Endangered Place Archives - Restore Oregon

In a Precedent-Setting Decision, Demolition of the Historic Yamaguchi Hotel is Approved with a Token Nod to Cultural Heritage

Restore Oregon — Thu, 12 Aug 2021 22:33:29 +0000

On July 28^th, the Portland City Council voted unanimously to approve the demolition of the historic Yamaguchi Hotel (former Blanchet House), a rare and very significant building to the Japanese American/AAPI community and a contributing building in the New Chinatown-Japantown Historic District. Restore Oregon opposed the demolition request because other options had not been fully explored and because it sets a very bad precedent in this small and fragile district.

We initiated a coalition of preservation and legal experts to join in support of the Japanese American Museum of Oregon and 14 other Japanese American organizations to propose an alternate win-win solution , but the Council’s vote demonstrated an unwillingness to invest any resources to pursue it.

Chisao Hata, Board member of the Japanese American Museum of Oregon, said “this feels like yet another slap in the face to our community that has endured successive waves of prejudice, loss, and erasure over many decades.”

The importance of this building lies not in its architecture, but in its rarity and deep connection to the Japanese American community.

Only three historic resources are associated with AAPI cultural heritage in all of Oregon: the Kam Wah Chung State Heritage Site, the Salem Pioneer Cemetery, and Portland’s New Chinatown-Japantown Historic District where the Yamaguchi Hotel is located. The hotel was operated by Shigezo and Masaye Yamaguchi and is one of only a handful of buildings still standing in the district that was operated by Japanese Americans at a time when people of Asian heritage were ostracized and afforded limited rights, and then lost virtually everything when interned during WWII.

Also, according to the National Register of Historic Places district nomination, Masaye Yamaguchi served as the midwife for the Asian community, and is said to have delivered babies as far away as Hood River. This untold and under-appreciated chapter of Oregon women's history has deep cultural significance.

The City Council did vote to create a "stakeholder" committee to recommend ways to document and incorporate the Japanese American history of the site into the future development. But no provisions were made to ensure those recommendations would be carried out.

With their ruling, the City also set aside its own policy that a historic building cannot be demolished without first approving the replacement structure. The intent of this policy is to provide a means to assess that the public benefit of the proposed new development is greater than the public benefit of preserving and reusing the historic structure. In this case, the owners claimed economic hardship and liability due to the deteriorated condition of the building - which occurred under their ownership - and asked the City to grant demolition with no proposal for what would replace it other than a vacant lot.

The owner, the Blanchet House, stated their hope is to create a low-income nursing facility. The community benefit might well outweigh the historic value of the building, and provide some comfort to the Japanese American community that the loss of their cultural heritage had achieved some other good. However, no plans for such a facility have been presented and no provision made in the conditions set for demolition to ensure that such a community benefit would be created on the site in exchange for this great loss.

Further, no consideration or mitigation was made for the loss of this contributing building on the historic district as a whole. Portland’s New Chinatown-Japantown Historic district is only 2 blocks wide and 5 blocks long. Nearly half of its historic buildings are already lost, so losing another one has a major impact that should be mitigated to some degree by investing in the rehabilitation of other historic buildings or other district improvements.

The City of Portland bears significant responsibility for this sad state of affairs. The current “new” Blanchet House was built on land occupied by the historic Kiernan Building (also known as the Dirty Duck Tavern) in a deal orchestrated by the Portland Development Commission (now Prosper Portland). The Kiernan Building was demolished to make way for the new Blanchet facility and the important social services it would provide. It did not have cultural ties to the AAPI community and demolition was not allowed until the new Blanchet House design was approved. The city agency arranged a “land swap” of the new site for the old, giving Blanchet House the new site with a provision that the PDC could exercise an option to take ownership of the old Blanchet House/Yamaguchi Hotel when the new Blanchet House was completed. The understanding was that the PDC would assume responsibility for stewarding the Yamaguchi Hotel building along with redevelopment of the rest of the block. But when the PDC/Prosper Portland walked away from this commitment, the Blanchet House was left to deal with the now-empty historic building.

