restoration Archives - Restore Oregon

112 Year-Old Church in Northeast Portland Now Houses SteepleJack Brewing Co.

Restore Oregon — Thu, 12 Aug 2021 22:44:30 +0000

Beer lovers and preservationists rejoice! SteepleJack Brewing Co. owners Brody Day and Dustin Harder have lovingly restored the former First Universalist Church of Good Tidings at NE 24th and Broadway in Portland.

Thanks to sensitive adaptive reuse, this century-old building retains many historic features including colorful stained glass windows, a historic bell tower, carefully restored original wooden floors, and attractive furniture crafted from wood salvaged from the building.

Saved from demolition (and from being replaced by a five-story condo building), the former church was the site of a 1909 time capsule dedicated by President William Howard Taft. A new time capsule was reset in the same cornerstone last month.

In July, Restore Oregon staff attended the SteepleJack grand opening to experience the building for ourselves. We’re happy to report that Brody and Dustin have taken great care of the structure’s historic material, which has yielded a shining example of successful adaptive reuse and historic preservation!

More at steeplejackbeer.com

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ADVOCACY ALERT: Historic Tax Credit Eliminated

Restore Oregon — Fri, 10 Nov 2017 18:42:48 +0000

The federal Historic Tax Credit (HTC) has been an essential source of funding for the restoration and revival of over 100 historic buildings across Oregon. Without the HTC, the vast majority of these projects – along with their jobs and community uplift – would not have happened. The HTC has returned a 25% “profit” to the U.S. Treasury. Restore Oregon has been in contact with Congressman Earl Blumenauer, who as co-chair of the Historic Preservation Caucus, has been valiantly working to defend the HTC. We have also called upon Senators Wyden and Merkley to advocate for the tax credit. Please add your voice – especially those in Congressman Greg Walden’s district. Links to legislators’ and talking points are below in this call-to-action from our partners at the National Trust.

Urgent Action Requested!

The Historic Tax Credit provided essential
funding to convert the historic Erickson Fritz
Saloon to affordable housing.

House Committee Passes Tax Bill with Historic Tax Credit Eliminated

HTC Reduced in Senate Tax Reform Bill

Nov. 10, 2017 – Yesterday, the House Ways and Means Committee passed The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) or H.R. 1, with the Historic Tax Credit (HTC) entirely eliminated, on a party line vote 24-16, setting up full-House floor consideration next week.
Also yesterday, the Senate Finance Committee released their version of a tax reform bill that reduces the Historic Tax Credit in half, from 20% to 10% for historic buildings. Additionally, the 10% pre-1936 non-historic “old” building credit is eliminated.
Your immediate ACTION is needed!
All advocates should be fully activated across the country, connecting with both House and Senate offices, asking them to retain the HTC in tax reform bills, undiminished. The fate of the HTC will be determined over the next few weeks, please advocate and ask others to advocate!
The House of Representatives is expected to consider and vote on the bill on the House floor next week.

Historic Hotel Condon was rehabilitated
with the help of the Historic Tax Credit.

Also next week, the Senate will begin to mark-up and pass their version of the tax reform bill out of the Senate Finance Committee.

Please contact your House Representative by COB Monday and ask them to work with House leadership to insert the HTC back into the final House bill.

Contact your Senators by COB Monday and ask them to go to the Senate Finance Committee and Senate leadership, express support to retain the HTC in the Senate tax reform bill undiminished.

How Can You Take Action?
Contact House and Senate Members – Call (during office hours) the offices of your Members of Congress. Ask to speak to tax staff, your staff contacts in offices or ask for email addresses of tax staff.
Here’s a suggested outline of your email message or phone call (despite our collective frustrations, it is extremely important to keep all Capitol Hill communication constructive and respectful):

Introduce yourself as a constituent
House –Say “I heard the historic tax credit is eliminated in the House version of the tax reform bill. I am extremely concerned that this important community redevelopment incentive will no longer be available to revitalize our main streets, towns, and cities and preserve our heritage.”
Senate –Say “I heard the historic tax credit is dramatically reduced in the Senate tax reform bill. I am extremely concerned that this important community redevelopment incentive being reduced will no longer have the catalytic impact to leverage investment, revitalize our main streets, towns and cities, and preserve our heritage.”

