Photos Courtesy of ARG, Portland
A 2020 Most Endangered Place is on its way to the National Register of Historic Places!
In July, Billy Webb Elks Lodge (a.k.a. Williams Avenue YWCA), listed on Restore Oregon’s 2020 list of Oregon’s Most Endangered Places, was approved by the National Park Service for listing in the National Register of Historic Places.
Built in 1926 as a segregated YWCA, this cornerstone in the Albina community has served as home to the United Service Organizations (USO), a Red Cross emergency center during the Vanport flood of 1948, the NAACP, the Oregon Association of Colored Women, the Urban League, and the Congress of Racial Equality. For these associations, the building has been nominated under Criteria A for its African American social, political, educational, and civil rights significance in Portland.
Since 1959, the building has housed the Improved Benevolent and Protective Order of the Elks, an African American branch of the BPOE–so named because of its policy to grant membership to all qualified individuals without regard to race, creed, or ethnicity at a time when the Elks did not allow non-white members. The lodge was named for a prominent musician who led an African American Elks band that played in Portland and on steamships on the West Coast in the 1920s.
Restore Oregon is working with Billy Webb Elks Lodge leadership on pursuing planning and funding opportunities that listing in the National Register offers. 
 
Paving the way to protect African American historic resources in Portland:
Oregon has taken a momentous step towards rectifying the racial inequity of our historical record. The African American Resources in Portland from 1851- 1973 Multiple Property Document provides a comprehensive overview of the African American experience in Portland from 1865-1973 through seven discrete thematic contexts, including settlement patterns, businesses, journalism, religion, and civil rights. These contexts illustrate the historic significance of African American property types in Portland and makes nominating them to the National Register quicker and more efficient.
Only 8% of the properties listed in the National Register of Historic Places represent African American culture and history. Through the efforts of many private parties, the Architectural Heritage Center, and the City of Portland, Oregon is now leading the way to recognizing the historical significance and contributions made by communities of color.
This decades-long effort began with several foundational documents including Cornerstones of the Community first published in 1995. It’s approval by the National Park Service signifies a more inclusive understanding of the resources most at risk in our country–those that need the most protection. It will also elevate culturally significant resources–those lacking in architectural integrity–to a level required for designation.
Congratulations to everyone involved in this remarkable undertaking!

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Wong Laundry Building is significant to Portland’s economic history and to the ethnic and immigration history of both city and state. Designed by Alexander C. Ewart, the two-story masonry structure combining retail on the ground floor and lodging above is a prime example of early 20th century commercial architecture built for the travelers, businessmen and workers pouring forth from the new Union Station. The building played a significant role in the evolution of both Portland’s New Chinatown and Nihonmachi, or Japantown.
The Wong Laundry Building was occupied before 1930 by a saloon and various retailers. In the early 1940s, the storefronts were converted into a Chinese hand laundry (parts of which are still intact), a radio repair shop, and living quarters for the widow of a Chinese medicine preparer, Mrs. Kai Young Wong, and her six children. Through extremely hard work and the help of several Wong uncles, Mrs. Wong was able to purchase the building in the early 1950s. A fire in 1970 caused by kerosene thrown through the exterior laundry chute, caused extensive water damage to the first floor and the laundry was closed. The building has been vacant since that time.For decades the Wong Laundry Building has been experiencing demolition by neglect attributable to a lack of access to capital for needed major restoration. The unreinforced masonry structure has been challenging for owners to maintain and is considered seismically unsafe. The building’s poor condition, low height, and location within a quickly developing part of Portland make it a candidate for demolition and redevelopment if a plan for preservation isn’t developed soon.Fall 2017
City of Portland adopted New Chinatown/Japantown design guidelines for the National Register Historic District, which Wong Laundry is a contributing property in the district. Restore Oregon staff sat on the advisory committee for the creation of the guidelines and subsequently testified in favor of them at a Portland City Council hearing.
Spring 2017
Restore Oregon staff and board is meeting with local constituents and supporters of the building for next steps
Winter 2017
New owners submit documents including redevelopment and demolition plans to the City of Portland. Restore Oregon and City of Portland staff met with owners to discuss alternatives to demolition.
Spring 2016
New owners purchase the property
Fall 2015
Restore Oregon seed grant was awarded to the Portland Chinatown History and Museum Foundation to study the building and create a strategic plan including a market analysis
November 2014
Listed as one of Oregon’s Most Endangered PlacesThere is strong support from the Chinese and Japanese communities and the Old Town Chinatown Community Association for preserving and reusing the Wong Laundry Building. Developing an economically viable plan for the restoration of the building as a community resource such as a mixed-use multi-ethnic museum will be imperative to the survival of the building.