Restore Oregon remains gravely concerned that Portland City Council has now set a precedent that other property owners in the historic district who have been engaged in demolition-by-neglect may try to seize upon: let your building deteriorate, then claim economic hardship and seek demolition approval. Recent zoning changes that allow increased heights in the district provide further incentive. We are concerned about the entire district and its vulnerability to be de-listed from the National Register of Historic Places.

The willingness of Portland’s City Council to permit the demolition the Yamaguchi Hotel exposes an alarming shift on City Council away from the Comprehensive Plan's goal of stewarding historic resources, a disconnect on “walking the talk” of respecting the cultural heritage of minority

communities, and a willingness to set aside its own policies on demolition of historic buildings. We will continue to support the Japanese American and AAPI community and are exploring potential next steps, including further appeal.

The post In a Precedent-Setting Decision, Demolition of the Historic Yamaguchi Hotel is Approved with a Token Nod to Cultural Heritage appeared first on Restore Oregon.

Most Endangered Places Spotlight: Santiam Pass Ski Lodge

Restore Oregon — Tue, 06 Mar 2018 17:57:11 +0000

Listed as one of Oregon’s Most Endangered Places in 2018, the Santiam Pass Ski Lodge has made much progress on its path to restoration thanks to the Friends of the Santiam Pass Ski Lodge and the Forest Service.
The Lodge was constructed between July 1939 and February 1940. It is located in the Central Cascades of Oregon as an integral part of the Three Fingered Jack Winter Recreation Area. The two and one–half story Santiam Pass Lodge building was originally designed as a ski lodge that could accommodate approximately sixty guests. Rooms within the lodge included dormitory quarters, a dining room, a lounge and specialized ski–related rooms such as a waxing room and storage for skis and related gear.
The Santiam Pass Lodge has been vacant since 1986 due to the expiration of a special-use permit for the Presbytery of the Willamette Church. Although the lodge has stood vacant for more than three decades, it receives periodic maintenance by the United States Forest Service (USFS). The most recent action conducted by the USFS was a submittal of a National Register of Historic Places nomination for the historic structure. Not long after that submittal, Dwight and Susan Sheets stepped in to take on the restoration.

Restore Oregon staff met with Dwight and Susan Sheets at the Santiam Pass Ski Lodge in September 2017.

Dwight and Susan have a history with the lodge and a passion to see it become alive once more. They applied for Oregon’s Most Endangered Places in 2017 for guidance on the restoration work of the building. A key feature of the program is the direct consultation offered by Restore Oregon staff who have experience and expertise in historic preservation. Since the Santiam Pass Ski Lodge was listed as a Most Endangered Places, Dwight and Susan have been granted a special-use permit by USFS to restore the structure. They have also formed a nonprofit, Friends of the Santiam Pass Ski Lodge who will be spearheading the restoration work.
The Sheets currently envision the structure serving a few purposes. The first floor will be a rest stop with a café, gift shop, and restrooms for individuals traveling or hiking in the Willamette National Forest. The second story will offer a community center for events. To spearhead this restoration work, the Sheets have formed a nonprofit, Friends of the Santiam Pass Ski Lodge. Their efforts have received much press coverage from news outlets such as the Seattle Times to multiple Oregon newspapers and a local TV station. In response to this coverage, many individuals have told their stories about the lodge and expressed their interest in the project.

“The interest and the response of people learning of the fact that we want to bring it back, it’s been overwhelming to us,” Dwight Sheets said in The Bend Bulletin’s latest story on the Santiam Pass Ski Lodge. “Overwhelmingly positive. We are excited about what is going to happen here.”
Restore Oregon is excited to be working with the Friends of the Santiam Pass Ski Lodge and the USFS to return the Santiam Pass Ski Lodge to a vibrant and thriving place.
You can sign up to receive updates on the progress of the project, as well as ways to donate to Friends of the Santiam Pass Ski Lodge: https://www.santiampassskilodge.org/contact