Explain why you value Historic Tax Credits, and that the redevelopment of historic buildings will not get done without the HTC.

Let them know some previous and future HTC projects in your state/district (Link to State HTC Map and Project List below).

Touch on why these historic buildings are so challenging but important to our communities.

Ask…. “As tax reform moves forward, will Rep./Sen. ____ stand up for the Historic Tax Credit and use his/her voice to insist that the historic tax credit be retained, undiminished, in tax reform?”

Share with the office the video of President Reagan supporting the HTC, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kJAIopuPyI&t=2s

If your member of congress has agreed to help, please remember to thank them and tell others about their support!

The transformation of a surplus federal building
into the Pacific Northwest College of Art
(PNCA) would not have been possible without
the Federal Historic Tax Credit.

Advocacy Resources

Find contact information for your House Representative

Find contact information for your Senators

Talking points

State and congressional district maps with economic impact data

Interactive HTC mapping tool developed by Novogradac and Company

Share this Alert
Share this alert with colleagues and friends. If you know someone who has a personal relationship with a Republican member of Congress or Republican Senator, now is the time to help amplify our message to Washington and ensure folks are hearing the need to keep the HTC from both sides — at home and in Washington. Time is short!

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Heritage Barn Workshop heads to Champoeg

Restore Oregon — Thu, 22 Sep 2016 21:21:35 +0000

In 1862 Donald Manson pioneered the Oregon art of sustainable construction. Using timbers salvaged from the flood-ravaged town of Champoeg, Manson built a new barn. His barn and its reclaimed components now form the focal point of the visitor center compound at Champoeg State Park where Restore Oregon will host its Heritage Barn Workshop on October 1^st.
Mr. Manson and the story of his barn will be featured in a presentation by Daniel Klug, Park Ranger and historian. The day and its content is meant as an introduction to all of the varied aspects of barn ownership: structural assessment, barn architecture and typology, funding for barn repairs, succession planning for family barns, and stories of success elsewhere in Oregon. Participants will leave with a greater understanding of both the challenges and opportunities which face the stewards of historic barns across the state.
A program of Restore Oregon and its Heritage Barns Taskforce, the workshop has been previously held in Lake Oswego, Central Point, and Corvallis. This year we partner with Oregon State Parks to offer an opportunity to learn from the restoration of Donald Manson Barn within the natural beauty of Champoeg State Park. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn more about Oregon’s agricultural landmarks.
More information and registration can be found at http://restoreoregon.org/event/barns/

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Ascending to New Heights

Restore Oregon — Wed, 25 May 2016 17:53:29 +0000

Katie Rathmell has a Master’s degree in marine science and was working for Oregon Health Sciences University when she decided to switch to historic preservation as a career.  She first became interested in historic preservation when she bought a historic house in California that she called “a fixer upper” which she restored. Katie attended Clatsop College’s Historic Preservation degree program and after graduating from the program, started a business called “Pacific Window Restoration” which specializes in the restoration of wood windows in historic homes and buildings. Katie believes in “the value of preserving the craftsmanship and resources that were employed in early buildings and homes. It is our mission to preserve and restore, making the old new again. Sustainability through restoration is our standard.”
I met Katie on the recommendation of a local historic homeowner, because I was looking for someone to preserve my historic windows and do other specialized preservation work for my house in Astoria. My house on Grand Avenue has been an ongoing fascination for me for several years and always will be. I was teaching in Astoria a few years ago and saw the house five times before finally deciding to purchase it. The house, an elegant Queen Ann, was built in 1886 by Albert Ferguson and his youngest son, James Ernest Ferguson.
Albert was a carpenter and architect who built many houses and state buildings in Salem and Astoria. He designed and built Astoria’s first city hall in 1878 and the Capt. J.J.D. Gray House. By the time he was able to design what we assume was his “dream home” it was the late 1880s and he was suffering from rheumatoid arthritis. So Albert worked with his son James on the house’s design and both had a major hand in creating the magnificent house. He died in 1891, only four years after the house was completed.
The Grand Avenue house was owned by the Ferguson family until the late 1930s. Albert Ferguson was a very good friend of the famous Captain George Flavel, who built and owned the Flavel house, a famous local landmark, and helped to develop the town of Astoria.  With its magnificent 11 foot ceilings, detailed wood designs, rare tin ceiling in the parlor and original hardware and light fixtures, the expertise of both Fergusons shines in the home and a wraparound three level staircase creates a center for the unique 4,000- square foot house. The house was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in the 1980s.  The staircase, which twists and turns like a beautiful snake, wraps around to the third floor and offers a view of each level on its journey to the top.

