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 […]
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 […]
Living in a Portland Historic District: FAQ
Restore Oregon has released an updated frequently asked questions (FAQ) handout to address recent statewide rules changes affecting the state’s historic places. This informational overview focuses on new National Register Historic Districts in Portland which are designated after January 2017. It highlights several questions including the following: Can properties in new historic districts be demolished? […]
Portland City Council Responds to RIP Testimony; Continued Advocacy Needed in 2017
Responding to growing support for house preservation in Portland’s older neighborhoods, the City Council on Wednesday voted to significantly amend the much-discussed Residential Infill Project. Although the Council largely supported the concepts presented by the City’s Bureau of Planning and Sustainability, a series of amendments were adopted to “make it more attractive to preserve the […]
This Wednesday: Raise Your Voice to Protect Portland’s Neighborhoods
Update: City Council has extended the deadline to submit written testimony until Wednesday, November 23. The City of Portland’s Bureau of Planning and Sustainability (BPS) wants to respond to Portlanders’ concerns about changing neighborhoods citywide. The Residential Infill Project was initiated in the fall of 2015 to address growing pains related to demolitions, the size of infill homes, and […]
Future Success Secured
In the past year, Restore Oregon has made great strides towards protecting and preserving the places that make Oregon livable and sustainable. This is an update on two of the places that were on the 2016 list of Oregon’s Most Endangered Places and have now progressed toward the ultimate goal of a long-term viable use. The […]
Portland First in Nation to Mandate Deconstruction of Historic Homes
Effective October 31, any one or two-family home that was built in 1916 or earlier or is a designated historic resource cannot be demolished by the typical bulldozer process, but must be manually deconstructed and salvaged. In response to the demolition epidemic sweeping across Portland, the City convened a Deconstruction Advisory Group (DAG) to recommend […]
Internal Conversions: A Sensitive Solution
The City of Portland’s Bureau of Planning and Sustainability recently conducted a study to assess the architectural and structural feasibility of internally converting historic homes into two or more dwelling units. Internal conversion is when a home that has previously been used for a single family is divided into multiple apartment units or studios allowing […]
Preservation Heros Save 136-year-old Morris Marks House
Restore Oregon has been advocating for the Morris Marks House for many years and sometimes the only way to save a historic building is to move it. Board member Rick Michaelson and Karen Karlsson have been working with the City of Portland and the owners for quite a while and we’re thrilled that their plan to […]
Portland Ends its 14-Year Violation of State Preservation Law
After years of pressure applied by Restore Oregon and others, the City of Portland today closed a loophole that affects over 2,700 significant properties on the City’s Historic Resources Inventory (HRI). As a response to preservationists’ recent State Supreme Court victory, the City’s Service Level Update will stop ranked properties on the HRI from being […]