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| Northwest Neighborhood Cultural Center |
Get ready for Portland’s first big preservation battle of 2022, which involves the potential sale and likely requested demolition of the former First Church of Christ, Science at 1819 NW Everett St.
On Feb. 15, the several hundred community “owners” of the
1909 Roman-style Beaux Arts landmark will have their first meeting to consider
a proposed sale of the structure, which has been used as a community center
rather than as a church since the mid-1970s.
Affection in Northwest Portland for the landmark building runs
deep, but love alone can’t pay for the expensive earthquake bracing required to
make the building meet current standards.
After a lengthy dispute about its ownership earlier in this century, the
building has been for sale for at least the past four years without much of a nibble.
The nibble that has landed now is a $4.75 million proposal from
a Las Vegas firm, Founders Development Inc.
The firm’s website lists company priorities as “high return development
and income properties.” Its only project
so far in Portland appears to be the 18-unit Rosa Parks Condominium, a modern
but architecturally uninteresting structure in North Portland. Keeping
a 113-year-old church with a sanctuary seating 1,100 would not seem to be a likely objective of the proposed purchasers.
The building itself is listed on the National Register of
Historic Places and is a contributing structure to the Alphabet National
Historic District. Demolition would have
to be considered by the Portland Historic Landmarks Commission and potentially
by the Portland City Council if a decision from Landmarks is appealed.
The former church has admirable architectural
qualities. It is believed to have been
designed by Solomon Spencer Beman, who became a prominent architect in Chicago
starting in 1879. He built several large
buildings in Chicago and helped with designs for the famed 1893 World’s Fair,
which is remembered as a high point in the United States for its classical architectural styling.
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| Historic view of the sanctuary (NNCC photo) |
Beman helped design several Christian Science churches in Chicago and also designed an addition to the denomination’s “mother church” in Boston founded by Mary Baker Eddy. .
The late Portland architect George Sheldon wrote the
building’s National Register nomination in 1978. “The Beaux Arts-style building is Roman in
spirit,” he wrote. “Exterior details and
interior finish work convey a simplicity and restraint consistent with church
doctrine.”
After church membership declined, Sheldon was instrumental in helping to save the church in
the 1970s, which became home to a dozen or more non-profit agencies at various
times. The building has been used most
recently by the Northwest Children’s Theater.
Ultimately, the current owners of the Norwest Neighborhood
Cultural Center must whether they building can be saved or whether proceeds
from the sale could accomplish other benefits for the neighborhood. It is difficult to image the discussion
proceeding smoothly and quickly. A magnificent landmark hangs in the balance.
-----Fred Leeson
Join Building on History's mailing list by writing "add me" to fredleeson@hotmail.com
Just a little clarification: It is considered by some to be the finest example of Beaux-Arts style in Portland, and is, perhaps, the only surviving structure of this style. I lived in the Alphabet District when discussions started, and followed the process with interest.
ReplyDeleteSeveral differing points of view surfaced right away. Property owners in the Alphabet District do, in fact, own the properties (property is two parcels; one facing onto NW 19th is currently a parking lot). There was so much discussion about whether to keep or sell it, that it was tabled for a time, partly to give the NW Children's Theater time to try and mount a capital campaign to raise the $1M+ needed to bring the building up to code. It needs seismic retrofitting, ADA-compliant restrooms, total rewire and all new plumbing, at minimum. Ultimately logic reigned, and the decision to sell was made.
I visited the building when my daughter participated in the Children's Theater program. The building may have served its congregation well as a church, but the interior is dark and confusing. It has never attracted any use that can support even its upgrade. I appreciate good architecture, but this place is not a gem. To preserve the structure, parties need to raise nearly $6 million ($4.75mm to meet purchase price + $1mm for upgrade) and are still faced with raising enough money to sustain this investment ongoing. Obviously, the money is not available. With the funds that could be gained from a sale, perhaps a much better community center could be built.
ReplyDeleteFirst Church of Christ, Scientist is an architectural masterwork that has suffered 'demolition by neglect' over the past 50 years. Sad but true. In fact, just about all of the Christian Science purpose-built churches left in Portland are endangered to some degree. These buildings are an important part of Portland's history and architectural legacy.
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