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Future Success Secured

Restore Oregon — Wed, 02 Nov 2016 20:36:37 +0000

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 hard work and collaborative efforts of our local partners with the support of Restore Oregon have ensured the success of both the Rivoli Theater and the Lindberg House.
Pendleton’s Rivoli Theater is the first of these successes. It was originally constructed as a one-story commercial building in c.1900 and reopened as a theater after a major addition and alteration in 1922. For half a century it served as a social and economic center of community life in Pendleton and Eastern Oregon. The theater closed in 1970 and fell into disrepair. It was listed as one of Oregon’s Most Endangered Places in 2012 due to threat of demolition and the structure’s compromised condition.
With Restore Oregon’s support, the Pendleton Development Commission purchased the theater from the owner and donated it to the Rivoli Theater Restoration Coalition in June 2012. The Coalition next conducted a capital campaign to restore the façade of the building and applied for Restore Oregon’s Most Endangered Places seed grant to assist in funding the restoration of the Rivoli Theater’s iconic marquee. This summer the Coalition completed fundraising to cover costs of architectural and engineering plans for restoration of the theater.
They will now undertake a major capital campaign to fund a full renovation of the building with the goal of being fully operational as a regional contemporary center for community based performing arts and culture by 2020. Due in part to Restore Oregon’s guidance and a proven history of collaboration with the Rivoli Theater Restoration Coalition this iconic Eastern Oregon landmark has made concrete progress towards full rehabilitation. We remove it from our list of Most Endangered Places with every confidence in the Rivoli Theater Restoration Coalition and their ongoing success.

Port Orford’s Lindberg House was designed and built over a four-year period from 1892 to 1896 as the family home of its first owner and builder, Peter John Lindberg whose descendants still own and live in the house. Constructed in the Queen Anne style, the house prominently features exterior wall surfaces of unusual and unpainted Port Orford cedar shingles of various shapes. These unique architectural features, along with its significance to the history of Port Orford, allowed it be listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
Restore Oregon named the house to its list of Most Endangered Places in 2015 due to significant structural problems with its foundation and deferred maintenance of the roof and windows. The City of Port Orford applied for and received Restore Oregon’s Most Endangered Places seed grant to fund a condition assessment of the structure which prioritizes a list of improvements.
In June of 2016, Oregon Heritage awarded a $20,000 Preserving Oregon grant which will be matched by the owner of the Lindberg House. Guided by the condition assessment, this $40,000 project will correct structural issues and address other needed repairs. Restore Oregon is pleased to see that its partnership with the owners of the Lindberg House, the City of Port Orford, and Oregon Heritage will result in the site’s removal from our list of Most Endangered Places after just a year. We will continue to participate in efforts to see the house fully rehabilitated.

Despite these important successes there is still much work to be done with our other Most Endangered Places across Oregon. Check our website to see the progress made with these places and after November 11th you can see the new list to be announced at the Restoration Celebration.

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A Ticking Clock

Restore Oregon — Thu, 09 Jun 2016 22:24:58 +0000

One of Pietro Belluschi’s landmarks faces demolition in downtown Salem.

Despite its listing in the National Register of Historic Places, Pietro Belluschi’s First National Bank of Salem building will likely be demolished by September 6^th.
Constructed in 1946, the building’s design follows a mid-career trend in the work of Oregon’s foremost modernist and features the exquisite application of pink and grey granite at the lower level of both of its primary elevations with white marble panels above. The rather severe façade of the building is broken by a slightly recessed entry surmounted by an angled flag pole and eight beautifully-executed marble reliefs by Frederic Littman on the theme of Oregon industry. The side of the building is devoid of ornamentation but exhibits a large display of steel sash windows across its upper expanse. Similar materials and detailing can be found in Portland’s 1948 Oregonian Building and as far away as Boise in the Idaho Statesman Building of 1952.

