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: The Trailblazer for Planned Deconstruction
Portland is leading the country by requiring deconstruction of historic homes which are already planned for demolition. Any one or two family structure that was built before 1917 or is a designated historic resource will require a full manual deconstruction rather than mechanical demolition starting on October 31st of this year. Measures to address […]
Saving the Ermatinger House
When it comes to Oregon history, it doesn’t get much more significant than the Ermatinger House. In 1845, Francis Ermatinger built for himself a federal style residence in what is now downtown Oregon City. Ermatinger was a powerful and influential figure in early Oregon history, serving as a chief trader for the Hudson’s Bay Company, […]
The State of Demolitions in Portland
The City of Portland is projecting that 2015 will mark a record year for residential demolitions, with approximately 400 homes expected to be demolished by year’s end. While new code requirements provide for a delay and notification period before a demolition takes place, the trend for more and larger housing units continues to increase pressure on […]
Zoning Code Loophole Contributes to Demolition Pressure
While the rebounding economy and influx of new residents has left no shortage of opportunity or incentive for developers to tear down and replace older houses in Portland’s single family neighborhoods, a recent trend indicates that an arcane provision in the City’s Zoning Code is among the biggest threats to the fabric of Portland’s older neighborhoods. The […]
Portland to Reevaluate Residential Infill Development Standards
With a rebounding economy driving frenzied development and projections that Portland will grow by more than a quarter of a million residents over the next twenty years, the city’s single family neighborhoods are facing more building pressure than ever before. While the majority of the city’s growth (and nearly all of its net density gains) have been occurring […]
Intern-Approved: Historic Coffeehouse Houses
Five out of four Portlanders agree: coffee is a staple part of the modern diet. The city is known nationally for having a virtually never-ending supply of coffee shops to get a fix. All of these options can be a bit overwhelming, so leave it to Restore Oregon’s occasional series “Intern-Approved” to solve your indecisiveness. […]
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 […]