This project was funded in part by the Oregon Cultural Trust and Kinsman foundation

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The DeWitt Museum in Prairie City, housed in the National Register-listed Sumpter Valley Railway Depot building, is home to a collection of significant local historical artifacts and serves as an event space and gathering place for locals and visitors alike. The building itself is a rare example of a two-story rural depot, and serves as an important vestige of the area’s most significant period of development. Maintenance and improvements to the historic structure have been difficult to prioritize and funding is limited, but a dedicated community effort can see these needs met and the depot building continue to represent the history of the upper John Day River Valley and northeastern Oregon.
Originally built to transport timber for the Oregon Lumber Company, the Sumpter Valley Railway began with a route from Baker City to McEwen in 1891, continued to Sumpter in 1896, and was finally completed to Prairie City in 1910. This little railway provided a vital commercial link from the John Day River Valley to the economic hubs of Eastern Oregon.Stretching 81 miles through three mountain passes from Baker City to Prairie City, the railway not only hauled logs and allowed ore from the many area mines to reach the transcontinental Union Pacific Railroad, but was key to continued delivery of mail and passengers traveling to the area. Production declines in the region’s mines and the growth of highway infrastructure to support the automobile led to the gradual loss of railroad revenues. The line to Prairie City was abandoned in 1933.
Construction of the depot at Prairie City corresponded with the completion of the railroad in 1910. The two-story frame structure features bracketed eaves, clipped gables, corbeled brick chimneys, and minimal decorative details which could be categorized as Folk Victorian. Original use of the structure was divided into both service and residential areas with the waiting room, office, and baggage/freight room located on the ground floor and living quarters on the second floor for the station agent and his family.
With the railroad line, the depot was abandoned in the 1930s. In 1975, Grant County acquired the site for use as park. When funds for the depot’s restoration failed to materialize by 1979, the county considered demolition. In response, a community fundraising effort under the leadership of the Sumpter Valley Depot Restoration Committee successfully undertook the renovation of the structure. The building was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1981 and shortly afterwards began use as a permanent home for the DeWitt Museum, a collection of artifacts and objects established by local collector Gail DeWitt which tells the story of Prairie City and Grant County.Despite periodic maintenance and improvements over the past four decades, the depot building is in immediate need of repair. The primary areas of concern on the exterior include damaged siding, lack of paint, inadequate flashings, damaged chimneys, and damaged doors and windows. In addition to these visible exterior deficiencies, the wall and attic insulation needs to be removed and an appropriate insulation system installed. Failing to address these concerns will accelerate the decay of the structure and continue to harm the collection.
Restoration and repair work undertaken in 2007 utilized faulty materials and techniques that have left the building in a compromised condition. Freezing and thawing moisture has severely damaged the wood trim and siding, leaving some elements too degraded to restore. The roof of the depot building needs replacement or repair, and birds, insects, and other pests are nesting in the structure and causing damage.March 2017
Local constituents agreed to raise funds to hire professional expertise to evaluate, prioritize, and estimate the cost of improvements to the structure.
July 2016
Restore Oregon staff visited the site and met with local constituents to discuss building needs and possible uses for Restore Oregon’s seed grant.
November 2015
Listed as one of Oregon’s Most Endangered Places.

This project was funded in part by the Oregon Cultural Trust and Kinsman foundation