Despite having been occupied by various banks for half a century, the building has been unoccupied since approximately 2000. In 2001, the bank was listed in the National Register as a contributing element of the Salem Downtown State Street-Commercial Street Historic District. While listed properties in Salem enjoy the protection of design review and the possibility of demolition denial by the city’s Historic Landmarks Commission, owners of listed sites may apply to the commission for approval to alter or demolish historic structures. In 2008, the long-time owners of the First National Bank building successfully applied to the Salem Historic Landmarks Commission for permission to demolish the structure and construct a new mixed-use development in its place.

As part of the demolition approval, the commission applied three conditions which must be met by the owner. The first, a thorough documentation of the building which meets Historic American Building Survey (HABS) standards has already been completed. The second stipulation is the development and installation of interpretive signage at the site describing the architectural and historical importance of the building while the third is the careful removal, storage and reuse of the Littman sculptural reliefs on the exterior of the building. Neither have yet been accomplished.

With development plans hampered by the national downturn in the economy, the ownership group was successful in receiving three subsequent two-year extensions. The last of those extensions will expire in early September and the owners must begin demolition or re-apply for a new land use approval with no guarantees of receiving permission to demolish the building.
Restore Oregon has recently learned that the property is in the process of being sold. The new buyer has not yet been identified. We share concerns with the community that the loss of this modernist landmark will irreparably damage the fabric of Salem and its Downtown State Street-Commercial Street Historic District. Furthermore, because of the national importance of Belluschi and his work, this demolition and its impact would be felt across the Pacific Northwest and beyond.

Restore Oregon continues to monitor and assess the situation. Please contact us if you see any changes at the site.

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Wooden Jewel Box on the Southern Coast

Restore Oregon — Thu, 09 Jun 2016 22:21:06 +0000

Placed in the National Register of Historic Places in 2015, and named one of Oregon’s Most Endangered Places that same year, the 1896 Lindberg House in Port Orford is a stunning example of the Queen Anne style and shingle-siding craftsmanship.

The house was designed and built by John Peter Lindberg between 1892 and 1896, and features several distinctive characteristics of the Queen Anne style. Most noticeably there are off-set cross gables, carved decorative wood features, and a corner tower.

The artistry shown by Mr. Lindberg in his shingle work is outstanding, incorporating at least three different shapes into his patterns.The stunning shingle work is original to the home, with some maintenance and replacement work having been done very well to maintain the character of the original detailing.
Kenny Gunn, Historic Preservation Specialist with Summit Solutions Group, wrote the National Register Nomination in 2015 and has since continued his work on the Lindberg House. His love affair began because,
The craftsmanship and aesthetic value of the shingles and other wood features is unlike anything I have seen, especially since it has remained unpainted since construction was completed in 1896.
Gunn also states, “The shingles on the south elevation appear to have been replaced most recently based on their condition when compared to shingles on other areas of the exterior, whereas the shingles on the east elevation appear to be in the worst condition and feature Oregon’s native son: moss. The wood window sills and corresponding wood windows are exterior wood features that have been replaced periodically and feature a high-degree of deterioration.

As one might imagine, decades of life on the South Coast have left deferred maintenance issues piling up. With a Restore Oregon seed grant of $2,500, the Port Orford Historic Preservation Commission has contracted with Summit Solutions Group to produce a Historic Preservation Plan which is intended to reiterate the significance of the design of the Lindberg House, prepare a detailed condition assessment, and establish a preservation and rehabilitation plan to ensure the integrity of the building for the future.

Gunn says “The primary condition concerns on the exterior of Peter John Lindberg House are associated with the deterioration and sinking of the foundation and the penetration of water into the interior of the structure through the roof. The house is supported by a post-and-pier foundation that is exposed to exterior elements due to the lack of a perimeter seal around the base of the house.”
“A visual assessment of the foundation shows that several shoring efforts and reinforcements have been attempted to extend the life of the foundation, however the condition and structural integrity of the foundation is a major concern and may require immediate rehabilitation or reconstruction. The exterior shingling and decorative trim work is all made up of wood and appears to be in relatively good condition. Varying degrees of deterioration indicate that areas of shingles and decorative trim work have been replaced in-kind at different periods in the history of the Lindberg House.”
Once the condition assessment and preservation plans are completed, Restore Oregon will focus on next steps for protecting this wooden jewel box for future generations.