Katie worked last summer on the staircase which she says is in “remarkable shape” for its almost 130 years. The staircase is made of reddish mahogany which must have come from some long-ago rain forest. One assumes the wood for the staircase was especially ordered by the Fergusons many months before the house was built and they could have waited for it to come by ship across the water from ports beyond to build their staircase.
The staircase is amazing, a work of art. Most people use machines nowadays and run the wood through shapers, but this kind of hand created craftsmanship is really a lost art.
The finish on the staircase was cracked and there were some spots where dry rot was entering. Katie hand-sanded it down to get off the old finish and most of the work she did followed an old- fashioned method that might have gone back to the time the house was built or even further. Using a mixture of linseed oil soap and boric acid, she cleaned the balusters, no small feat given how many balusters there are! Her method is popular in Sweden and with historic preservationists, and the mixture she uses acts as both a wood conditioner and also prevents mildew. Modern compounds such as caulking and latex paint are destroyers of old wood. After treating the wood, she applied two light coats of varathane on the handrail and used linseed oil wax on the balusters and newel posts. She recommended that we repeat the procedure every six months or so to keep the staircase in good shape.
Owning the Grand Avenue house has opened my eyes to the beauty of historic houses. So much of that individual design and craftsmanship can be found in the vintage hardware, elegant pre-electric lights and amazing hand-carved woods. These houses are unique and custom built reminders of the past. Every time I see a historic house with sagging windows, peeling paint and rotting sides, I feel sad, knowing that the heritage of these houses is slipping away slowly in neglect. It is people like Katie who are the heroes of the historic house preservation world. In an age of instant and easily obtainable, they are the ones who painstakingly take the time to learn how to preserve the past so that these houses can continue in the future and not be gone and forgotten.

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The JS Cooper Block: From a Diamond-in-the-Rough to Main Street Gem

Restore Oregon — Mon, 18 Jan 2016 22:32:31 +0000

The JS Cooper Block is the architectural cornerstone of Independence’s well-preserved historic downtown. Built in 1895, the building represents Independence’s history as a hub for pioneers who arrived on the Oregon Trail, and its subsequent prosperity as an agricultural community. The building’s original owner, JS Cooper, was a prominent banker who later became a key figure in the region’s booming hop industry which eventually led to Independence being named the “hop capital of the world.”
Before automobile use became widespread, the Cooper Block’s iconic tower was used to watch for riverboats sailing up the river from Salem. When one was spotted the watcher would ring a bell in the tower to alert the community. The bell is gone, but the tower remains as one of the most recognizable (and photographed) features of Independence’s downtown.
Despite its storied history, the Cooper Block sat vacant for over 20 years. A series of remodels, the most recent in 1980, replaced the historic storefronts with dark, bunker-like walls and windows, and some were completely bricked over. The second floor remained untouched and represented the potential that remained for someone with vision.
For many years the Cooper Block languished in the possession of a classic absentee landlord. From their home in California the owner declared tenants to be “too much of a hassle” while also complaining that nobody would meet their $1M sale price. Finally, in 2014 after some family changes and maneuvering by the City, a local developer was able to purchase the building at a reasonable price.

