Off a quiet residential street in the northeast Oregon town of La Grande lies what is possibly the most architecturally outstanding outdoor staircase in Oregon. The Italian Renaissance Revival Grand Staircase rises five tiers up a hillside on the campus of Eastern Oregon University. Unfortunately, it is forgotten and deteriorating, the victim of ground movement, […]
Oregon Preservationists Vow to Save Endangered Parking Lots
April 1, 2014. Preservationists are mounting a campaign to save Oregon’s rapidly disappearing stock of vacant lots, most of which were created between 1940 and 1970. “Oregonians wouldn’t recognize our state’s historic main streets if the empty lots were infilled with new buildings,” says Restore Oregon executive director Peggy Moretti. “For too long we have […]
First of its Kind Pilot Program Would Allow Portlanders to Invest in Historic Property
Matt Froman’s passion and continued advocacy for the old Phoenix Pharmacy building has not gone unnoticed. He has invested years in finding a new owner to redevelop the 1922 structure – and as luck may have it a decision might be made within the week. Located at 6615 SE Foster Road in Portland, the vacant […]
Kanipe Park on the Road to Restoration
One of Southern Oregon’s best kept secrets is being discovered after a decade of concentrated restoration efforts by a local group of volunteers. Located near the Southern Oregon community of Oakland, Mildred Kanipe Memorial Park is a 1,100-acre park that was donated to the County after the passing of life-long resident Mildred Kanipe. Although most […]
Don Peting to Receive 2014 McMath Award
Award-winning preservation educator and architect, Donald Peting has influenced the breadth and scope of the University of Oregon’s Historic Preservation Program and is the founding director of the Pacific Northwest Preservation Field School. He is being honored with the 2014 George McMath Historic Preservation Award, the sixth annual award, at a luncheon in Portland on May […]
Storied Stumptown Saloon to Be Reimagined as Housing
Portland has a lot of storied buildings, but few are as legendary as Erickson’s Saloon. Built in 1912, the current brick building is the last incarnation of an evolution of properties that saloon proprietor August Erickson turned into a “den of vice” during the early 1900s. Located in the heart of the Skidmore/Old Town Historic […]
New Study Sheds Light on Portland’s Masonry Buildings
In the beginning of the twentieth century, as Portland grew and expanded to the east and north, residential and commercial buildings were constructed along the streetcar and automobile travel corridors and at neighborhood centers. Many of these utilized unreinforced masonry (URM) for its improved fire resistance, durability, and lower maintenance over wood framing. The City […]
Restoring Diamonds in the Rough
Portland’s Rinehart Building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in December of 2013. Until a few years ago, the building suffered extreme neglect, but its history is incredibly significant. The Rinehart Building was constructed in 1910 along an important streetcar line in Portland’s historic Albina neighborhood. It is notable as one of the few […]
Pilot Program Aims to Retrofit Portland’s Older Homes
Seismically retrofitting your home can be expensive. Fortunately, a new pilot program in Portland aims to ease a majority of the costs for homeowners. Most people think the buildings in Portland vulnerable to earthquakes are larger, unreinforced masonry buildings (URM) built between the 1840s and 1930s; yet, in all reality houses built before 1974 are […]
Persevering Year After Year
Located along Highway 62 in Southern Oregon, travelers will find a beautiful and arresting sight that has attracted photographers and artists for generations – the rustic Old Wood House, which has survived being moved, abandonment, and continual vandalism. With the help of some dedicated Eagle Point community members, this 19th century house has also endured […]