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Saving the Ermatinger House

Restore Oregon — Wed, 25 Nov 2015 18:39:43 +0000

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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, and holding public office in the Oregon Provisional Government in 1845. Although located in Oregon City, the Ermatinger House holds a special place in Portlander’s hearts. It is rumored that in the left parlor the famous coin toss occurred between Francis Pettygrove and Asa Lovejoy during a dinner party held in 1845. The two were arguing about whether the town to be built on their land claim (then called The Clearing) should be incorporated as “Boston” or “Portland.” Pettygrove won two out of three tosses, resulting in the city of Portland, Oregon.
The house was sold in 1849 by Ermatinger’s close friend, Dr. John McLoughlin. The house remained in its original location near the Willamette River until 1910 when it was moved up the hill in Oregon City onto a highly sloped lot, spending the next 67 years in anonymity as a rental. In 1977, the house was acquired by noted Oregon preservationist Ruth McBride Powers and moved in 1986 to city-owned property where it transitioned to a house museum.
Over the years, the City of Oregon City supported the maintenance of the house and the museum, but could not keep up with the mounting needs of the structure. In 2009, the city undertook a window repair project for the historic and replacement wood windows. What they soon began to realize was the house was twisting inward and the walls, if not stabilized, could potentially fall in on themselves. The house was quickly boarded and the house museum was shuttered. By 2010, the future of one of the oldest houses in Oregon was at risk and the city was slowly waking up to the realization that their meager maintenance budget was woefully too small for this task. Ermatinger House supporters and volunteers, Historic Review Board members, City Commission and staff spent much of that year spinning in circles trying to get their a handle on the problem.
In the spring of 2011, the city decided to submit an application to the Endangered Places program figuring that the extra exposure and help from the Restore Oregon (then HPLO) would be beneficial to the city. Little did we know that the Endangered Building listing and the ensuing publicity and support from Restore Oregon staff would be the catalyst that helped launch the current rehabilitation program. As soon as the list was released, the city was inundated with a swarm of support from citizens throughout the city, region and state who wanted to be involved with saving the house.

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Oregon City was able to capitalize on this publicity and raised enough money to move forward with rehabilitation of the the house in the spring of 2014. A team led by Maya Foty of Architectural Resources Group and TS Gray Construction recently completed the approximately $800,000 rehabilitation project with a support from Clackamas Community Development Block Grants, and the State Historic Preservation Office. Today, the Ermatinger House sits on a new foundation (both physically and metaphorically) and is ready to open its doors once again.
Nationally and locally, house museums are facing tough times. Visitors and volunteers are aging and their small budgets often cannot maintain these older buildings. As a publically owned building, Oregon City is in a bit of a different position, it is too small to reuse as an events center and too precious to the community to rent as an Airbnb rental, something other organizations are moving to as potential solutions. What we do have are a small, but very passionate, group that wants to keep it operating as a house museum. They are working with the City on a new agreement and expectations for support and programming.
Restore Oregon has created a savvy program that shines a statewide light on the problems facing endangered buildings. This program is much more than a simple list. Often times these buildings are endangered because the local communities don’t know how to ask for help or even know what resources are available to them. If it weren’t for this program, I truly believe that Oregon City would still be looking at a shuttered building with no plans for its future.

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Saving the Powerhouse

Restore Oregon — Mon, 23 Nov 2015 22:58:17 +0000

We saw the Bull Run Powerhouse for the first time in 2008. Sitting on the Bull Run River northeast of Sandy, the generator room was roaring with four turbines generating 22 megawatts of electricity like it had since 1912. PGE was about to decommission the powerhouse by removing two dams that supplied its water. Due to Federal regulations, they had to offer this historic building for purchase to someone who would save and re-purpose it. So three crazy preservationists Rick Michaelson, Jeff Joslin and I jumped right in with all our hearts to save this special place for coming generations. Little did we know how hard it was going to be.