Restoration of the Cooper Block required a significant investment, but Florin Drutu – the new owner – and Bodie Bemrose – the owner’s agent – understood the value that revitalized historic buildings can bring to a main street.
The Cooper Block is a two-story corner building, meaning it had a lot of façade to restore. The City provided additional assistance with a $50,000 façade restoration grant, and also secured a $12,000 Diamonds in the Rough grant through the historic preservation office. With these funds and their own matching funds, Drutu and Bemrose repointed all the brick, cleaned and repaired all the original windows upstairs (they remain functional double-hung windows with original glass) and restored all three original storefronts on the building.
Little remained of the original storefronts, but they found as many historic pictures of the building as possible and used them to guide the restoration. Through a stroke of luck, the original steel columns of the C Street storefronts were found between the exterior brick and interior sheetrock. These columns allowed those storefronts to be replicated exactly as they originally existed. Nothing remained of the original Main Street storefront, but the many pictures of the building proved invaluable for creating an accurate representation of the historic look.
In addition to their attention to historic detail, Drutu and Bemrose were very creative with their restoration efforts. The original storefront had decorative spindles below the windows, and they used these spindles in the new storefront to add ventilation in the basement to prevent mildew and dry rot.. They used traditional clear lumber for storefronts and sandwiched the steel supports required by code between wooden beams where they would provide support without being seen.
While the exterior of the building required some renovation and upkeep, the interior had to be almost entirely gutted and replaced. Ninety percent of the building’s 30 foot 2×12 floor joists had to be replaced with beams that were custom milled to true 2”x12” dimensions. While the downstairs had been “updated” over the years and retained little historic value, the upstairs still retained its original wood floors. Drutu and Bemrose painstakingly removed and preserved the original floor and reinstalled it during renovations. They were also fortunate to find a piece of original window molding in the rafters of the building, and used it as the basis for all the trim on the second floor.

After more than a year of work, the project is finally wrapped up. The Cooper building has once again become a mixed-use keystone in Independence’s downtown with three commercial spaces on the ground floor and four apartments and two offices on the second floor. Shortly after advertising the units, the office space and an apartment already have tenants moved in, and the other spaces are getting solid interest. The building will no doubt be filled in the near future.
The importance of this project in Independence cannot be understated. It is great to have any long-vacant historic building put back into use. But the Cooper Building is at the heart of Independence’s character and history. When you ask someone about Independence’s downtown, this building is what first comes to mind. To have such a critical and beautiful building sit vacant and derelict for so long was a psychological drag on the community. Almost a hundred people showed up for the celebratory walkthrough when Drutu first purchased the building. I expect many more when they have their final open house in a few weeks.
Downtown Independence has experienced a significant revitalization in the past 15 years,. The revival and restoration of this building continues the positive momentum and has truly inspired the community.

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Saving the Rayworth House: A Preservation Saga

Restore Oregon — Mon, 13 Apr 2015 20:44:23 +0000

Image courtesy of Roy and Kim Fox

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 (so called because guests unveil the bottles they bid blindly on at the auction), the conversation turned toward the state of preservation in Portland. People were hearing rumblings that yet another irreplaceable piece of Portland’s heritage was threatened by redevelopment, and the Foxes’ guests prodded Roy and Kim to look into the possibility of intervening (they were, after all, sitting in the 1884 Victorian the Foxes had rescued from condemnation and beautifully restored).