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The building was constructed in 1915 for the Benevolent Order of Elks No. 1168 in downtown Medford and has been in continuous ownership by the Elks since then. The Survey of Historic and Cultural Resources Downtown Survey in 1994-95 quotes the National Register Nomination describing the Elks Lodge “as the most distinctive example of monumental architecture in the tradition of Beaux Arts Classicism in Medford’s Downtown core.” Changing times and dwindling membership have left the Elks Lodge vacant and deteriorating, and the organization is hoping to sell it to someone who will restore its elegance and find a viable use for the building.The Medford Elks Building was designed by leading local architect Frank C. Clark, who was himself a charter member of the lodge organized in 1909. It is a contributing building in the City’s Downtown Historic District and was listed on the National Register in 1981. An addition was constructed onto the building in 1921 complimenting its design. The National Register nomination states that the “Medford Elks Lodge BPOE has additional local significance not only for its important association with the Fraternal Order of Elks, but as the sole remnant of the once imposing triumvirate of corner-facing classical inspired structures that formed the political and social hub in Medford prior to World World II.”
Medford’s downtown has come to life in recent years with new businesses and investments occurring. The building and property is situated on a main corridor and has easy access to a new downtown park. The Elks Building is one-of-a-kind for Medford and for the state. Its ownership and use over the past hundred years dedicated to the Elks organization alone is unique and noteworthy. It represents a time when architecture, citizen organizations, gathering places, and a community having a sense of place were important.Changing times and dwindling membership have left the Elks Lodge vacant and deteriorating threatening its viable future. Birds have made their way into the building causing damage. Without funding available to maintain the building and provide upgrades, the building will continue to deteriorate making it more difficult and expensive to save in the long term. The organization is hoping to sell it to someone who will restore the building and put it to a new use.  The City, too, views this as an opportunity to advance downtown Medford’s renaissance.Summer 2017
Restore Oregon staff met with new property owners to discuss historic preservation options for the building and potential uses
May 2017
New owners purchase the building with intent on meeting the community’s needs through a new use of the building
December 2016
Restore Oregon staff met with the realtor of the building and various interested community members to discuss next steps of securing a new owner
November 2016
Listed as one of Oregon’s Most Endangered PlacesThe Medford Elks Building was designed by leading local architect Frank C. Clark, who was himself a charter member of the lodge organized in 1909. It is a contributing building in the City’s Downtown Historic District and was listed on the National Register in 1981. An addition was constructed onto the building in 1921 complimenting its design. The National Register nomination states that the “Medford Elks Lodge BPOE has additional local significance not only for its important association with the Fraternal Order of Elks, but as the sole remnant of the once imposing triumvirate of corner-facing classical inspired structures that formed the political and social hub in Medford prior to World World II.”
Medford’s downtown has come to life in recent years with new businesses and investments occurring. The building and property is situated on a main corridor and has easy access to a new downtown park. The Elks Building is one-of-a-kind for Medford and for the state. Its ownership and use over the past hundred years dedicated to the Elks organization alone is unique and noteworthy. It represents a time when architecture, citizen organizations, gathering places, and a community having a sense of place were important.

This project was funded in part by the Oregon Cultural Trust and Kinsman foundation

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The Concord School is a landmark in the northern Clackamas County community of Oak Grove. The site has been home to a public school since 1890 and was, until its closure in 2014, a venue for civic events. The school was closed in June 2014 due to budget constraints and related downsizing and consolidation of the North Clackamas School District. The building currently sits vacant but retains its historic character. It is the hope of community stakeholders that the building will be repurposed in a manner that preserves its basic architectural features while providing for multiple community uses.
The first school to serve the Oak Grove community was a one-room log building constructed in 1856. It was replaced in 1866, but once outgrown, the second schoolhouse was itself obsolete.In 1890 the present site was acquired from the pioneering Oatfield family and a new schoolhouse constructed. It soon became known as the Concord School. Despite systematic additions to the 1890 school, it was demolished in 1936 when the present building was completed. The current Concord School building was constructed from a design by architect F.M. Stokes and partially funded with a Federal Emergency Administration of Public Works grant. This New Deal building is a fine example of WPA-era construction, and the only such example standing in the Oak Grove community. To accommodate growing student populations, a new wing was constructed in 1948.
The school district has maintained the building and grounds since the school’s closure. Following the school district’s decision to surplus the property in 2014, local citizens have rallied as the “Concord Partnership” to work with the school district and interested parties to find a solution for repurposing the building and grounds for the benefit of community use.Threats to the property include deterioration from vandalism and weather, and an uncertain future without regulation or designation to protect its historic and architectural attributes.
Despite its eligibility for listing in the National Register of Historic Places, there is no regulatory protection afforded to Concord School. Regulations protecting historic sites – designated or not – in unincorporated Clackamas County provide no real protection, and the school is at risk of demolition or alteration by an unsympathetic owner.
The North Clackamas School District does not wish to continue to own and manage the property. In May 2015, the School Board voted to approve a recommendation presented by district staff to allow for up to 23 months for interested parties to research opportunities, create partnerships, secure funds, and develop plans to inform the future use of Concord.December 2017
Negotiations for the transfer of the Concord School to the North Clackamas Parks and Recreation District continue. Stakeholder meetings to determine a suitable use for the building are initiated with the participation of Restore Oregon and the Concord Partnership.
March 2017
Concord School Reuse Study completed by the Concord Partnership with funding from Restore Oregon and the Kinsman Foundation. It outlines three potential uses and configurations of the existing building to accommodate community-identified needs for a library, senior center, art center, or recreation and community center.
February 2017
The North Clackamas School District announces its intent to enter an agreement with the North Clackamas Parks and Recreation District. This agreement will allow the transfer of assets between the two entities. The Concord School would be transferred to the Parks and Recreation District.
August 2016
Restore Oregon gives a $2,500 seed grant to the Concord Partnership to support project planning for adaptive reuse of the building.
February 2016
Community leaders assembling resources to conduct a feasibility study for reusing the school
November 2015
Listed as one of Oregon’s Most Endangered Places