After three years of negotiations, on December 31, 2011 we became the proud and anxious owners of the Bull Run Powerhouse and 110 acres of land, including the closed Roslyn Lake Park and the Historic Bull Run Schoolhouse.
The difficult job was just beginning since these historic properties were located on land zoned Timber which severely restricted the uses that could occur there. We knew that to save these places they needed uses that could allow them to be economically viable. This would require a long and expensive process to change the zoning, including an amendment to Clackamas County’s Comprehensive Plan and a Goal Exception to move the land from Timber to Rural land.
We made our application to Clackamas County in November 2013, with the support of Restore Oregon. In March 2015, after four hearings before the Planning Commission and three before the Board of County Commissioners, we received approval for a limited number of uses at the Park, Schoolhouse and the Bull Run Powerhouse. Before we had time to celebrate, the zoning victory was appealed by neighbors to the Land Use Board of Appeals (LUBA).
When we read the appeal we realized this was no longer just about our property, but had statewide consequences. The petitioners were challenging a core part of historic preservation, adaptive reuse. They argued that the requirements of Statewide Planning Goal 5, which governs historic resources, are fully met by local jurisdictions simply designating sites as historic and that there was no requirement to preserve historic resources.
Further, the need to adaptively reuse a historic resource in order to produce sufficient income to maintain it could not be justification for a Goal Exception to allow a zone change. Without the goal exception that we needed, and the subsequent rezoning, these historic properties would face demolition-by-neglect.
We approached Restore Oregon and asked for their help. Steve Pfeiffer and Seth King, of Perkins Coie LLP, started working on our response to the appeal. However, since the appeal required deep knowledge of historic preservation, we asked Restore Oregon to intervene. Restore Oregon brought in Carrie Richter, of Garvey Schubert Barer PC who was assisted by Brandon Spencer Hartle, the Senior Field Programs Manager for Restore Oregon.
The Restore Oregon brief strongly argued that the county has an obligation to support the conservation of historic resources and that without adaptive reuse these structures would effectively be demolished by neglect. LUBA agreed, thereby raising the status of historic preservation in the Oregon land use system.
We are grateful we have a statewide historic preservation organization that has the ability and willingness to intervene in matters of state-wide interest. Without Restore Oregon’s work we not only would have lost the Bull Run Powerhouse, but seen preservation’s role in Oregon considerably weakened. Thank you, Restore Oregon!

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A New Day Dawns for Sonrise Chapel

Restore Oregon — Wed, 17 Sep 2014 22:15:21 +0000

Sonrise Chapel (all photos courtesy of Darlene Goss)

