25, 1935 sparked changes in Salem and across state […]
The Jantzen Beach Carousel Ready for Next Phase
Bring the Jantzen Beach Carousel to Your Community Learn more about this opportunity. Restore Oregon seeks visionary new owner to carry turn-key restoration project through completion With preservation planning nearly complete, Restore Oregon, Oregon’s only statewide nonprofit historic preservation organization, is reactivating their search for a visionary entity or community with resources adequate to both assume ownership of […]
Please Welcome Nora Harris to the Restore Oregon Team!
We are thrilled to welcome our preservation programs intern, Nora Harris! Nora is pursuing an undergraduate degree in history, religion, and American studies at Kalamazoo College in Michigan. In addition to historic preservation, she is interested in public history, memory studies, material culture, and social history. Previously she worked as an archival and research intern […]
From Restore Oregon, With Love – XOXO
When most people think of the Jantzen Beach Carousel, they picture its four rows of elaborately carved horses. But did you know the carousel has another distinctive and rather romantic identifying feature? The canopy of the Jantzen Beach Carousel features dozens of cherubs, including 18 cherub shields adorned with winged faces and carved flowers and […]
February is Black History Month!
Above: The Mayo House, shown being relocated in January 2019, is a Queen Anne Cottage with a complex history. Moved twice previously, Eliot neighborhood residents Cleo Davis and his wife Kayin Talton Davis saved the house from development pressure and are working on plans to reimagine the Mayo House with a multipurpose future by creating […]
Celebrating Black History Month in Oregon
If you have an event you’d like us to highlight, just send us a message! There are so many amazing ways to celebrate Black History Month! Below are just a few examples. We will share more events throughout the month. All Power to the People at Cerimon House – 5131 N.E. 23rd Avenue, Portland, […]
Oregon’s State Advisory Committee on Historic Preservation meets February 17th
Photo – The Liberty Theatre was completed in 1924 and designed with Moorish-inspired detailing that included towers, decorative copper domes, and arched entry openings. Since 2015, Little Theatre on the Bay, the non-profit owner, and operator of the theater, has focused on a multi-phased restoration and rehabilitation effort that has restored original windows, upgraded the main […]