Image: Roy Fox

The house in question was the ca. 1890 Edwin Rayworth House on N. Albina Avenue in Portland’s Boise Neighborhood. The neighborhood has been radically transformed over the last decade-plus, from a neglected afterthought to a trendy and sought-after hotspot, putting homes like this relatively modest Queen Anne-style cottage squarely in the crosshairs of developers looking to capitalize on the skyrocketing value of land there.
The uncertainty about the house’s future started in 2012, when Lake Oswego developer Andrey Koshuba bought it out of foreclosure for $186,900, then determined the concrete foundation was too degraded to save. He opted to tear the house down and build two homes in its place. That’s become an all-to-familiar story in neighborhoods across Portland, where in recent years hundreds of older homes have been torn down and replaced with multiple houses of questionable quality or out-of-scale McMansions.
In this case, however, neighbors objected.
“No one wanted to see this house get demolished because of what it represents,” Boise Neighborhood Association chair Caroline Dao told The Oregonian.
The City of Portland allows officially recognized neighborhood associations to request a demolition delay period in order to pursue alternatives to demolition, and in this case the developer was willing to offer a compromise to the Boise Neighborhood Association: he would donate the home to anyone willing to move it before March 15, 2013. That’s where the Foxes came in. Sort of.
Initially the neighborhood association reached an agreement with another party who proposed keeping the house in the Boise neighborhood, something the Foxes couldn’t promise due to the scarcity of affordable lots there. While disappointed that they wouldn’t be the ones to save the house, they were pleased that an agreement had been reached to avoid demolition. Over time, however, it became clear that the course of action proposed by the other party wasn’t feasible, and Roy and Kim stepped in to save the house.
The Foxes found available property in the nearby Piedmont neighborhood and eagerly set about preparations for the move. They navigated the arduous permitting process and overcame the setback of having their first moving contractor fail to present a cost-feasible plan. Then the real logistical nightmare began.
“We could never have imagined what it takes to get a house moved,” Roy told The Oregonian. “The physical part of the move is almost not the issue.”
Having overcome what they thought to be the final hurdles before moving day, a crippling blow was dealt to their hopes to save the house just days before the scheduled move. The city’s Department of Urban Forestry (a division of Portland Parks & Recreation) objected to the project, claiming that they hadn’t been consulted about the project and fearing that moving the structure along the proposed route would damage too many trees. A bureaucratic snafu resulting from lack of communication among the city’s permitting bodies threatened to derail the Foxes’ plans and doom the Rayworth House to demolition. Developer Koshuba had already allowed multiple extensions to his initial deadline to move the house, and there was no guarantee he would continue to do so.

Image: Roy Fox

The Foxes were devastated. “For months we have been working to make this happen and now, at the 11th hour, just as we are about to make this dream come true, it’s being yanked out from under us,” Kim Fox told KATU at the time.
But Roy and Kim pressed on— they had come too far to give up now. After reaching a permitting agreement with Parks & Rec (and agreeing to plant a specified number of trees to mitigate the effects of the move) and working out one last extension with Mr. Koshuba, the stage was set for Emmert International, the Clackamas-based mover who transported both the Spruce Goose and the Hubbell Telescope, to bring the Rayworth House to its final destination.
Finally, FINALLY, on September 23, 2013, the move began. A two-mile gauntlet of utility lines, trees, and tight curves was navigated slowly but surely, until the big red truck and trailer slid the old house onto its temporary supports. Soon after, Roy and Kim began the long process of pouring a new foundation, building out a basement dwelling unit, and restoring the house to its historic charm. Work is ongoing, and they’ve been thrilled to find that many original elements, including obscured plaster walls and much of the original kitchen, are intact and restorable.

Chris, a guest of the Foxes, lending a hand.
Image: Roy Fox

Along the way they’ve made many new friends, hosting travelers from all over the world who volunteer their labor, both skilled and novice, through “couch surfing” networks like HelpExchange and Workaway. Roy says that he had multiple requests to stay with the Foxes and help with the restoration within 24 hours of posting the project. Avid travelers themselves, the Foxes highly recommend these networks whether traveling or hosting, and say they’ve never had a bad experience. In fact, what began as a straightforward effort to save an imperiled historic home has evolved into something more for the Foxes. Roy says he wouldn’t trade the experiences and relationships he and Kim have forged with their guests for a more expedient restoration of the house. It seems fitting that, in the end, this project has been more about the journey than the destination.
Restore Oregon members won’t have to crash on the Foxes’ couch or swing a hammer to see the Rayworth House restoration in progress. On August 22 we’ll be holding a “behind the scenes” tour of the home with fun activities and an informative presentation. Keep an eye on our Events Page for more details.

The post Saving the Rayworth House: A Preservation Saga appeared first on Restore Oregon.

