It all started with a bottle of wine… Restore Oregon Board member Roy Fox and his wife Kim were gathered with friends in their home unwrapping bottles of wine they’d bought as part of the Architectural Heritage Center’s annual “Riches of a City” auction, when, as typically happens at the Fox’s annual “blind wine” parties […]
Home Tour to Showcase Forest Grove Landmarks
In 1854, Alvin T. Smith began work on his third house on the Tualatin Plains (now known as Forest Grove), his first two cabins having been flooded out by the unpredictable Tualatin River. An experienced carpenter from Connecticut, Smith chose to build in the Greek Revival style, its more formal and complex elements contrasting with […]
Historic Menucha – From a Country Estate to a Treasure for Nonprofits
Wright Hall, the main lodge at Menucha Retreat and Conference Center in Corbett, began its life as the centerpiece of a country estate owned by former Oregon Governor Julius Meier. Built in 1926-27, the 6,000+ square foot home designed by architect Herman Brookman, was a comfortable retreat from Meier’s work managing Meier & Frank, the […]
Seeking Information About Oregon’s African American Historic Places
The Oregon Black Pioneers, in partnership with the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), has launched a new property survey project entitled Preserving Oregon’s African American Historic Places. The purpose of the project is to protect and preserve significant sites related to Oregon’s African history from the time period of 1844 to 1984. Who Are the […]
That’s a Wrap! Over 800 People Attended the 2014 Restore Oregon Mid-Century Modern Home Tour
Over Mother’s Day weekend more than 800 people took part in the celebration of architect Pietro Belluschi’s Mid-Century Modern residential work, producing record breaking attendance and setting the bar even higher for next year’s event. The “Belluschi weekend” started Friday night at the Portland Art Museum where accomplished architect, Tony Belluschi, lectured to more than […]
From Saved to Razed: An op-ed on Portland Demos
Northeast Portland has lost yet another lovely home. A 1947 building on NE 35th Place was sold to a group of developers in October who are currently demolishing it to build two large houses in its place. This morning I saw one of the many people who walk and drive by this partially demolished house […]
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 […]
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 […]
Saving the Windows in the Historic Oregon Governor's Mansion to Create Energy Efficiency
Mahonia Hall, the Oregon governor’s mansion, was nicknamed Pneumonia Hall by past gubernatorial residents because of the building’s energy inefficiency. Built in 1924 for hop farmer Thomas Livesley by Ellis Lawrence, founder of the University of Oregon School of Architecture, it’s beautiful and grand. But also drafty and cold. Last year, First Lady Cylvia Hayes […]