Since the September 2021 fire that devastated the Billy Webb Elks Lodge (BWEL) ballroom, Restore Oregon and BWEL leadership have been working together on fundraising and restoration planning for the lodge, beginning with authorizing a condition assessment led by Restore Oregon Board member Sean Bolden, in collaboration with John Flynn of Resolve Architecture and Planning […]
Progress on the Mayo House – A 2020 Most Endangered Place
In the fall of 2020, Restore Oregon hired locally-owned Albina Construction, LLC to weatherize and protect the Mayo House from damage. Paid for through a Most Endangered Places seed grant made possible by the Kinsman Foundation, the cottage now has new downspouts, and clean gutters, and has been cleared of moss on the roof and […]
Historic Preservation and Restoration Program Creates Futures While Preserving the Past
Astoria, OR- One is restoring historic wood windows in Portland. Another is working for an Architectural Conservation company in Philadelphia. One is working for FEMA in New York, and yet another has started a restoration company in Astoria, OR. What do they all have in common? They are graduates of the Clatsop Community College Historic […]
Horsing Around with Van Evera Bailey Fellow Harley Cowan
During the height of the mid-August heat-wave, Restore Oregon kept things cool by inviting Portland-based photographer and licensed architect Harley Cowan to join us for five days of photographing the historic Jantzen Beach Carousel. Restore Oregon’s Jantzen Beach Carousel Project Manager, Stephanie Brown, sat down with Harley to discuss his work on this and other […]
Restore Oregon’s 2020 Preservation Gifting Guide
Restore Oregon staff bring you our top picks for the preservation-obsessed person in your life! Of Barns and Palaces: John Yeon Northwest Architect by J. M. Kava. John Yeon (1910-1994) designed some of the most beautiful and influential structures in the Pacific Northwest. Kava’s book, devoted primarily to Yeon’s residential architecture and his unique approach […]
From Grassroots to Official Status: The Oak Lodge History Detectives are Designated a 501(c)(3)
After eleven years of operating informally as the local history group for the Oak Grove, Oatfield Ridge and Jennings Lodge communities south of Milwaukie, Oregon, the Oak Lodge History Detectives (OLHD) have gained tax-exempt status with the IRS. Starting out in 2009 as a grass roots group of history-minded citizens, the group gradually gained recognition […]
Strength in the Face of Historic Fires
Hearts are aching at Restore Oregon for those suffering and experiencing loss from September’s historic wildfires. Our staff is reeling from the immensity of destruction throughout our beautiful state and doing all we can to learn what has been saved and what has been lost. As people whose personal and professional lives revolve around placemaking […]
Big Changes Proposed for Historic Protections in Portland!
Download Restore Oregon’s testimony here:
DeMuro Award Preservation Spotlight: The Sutor – Wood House (1938), Portland
The owners of this acclaimed example of Northwest Modern architecture and landscape design set out to restore its glory. The first commissioned residence by renowned architect Pietro Belluschi was gently restored and updated by his son, architect Anthony Belluschi, while love and elbow grease (under the guidance of Takashi Fukuda) brought back the original landscape […]
DeMuro Award Preservation Spotlight: Redfox Commons (1944), Portland
This adaptive reuse project transforms two former industrial structures into a light-filled campus for creative office tenants. The project inspires fresh thinking about how development can leverage underutilized structures and materials – and add value to cities by building something stunning from the places that embody our industrial heritage. Photo credit: Lara Swimmer Congratulations to the […]