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Thursday, February 10, 2022

Is the Dome Doomed?


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.  

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

 

3 comments:

  1. 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.

    Several 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.

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  2. 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.

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  3. First 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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