This project was funded in part by the Oregon Cultural Trust and Kinsman foundation

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The Jantzen Beach Carousel, a national treasure, was designed by C.W. Parker (a renowned manufacturer of carnival attractions) in 1921 in Leavenworth, Kansas. It was commissioned for permanent installation on the Venice Beach pier in Venice, California, but its stay in California was short-lived. The carousel arrived at Portland’s Jantzen Beach Amusement Park in 1928, and has been a part of the Oregon landscape ever since.
According to a September 2007 plaque from the National Carousel Association, the “antique wooden carousel brings magic to children of all ages and is the last operating 4-row, 72 horse Parker Superior Park Machine.”

From 1928 to the 1960s, the amusement park was frequented by up to 725,000 people annually. By 1970, however, attendance had dipped to the point that the park was closed and soon demolished. Countless Portland- and Vancouver-area residents recall memories made at Jantzen Beach Amusement Park fondly.By 1971, construction on a 500,000-square-foot shopping mall, the Jantzen Beach Center, began in the place of the amusement park. The mall, however, maintained a connection to the history of the site by preserving the original Jantzen Beach Carousel and providing it a permanent placement within the shopping center. In 1987 the Jantzen Beach Carousel was listed in the National Register of Historic Places, along with four other similarly remarkable wooden carousels in the state. (It was delisted in 2008 when plans to move it to the Portland Children’s Museum did not go through.)

In 1995, the carousel was threatened by a redevelopment effort of the mall, but the community and staff of Jantzen Beach advocated on behalf of the carousel’s historical significance and successfully deterred its demise. The carousel was then entirely disassembled and renovated at a cost of $500,000 before its grand opening and re-dedication in its new location in the mall’s food court. This is where it stayed, beloved by many, until April 22, 2012, when the carousel was closed to the public in anticipation of a $50 million remodel of the Jantzen Beach Center by EDENS, Inc., a South Carolina-based developer and real estate holding company. The mall has since been sold to Kimco Realty Corporation, joining the New York real estate investment firm’s eight other mall-style properties in the Portland metro area.

In 2012, it was included in Restore Oregon’s Most Endangered Places list, joining the of scores of historic properties nominated by people across the state that are in imminent danger of being lost due to hard times, development pressures, demolition or neglect.On April 22, 2012, the Carousel was closed to the public in anticipation of a $50 million remodel of the Jantzen Beach Center by EDENS, a South Carolina-based developer and real estate holding company.

Given the Carousel’s unique design and high-level of significance to generations of Portlanders, its continued operation is critical to passing forward the last remnant of the property’s former life as an amusement park and to creating a unique for Oregonians and Washingtonians alike.Restore Oregon listed the carousel as one of its Most Endangered Places in 2012.

Given the Carousel’s unique design, high-level of historic significance, and cultural value to generations, the carousel found its way to Restore Oregon’s Most Endangered Places list when it was dismantled, stored, and no longer in operation. After five years of diligent work, Restore Oregon has saved it and now we need your help to find it a new permanent home so it can “turn” once again as a year-round family attraction.