Egyptian Theater Almost Ready for Its Close-Up

Restore Oregon — Tue, 17 Mar 2015 18:08:05 +0000

Back in 2011 the Egyptian Theatre (built in 1925) was placed on Restore Oregon’s Most Endangered Places list. It had been shut down by our theatre’s owner, the Urban Renewal Agency of Coos Bay, because of structural concerns. In 2012 the City of Coos Bay and the Egyptian Theatre Preservation Association (ETPA) embarked on an intense campaign to raise the funds needed to implement structural repairs and re-open the Egyptian. A seed grant from Restore Oregon funded a market study that demonstrated the economic viability of the theater, which gave our campaign credibility.

With strong support from our local community, the City of Coos Bay, and many wonderful foundations, we were able to raise the funds required, perform the needed construction, and celebrate our Grand Re-Opening in June of 2014. Along the way the ETPA board decided that we should extend our restoration efforts to include exterior restoration of the theatre as well.

The Egyptian Theater circa 1930s.

With the large investment our community made in structural enhancements and interior modifications (such as adding two ADA restrooms on our main floor), we wanted to make sure the exterior of our theatre was “weather tight” (after all — we are located in the Pacific Northwest!) and that the Egyptian’s facade and marque better reflected its historic character and the wonders contained inside.
George Kramer, an advisor to Restore Oregon and past Chair of the Oregon Heritage Commission, worked with us to develop the design of the Broadway facade for the theatre. Our plan incorporates elements from several periods of its 90 year history.
We are completely re-stuccoing the Broadway facade to remove tiles added over the years and bring back the facade texture of the 1925 theatre.
We are moving the entrance doors back so the historic ticket booth “pops out” as it did originally and adding transom windows above the entrance doors to bring more light into the lobby.
Historically appropriate doors will include large brass cobra handles that echo details found on historic light fixtures inside of the theatre.
Though the new poster display cases will contain LCD screens, they and the fire exit doors will be framed with Egyptian motif frames fabricated to look like the original framing used in the interior of the theatre.

Conceptual rendering of exterior restoration.

A new canopy will be installed that employs a design used in the early years of the theatre, and painted Egyptian figures and symbols will be added near the entrance and above the canopy.
With regard to the marquees, we will be retaining and refurbishing the “Egyptian head” pylon sign that so many of our patrons remember fondly. In addition, we will be adding a large, new marquee mounted on the canopy that harkens back to the original that arched across Broadway (Since Broadway is Hwy 101, ODOT would not allow us to rebuild a marquee that extended over the street).
Finally, we are redoing the sidewalk in front of the theatre entrance to both resolve water intrusion issues and beautify the entrance. For the sidewalk we are using a decorative tile design developed by Coos Bay City Councilor Mike Vaughan (a landscape architect by profession).

Interior view of the Egyptian.

We have begun implementing various facets of the Broadway facade restoration as our fundraising provided the funds to proceed. All of the exterior “weatherizing” work (new stucco and exterior paint, resealing of the roof, all new rain gutters and water drainage, new tile sidewalk) has been completed. Also the structural work to bring the ticket booth out, add the transom windows, install the new doors (with cobra brass handles!) and display cases is done.
What remains is the construction of the new canopy/awning (engineering design by KPFF is already complete), the fabrication of the Egyptian decorative frames for the display cases and fire exit doors, the refurbishment of the pylon sign, the mounting of the new main marquee (fabrication has been ordered), and the upper story Egyptian motif painting.
Fundraising continues, primarily for the $120,000 required to construct the new awning/canopy. With the $45,000 we have already received from various foundations since 2015 started, we are well on our way. An application to the MJ Murdock Charitable Trust is pending. If we receive the $100,000 grant we requested, we’ll be “over the top” and hope to have the exterior restoration completely finished by the end of this summer — in time for November’s 90 year anniversary of the original opening of the Egyptian Theatre.
We really appreciate Restore Oregon’s strong support over the years — including your personal letter to the editor of The World recognizing our accomplishment when we celebrated our Grand Re-Opening last June.

The post Egyptian Theater Almost Ready for Its Close-Up appeared first on Restore Oregon.

Can we get a WITNESS? It’s time to testify!