It was July 2013 and we had just completed the sale of our North Eugene property to the Nature Discovery School, a private Christian school. When school leaders commented on how they were going to need a chapel for bible study, we piped up and told them to check out the “free” church recently featured in our local newspaper. So began our “Save the Sonrise Chapel” project.
The Irving Sonrise Congregation had decided they could no longer care for their historical chapel built in 1891. Over the next several weeks we attended community meetings listening to suggestions on how to save the building, as it would be demolished if no alternative were found. So we submitted our plan to move the building three miles to the school and waited as the congregation made their decision. You could tell the congregation was having a hard time giving up their old chapel but seemed relieved when the decision was made to give the chapel to the school.
Nature Discovery School is a small private Christian School and their plan was to use the Chapel for daily bible study, school pageants, graduations and other school activities and also have it available for the local community to use. In a letter back to the congregation and the community, the school owners offered the Chapel as a place to keep and display local historical pictures and, should they ever sell the school, promised to offer the Chapel back to the community.
I volunteered to help Matt and Heather Hennon, owners of the school, figure out how to get the chapel from point A to point B. We started at ground zero – no money, a little moral support, and lots of enthusiasm. After I enlisted some financial help from a sister and construction help from my brother we were off and rolling. We tried to make the move in the fall of 2013 but there were just too many obstacles. It must have been a blessing in disguise as that winter the congregation’s main church was flooded from frozen water pipes and they held services back in the old chapel for several months.
We continued to enlist help and donations from private businesses and extremely generous local individuals. We selected a building mover, Chris Schoap, which was probably the best decision we made. His reputation practically paved the way for us, especially with city, county and utility officials. Mention his name and they were willing to do whatever it took to make the move happen.
We decided the best route was to head north crossing one residential street, hike it two miles through the fields, across the horse pasture and over the swale, spending the night next to a filbert orchard. Day two we’d move a quarter mile down one narrow county road, cross into the last field and finally slip into the north end of the school parking lot. It all sounded easy enough.
The move date was set for August 19 and 20, right after the fields were harvested with the ground hard and dry, perfect for the 112,000-pound chapel. With the steeple dismantled thanks to a fearless brother who climbed inside to set the crane rigging, Chris made the rest look easy getting the church off its foundation, onto his trailers and into position for the move. It took about 5 minutes to cross the street and with the steeple following, at a 50 foot per minute pace, we headed across the fields. We hugged the power pole supporting three major power lines with ease, slipped in and out of the horse pasture and easily crossed the swale. With a sigh of relief we parked it for the night along side our last major obstacle – West Beacon Road.
The next morning it rained! Not a lot, but enough to wonder how he was going to make it up onto that narrow county road without getting stuck. The utility company was out early and had the power lines raised. Chris’s comment was, “Geez, I thought I had another hour!” But it moved up onto the street a lot easier than we imagined and, with a few adjustments narrowing the trailer down to match the road width, we trucked it on down the street.
The sun came out just as we approached our last hurdle – getting down from the road and into the last field. He backed up the Chapel two or three times to get just the right approach. It was a heart stopper watching it make that turn and drop into the field. From there it was smooth sailing through the field and into the parking lot. And what a grand sight to see all the school kids sitting outside, cheering the chapel on as it pulled into its final resting spot. We had made it to its new home, all safe and sound.
The final phase is now being coordinated. While the steeple was off the building, it was painted, reroofed and prepped to go back up top, along with the original 700 pound bell and weathervane. We plan to have the foundation completed this fall.
It is our hope that the Nature Discovery School will be able to hold their Christmas pageant in their very own chapel this winter and for many years to come.

The steeple and bell have since been restored and put back.

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Rebirth of Egyptian Theater—Many More to Come?

Restore Oregon — Mon, 07 Jul 2014 22:46:53 +0000

The Grand Re-Opening of the Egyptian Theater
(photo: Restore Oregon)

After three years of intense community advocacy, Coos Bay’s beloved Egyptian Theatre is shining bright once again. The downtown landmark was listed as one of Oregon’s Most Endangered Places® in the spring of 2011 following its closure due to structural safety concerns.
At the time of its listing as an Endangered Place, the theater had only a handful of supporters and very few dollars to back-up the vision of a revitalized downtown gathering space. With help from both inside and outside of the community, in just three years over a million dollars was raised to resolve structural issues, replace failing systems, and provide for critical restoration inside and out. On June 20, the ribbons were cut and the Egyptian opened once again.
The resounding success of the Egyptian carries with it many lessons applicable to community landmarks across Oregon:

The Egyptian Theatre, Coos Bay in the 1950’s

Commission a feasibility study. The first strategic step for Egyptian advocates was to prepare a market feasibility study to demonstrate that a revitalized theater was viable in Coos Bay. Funded by a seed grant from Restore Oregon, it provided creditability for all future fundraising.
Build a “friends of” coalition. Advocates organized under the umbrella of the Egyptian Theater Preservation Association, a nonprofit through which organization and fundraising could take place. They developed a strategic plan, enlisted skilled board members, and sought training. City staff and volunteers were included every step of the way and the Association made their presence known at fairs, markets, and community events.
Ask for outside help. An initial estimate to reopen the Egyptian came in at $3.7 million, a figure far in excess of what community leaders knew was feasible.

