The story of the Oregon Trail has been told in textbooks and in local lore since the close of the Pioneer period 150 years ago. But the tangible evidence of this early period of Euro-American settlement has almost entirely vanished from the landscape. Just 5% of the buildings that stood in the Willamette Valley in 1865 remain standing today. Many […]
Saving the Rayworth House: A Preservation Saga
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 […]
New Demolition Code to Take Effect April 20
The City of Portland announced today that new regulations governing the demolition of houses will take effect on April 20. The long-anticipated code change is the result of many months of negotiations and a vote of the City Council back in February. As the economy has rebounded in the Portland area, smaller, older homes have become targets […]
Preservation Movement Faces Midlife Crisis
To honor the 50th anniversary of the passage of the National Historic Preservation Act, the preservation movement itself is now being considered for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places. If approved, the designation would effectively prohibit any future changes to the now 50-year-old historic preservation field. But, regardless of the success of the […]
We’re Headed to DC to Talk Preservation
As anyone who’s stopped by the office recently knows, the Restore Oregon staff are working long hours to advocate for the Revitalize Main Street Act. Passage of this bill would be transformative for hundreds of iconic buildings across the state. But, of course, there are many other legislative issues that affect historic places. So, we’ve […]
Appellate Court Decision Weakens Protections for Oregon Landmarks
In a precedent-setting decision, the Oregon Court of Appeals this morning issued a legal opinion that will pave the way for the demolition of a yet-to-be-known number of local landmarks across Oregon. The case, Lake Oswego Preservation Society v. City of Lake Oswego, challenged a Lake Oswego City Council interpretation of a provision of the […]
Restore Oregon to Write Checks for Endangered Places
Restore Oregon is pleased to announce that $15,000 in grant funding has been made available to support efforts to save the 2015 list of Oregon’s Most Endangered Places. The Endangered Places Preservation Grant program will provide funding to support feasibility studies, preservation plans, National Register nominations, and other projects critically important for preserving some of the […]
Madras’ Historic Courthouse and Jail Granted Reprieve
Declared surplus property by Jefferson County and facing the wrecking ball late last year, Madras’ historic Old Courthouse and adjacent county jail building were granted a last-minute reprieve when local resident Steve Jansen stepped in to save them. County commissioners, citing engineering reports suggesting the courthouse was unsafe and impractical to repair, made the property available for purchase, with demolition and redevelopment […]
Reed College: 25 Years of Belluschi Designs
In May of this year, Restore Oregon hosted a tour of homes designed by Pietro Belluschi in the Portland area. For people who saw these beautiful designs and left wanting more mid-century Modernism, you are in luck: you can find more Belluschi nestled in amongst the array of architecturally interesting buildings on the Reed College […]
Energy Efficiency on Main Street
Energy efficiency: everyone knows the phrase, but what does it really mean? Pacific Power, in collaboration with the Oregon Main Street Program and Energy Trust of Oregon, recognized the need to reach out to small commercial property owners and businesspeople with this question. They partnered with Clatsop Community College’s historic preservation program to create […]