Restore Oregon — Tue, 24 Feb 2015 23:10:58 +0000

Committee Hearing on
The REVITALIZE MAIN STREET ACT (SB 565)
Set for March 4th

The biggest obstacle to the restoration and adaptive reuse of historic buildings is money. Traditional financing just won’t cover the high cost of restoration, code upgrades, and seismic retrofitting in many cases. The Revitalize Main Street Act (SB 565) will change that. Many thanks to those of you who have already endorsed it.
Now the next critical step: we just learned that our bill will come up for a Senate Finance Committee hearing on March 4th. This is where SB 565 will either stall or move forward.
SO THIS IS WHERE YOU COME IN! We want every committee member to know about our bill, to have heard from numerous constituents, and vote YES to pass it forward out of committee. Let’s pack the hearing room and leave no doubt that it’s time we invest in Oregon’s Main Streets.

Email or write your state Senator and Representative and ask them to support SB 565, the Revitalize Main Street Act. Do it right now, this week. We’ve made it easy. Click on this legislator locator link to get the email address of your state Senator and Representative. Then open this message template and copy it into an email. It takes just a couple minutes and you’re done!

Come to the Committee hearing in Salem. Don’t be shy— this is democracy in action! Be part of the public testimony or just come show your support.

Wednesday, March 4^th @ 8:30am, State Capitol, Hearing Room A, 900 Court St. NE, Salem, OR 97301 (subject to change by the Committee)
Here’s a quick framework to help formulate your remarks— they should not exceed 3 minutes in length:

State your name and city. Note if you’re representing a larger group in addition to yourself.
State that you’re speaking in SUPPORT of SB 565, the Revitalize Main Street Act, and ask the committee to vote YES to pass it forward out of committee.
Describe in your own words what SB 565 could mean to you, your community, or your business.
You might also speak to one or two of these points as appropriate:
- An example of a building in your community that needs this incentive so it can be rehabbed; describe the potential benefit to the community.
- Job creation (construction work, new businesses, tourism, etc.)
- How this incentive would work together with other economic development programs or downtown business association efforts.
- The environmental benefits of reusing buildings and existing infrastructure.
- The cultural importance of passing forward local heritage.
Thank the committee.

The Revitalize Main Street Act creates a Historic Rehabilitation Fund to provide a 25% rebate for the rehabilitation of historic commercial buildings – stores, hotels, theaters, apartments, factories, mills, etc. Check out 10 Reasons to Support the Revitalize Main Street Act

We know it’s a sacrifice to drive to Salem this early in the morning, but a strong showing at this committee hearing is essential. Whether in the form of a letter or in-person testimony, speak from the heart and know that your active advocacy will make all the difference!
Many thanks—
Peggy Moretti,
Executive Director, Restore Oregon

The post Can we get a WITNESS? It’s time to testify! appeared first on Restore Oregon.

Morrow County Courthouse Clock Tower Restoration Complete

Restore Oregon — Mon, 04 Aug 2014 17:35:20 +0000

Morrow County Courthouse (John Deacon,
American Courthouses photo archive)

After waiting nearly a year, the historic Morrow County Courthouse in Heppner is complete once again. On June 26, a crowd of eager spectators watched as the courthouse’s domed cupola, which houses an original turn-of-the-century Seth Thomas chiming clock, was hoisted back into place atop the venerable structure’s clock tower.
Built in 1902–03, Morrow County Courthouse is one of the oldest continuously-used courthouses in Oregon. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985, and was among the early commissions of prominent Portland architect Edgar M. Lazarus. The courthouse’s design is classically inspired, featuring a cornice around the top of the building and two draped female statues on columns that flank the building’s entrance. Brothers Laurence and Louis Monterastelli created the statues for the building and cut and trimmed the locally quarried dark blue basalt for the exterior. The building’s lighter stone trim was sourced from quarries near Elgin and Baker City.