This project was funded in part by the Oregon Cultural Trust and Kinsman foundation

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Have you ever wondered what steps you need to take to restore a historic barn?
Or how to fund a rehabilitation? Well, look no further! Restore Oregon is hosting its fifth annual Heritage Barn Workshop in Eastern Oregon! This is the first time the workshop will be held on the east side of the state and will provide education, as well as hands-on experience for attendees. Restore Oregon is partnering with Eastern Oregon Visitor Association to host this educational opportunity.
The workshop will be held in Union and will feature the 1914 “big red barn” at the Eastern Oregon Agricultural Research Center managed by Oregon State University. The station is the oldest in the state and was built in 1901. Once a farm owned by Charles Elliot Davis, he sold the property to the state which originally intended to use the site as an asylum. Instead, it was developed for an experiment station and the barn with its stone first floor, t-shaped plan, and prominent cross-gable roof is quite unique.
The town of Union has a charming Main Street, which is listed as a historic district in the National Register of Historic Places. Union was incorporated in 1878 and was the county seat until 1904 when La Grande assumed that role. It retains much of its historic character through its downtown turn-of-the-century commercial buildings and beautiful Victorian houses. Nestled at the southern end of Eastern Oregon’s Grand Ronde Valley, Union is surrounded by the foothills of the Blue Mountains. Participants in the workshop may choose to stay at the Union Hotel, which was built in 1921 and is the largest commercial building on Main Street.
Restore Oregon advocates for the rehabilitation and preservation of historic barns because they define Oregon’s agricultural heritage and landscape. We recognize the challenges that owners face in rehabilitating and repurposing these historic structures and our workshop fosters creative ways to preserve and perpetuate new life for these rural landmarks.
The workshop will feature speakers, training, and sessions on barn condition assessment and stabilization. Barn owners, historic preservationists, and the public are invited with no previous knowledge needed to participate. Snacks, beverages, lunch and parking are included in the registration fee.
Registration for the workshop will open on August 7th at www.RestoreOregon.org.

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2017 DeMuro Award Nomination

The DeMuro Award honors extraordinary examples of the rehabilitation and reuse of historic buildings, homes, public spaces, or landscapes, and compatible infill development that enhances historic districts. Nominated projects may be large or small, urban or rural, and those selected will display exceptional quality, creativity, problem-solving, and impact.
To nominate a Project for a Demuro Award, please fill out the application.
Submissions must be received by 5:00pm of business on July 14^th. Full details and instructions can be found on the application. If you have any questions, please contact Peggy Moretti at 503 946-6446 or peggym@RestoreOregon.org.

2018 Oregon’s Most Endangered Places Nomination

Each year, historic properties across Oregon are rehabilitated and reused, enriching our lives, revitalizing Main Streets, and attracting visitors. Unfortunately, there are also scores of historic properties in imminent danger of being lost to hard times, development pressures, demolition, or neglect. These unique places tell the story of their community’s heritage, values, industry, and culture.
Restore Oregon wants to help preserve and pass forward these irreplaceable assets by focusing public attention and resources on them. Properties selected for the 2018 Most Endangered Places list will receive technical assistance to address immediate threats, provide educational resources to the local community, and develop strategies for their long-term viability and preservation.
To nominate a Most Endangered Place, please fill out the application.
All materials must be received by 5:00pm on July 10, 2017, to be considered for listing. Full details and instructions can be found on the application. If you have any questions, please contact Dan Everhart at Dan@RestoreOregon.org or by phone at (503) 946-6379.

Save-the-Date: Restoration Celebration, November 10^th

Restore Oregon will announce both the DeMuro Award winners and our 2018 Oregon’s Most Endangered Places on November 10, 2017 at The Restoration Celebration, Oregon’s premier historic preservation and heritage event honoring the individuals, organizations, businesses, properties, neighborhoods, landmarks and other entities that have been part of our state’s historic preservation efforts during the previous year.

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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.

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Army Corps of Engineers gives talk on “Willamette Falls Locks — Past, Present & Future” at Museum of the Oregon Territory in Oregon City

Wednesday, October 22^nd, 2014 at 6:30 PM

Louis Landre of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will speak on the Past, Present and Future of the Willamette Falls Canal and Navigational Locks on Wednesday, October 22^nd at 6:30 p.m. at the Museum of the Oregon Territory in Oregon City.  
What do Leonardo Da Vinci, the Canby Ferry, and Howard Hughes’ “Spruce Goose” all have in common? The answer is in the history of the Willamette Falls Locks.
Willamette Falls, a 42-foot, horseshoe shaped basalt ridge, is the second largest by-volume waterfall in the country.  It has always presented a restriction to navigation and transport of goods on the Willamette River. In 1873, the locks opened, connecting the upper and lower reaches of the Willamette River.

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