Interior decoration in the Egyptian Theater, Coos Bay

Restore Oregon referred advocates to consultants and other regional experts to identify ways to bring the price tag down to a level that was manageable.
Money attracts money. Raising large sums of money in a small community can be daunting, especially if the cost seems insurmountable. Lining up city and grant support early in the fundraising process built confidence among local donors and created a snowball that attracted others and momentum grew.
Taking a phased approach avoids biting off more than you can chew. While the Egyptian has re-opened there is still work to be done. This summer, planning will begin for phase II which will continue restoration work on the marquee and interior finishes. Phasing the rehabilitation allowed the theater to start generating income and helped grow support within the community.
Across the U.S. and in Oregon, the restoration of historic theaters as movie and events spaces has been a catalyst for the revitalization of downtowns (i.e. the Elsinore in Salem, the Tower in Bend, and the Hollywood in Portland.) But there remain scores of old movie houses that are struggling or closed (the Alger in Lakeview, the Desert in Burns, or the Holly in Medford). An ad hoc committee lead by Erik Andersson of PacificCorp is assembling the resources to conduct a statewide survey of historic theaters. The goal is to document the condition, significance, and operational needs of Oregon’s great movie houses and develop a strategy for their restoration. If history repeats itself, they will regain their role as the iconic heart of Main Street.

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A Case Study in Preservation Law: Christie School

Restore Oregon — Tue, 01 Jul 2014 16:53:12 +0000

Christie School today
(photo courtesy of Marylou Colver)

Only 62 designated Landmark buildings remain in Lake Oswego. Today, the community faces the sixth public hearing in three years regarding the delisting or major alteration of a Landmark property: the 106-year-old Christie School. Until recently, delisting applications were based on city code which allows removal of designation only if specific criteria are met. However, a new trend towards delisting began with the recent request to delist the Carman House, Lake Oswego’s oldest home, which dates from Oregon’s settlement era. Because designated properties are protected by city code, delisting provides a path to major alteration or demolition.
The basis in the Carman House case is a 1995 state statute ORS 197.772(3), commonly referred to as Oregon’s “owner consent” law. In December 2013, the Lake Oswego City Council voted to delist the Carman House based on an interpretation that subsequent owners of designated properties retain the right to delist them if the designation was contested at the time of listing. The Council’s decision would have paved the way for demolition of the Carman House, however, the Lake Oswego Preservation Society appealed this decision to Oregon’s Land Use Board of Appeals (LUBA) in hopes of saving the Carman House and setting a precedent for other locally-designated properties across the state.
Fast forward to today. Youth Villages, the Tennessee-based owner of Christie School, is seeking to delist their 1908 Landmark building based solely on Oregon’s owner consent statute and not the city’s criteria for delisting.

Historic photo of Christie School
(photo courtesy of Lake Oswego Public Library)

The school has demonstrated national, state, and local historic significance. Seattle-based architect Conradin Alfred Breitung designed the building. Two of Breitung’s Seattle buildings have been listed on the National Register of Historic Places and the Christie School appears to be Breitung’s only design in Oregon. On July 4, 1908, Governor Chamberlain and Archbishop Christie delivered the keynote speeches to open the 3.5-story masonry school—originally built as a Catholic orphanage for girls. In effect it became the first building to be constructed on the Marylhurst Campus, however, was later transferred into different ownership.
The Lake Oswego Preservation Society, with the assistance of Restore Oregon, is seeking to be successful in both retaining the Christie School Landmark designation and in winning an interpretation of ORS 197.772(3) that is favorable to preservation. If we’re not successful with the latter, it may have a negative impact on historic resources statewide for the foreseeable future.
The Lake Oswego Historic Resources Advisory Board will hear the application to delist Christie School on July 9th at 7:00 PM.
LUBA will hear Lake Oswego Preservation Society v. City of Lake Oswego the next day, July 10th, at 9:00 AM.
8/6 UPDATE: The Advisory Board denied the application to delist Christie School and LUBA remanded back to the City the decision to delist Carman House.

The post A Case Study in Preservation Law: Christie School appeared first on Restore Oregon.