Elevation drawing by Edgar M. Lazarus, 1902
(image courtesy of Univ. of Oregon Libraries)

The courthouse sits above much of the rest of town, a position that saved it from severe flood damage when the Great Heppner Flood swept through the city in 1903. Just months after County officials began occupying the building, much of Heppner was destroyed and 247 people— nearly a quarter of the city’s population— were killed by the flash flood on Willow Creek, which runs through the center of town. The flood remains Oregon’s deadliest natural disaster, and the second deadliest flash flood in United States history. The courthouse served as temporary shelter for some families displaced by the event.
The need for repairs to the building’s striking clock tower became evident in recent years, with concerns about the long term stability of the cupola and its supporting structure. In 2013, County Public Works officials decided to undertake an extensive restoration. The utmost care was taken to maintain its historic and architectural integrity— many elements in need of replacement were rebuilt as exact replicas. Licensed master clockmaker Gary Kopperud agreed to restore the clock back to its original condition through his clockmaker’s training program at Eastern Oregon Correctional Institution in Pendleton. Inmates at the facility spent months refurbishing the clock, with missing parts (to replace those lost when Morrow County converted the clock to run on electricity about 50 years ago) tracked down as far away as New York.

Courthouse restoration in progress
(photo courtesy of The Association of
Oregon Counties)

Rather than assembling scaffolding and performing the restoration in place, the county determined it could save more than $200,000 by hiring a crane service to remove the entire structure and complete the work on the ground. Once restoration and structural upgrade work was complete, workers guided the elements back into place using a 360-ton crane.
Morrow County Judge Terry Tallman said the investment shows that the county is serious about keeping the courthouse in Heppner for many years to come, and local residents are grateful for the return of the familiar sound of the clock ringing out, every hour on the hour.
For more photos of the restoration, visit the East Oregonian.

Clock tower restoration. Photo courtesy E.J. Harris/East Oregonian

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Historic Church’s Bell Tower Faces Costly Restoration

Restore Oregon — Thu, 17 Jul 2014 21:46:50 +0000

The church circa 1910, showing
previously removed secondary towers
(City of Portland Archives photo)

From the time of its 1895 construction, Portland’s First Congregational Church has stood as one of the city’s grandest and most imposing buildings. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975, the church is a rare example of Venetian Gothic architecture—few others exist in America—and its 175-foot-high bell tower stood as the tallest structure in Portland for 60 years. But after withstanding time and the elements for well over a century, it now bears the scars of attrition.
In April, a two-foot-long piece of one of the tower’s Gothic tracery panels fell to the sidewalk near the church. Last month, an entire 16×24 foot panel was removed as a safety precaution. Church officials say the tower is in need of extensive repairs, and estimate the total cost at $540,000. The project would entail building extensive scaffolding around the tower and renting a crane to allow for cleaning and painting, patching damaged stonework, installing bird-proofing and new lighting, and replacement of four 16×24 foot tracery panels.

First Congregational Church
(photo courtesy of
First Congregational Church)

After years of declining membership, the church’s congregation stands at 328, meaning each member would have to contribute over $1,500 to meet the project’s cost. To date, members and other supporters have raised over $146,000 (including pledges and in-kind donations, with another $100,000 pledged by the church in the event of a fundraising shortfall), but the church recognizes the need to ask the greater Portland community to contribute to the effort.
The church’s “Restore a Portland Landmark” fundraising campaign asks that Portlanders take ownership of the bell tower, saying it doesn’t simply belong to the church— they say it’s a community asset of great architectural significance, and that the church serves the community through the volunteer efforts of its members and by hosting concerts and lectures. One official said that First Congregational’s effort to engage non-members in its fundraising campaign can be viewed as a test of how Portlanders—reputed to be among the least churchgoing in the country—view their old churches in terms of historic and cultural importance.

by: TRIBUNE PHOTO: JAIME VALDEZ – Custodian Wyatt Salcido
watches Doug Emmons climb to First Congregational Church
bell tower. Occasionally, when being rung, the bell turns over
and needs to be unwound. http://bit.ly/1zNXKxI

Officials hope to begin the restoration project in April of 2015. For more information or to donate to First Congregational Church’s bell tower repair fund visit their website or contact project moderator Ross Runkel at RossRunkel@gmail.com.
Additional reading is available in a recent Portland Tribune article.

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