A Surprising Preservation 'Win'

 

Sometimes the “do nothing” option amounts to a victory for preservation.

In response to neighborhood concerns, Portland General Electric has decided not to demolish a historic electric substation building at 8856 SE 13^th Ave. Instead, the utility will let it muscular, 120-year-old pressed stone building remain “as is” for an unforeseeable and possibly lengthy spell.

The decision, announced at a meeting of the Sellwood-Moreland Improvement League (SMILE) on Sept. 21, was a welcome victory for the neighborhood association and its history committee, chaired by Eileen Fitzsimons.

David Neal, a PGE project manager, said the utility agreed to save the building after “overwhelming, organized and detailed” neighborhood comments, once the neighborhood learned at demolition was being considered as an outcome.

Despite deciding to retain it, Neal said PGE has no plans to re-use it, sell it or give it away.  “Our substation people will have to continue to deal with it” as it is, he said. The doors and windows appear to be tightly secured, but Neal said vandals occasionally have broken in.

 Neal said he went inside the building about a year ago.  “It’s not a very flattering building on the inside,” he said.  

The building was erected in 1905 by the Oregon Water Power & Railway Co.  It sits at the junction of Portland’s original streetcar system and the electric interurban railway that operated south of Portland from the 1890s to 1958.  The site is often referred to as Golf Junction, since it sits near the northern boundary of the Waverly Country Club.

Neal suggested that the historic building is not in jeopardy as long as the substation of which it is a part continues to serve its Southeast Portland territory successfully.  He said the area’s stable power consumption and limited growth opportunities mean that no date is yet on the horizon for substation renovation.  However, if renovation becomes necessary, the fate of the historic building would have to be reconsidered.

 Members of the SMILE committee offered a few suggestions for improving the looks of the building and cleaning the immediate vicinity that has been used occasionally for dumping unwanted items.  Alex Cousins, a PGE community engagement officer, took extensive notes and said the company would consider the suggestions and report back.

In the meantime, preservationists can take a couple encouraging messages from this episode.  First, community involvement CAN make a difference.  Second, there is hope that responsible officials will respond with positive action.

 ---Fred Leeson

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Remembering an Important Businessman

 

The next Portland house destined to land on the National Register of Historic Places tells us more about an important figure in the city’s development rather than importance of its architecture.

That doesn’t mean the house is chopped liver.  Built in 1891 by an undetermined architect or developer, reflects many details associated with Victorian-era Queen Anne homes.

For 17 years, it was the home of Arthur H. Devers, whose name is best known today because the $1 million he bequeathed in 1959 led to creation of the Devers Eye Clinic in Northwest Portland. 

From a career beginning in Portland in 1891, Devers was a successful coffee and tea importer for many years.  He was a relentless advocate for Portland’s growth and beautification, including serving on six committees that created the successful 1905 Lewis & Clark Exposition that quickly stimulated Portland's growth.

Arthur Devers, 1905

An exhaustive National Register nomination written by Kristen Minor, a former City of Portland land-use planner and past member of the Portland Historic Landmarks Commission, described Devers as “a well-known, well-regarded and important businessman.”  Although he was a relative newcomer, Minor said Devers became part of a “small group of early Portland businessmen who were considered the de facto leaders of the city in the period from about 1890 to the mid-1910s.”

Among his activities, Devers helped create a “City Beautiful” committee that grew into the Civic Improvement League.  The league played an important non-governmental role in promoting Portland’s economic and urban development.

 The Portland Landmarks Commission unanimously supported the National Register nomination this month, sending it on to state and national officials who are highly likely to approve it.

 The Devers residence, at 1125 NW 21^st Ave., isn’t as large or elegant as other Queen Anne houses built for the economic elites.  Still, “The design of the house exterior, though no architect or builder information has yet been found, illustrates a layered, asymmetrical, surface-pattern approach typical of Victorian-era architecture in Portland,” the nomination states.

The house was divided into two apartments in 1947.  Regardless, “Most of the original material and workmanship are retained throughout the house, even at the interior.”  The house retains three stained-glass windows that reflect the style of the prominent Portland art glass Povey Brothers, though a conclusive link to the Povey firm has not been determined.

Landmarks Commission members applauded the idea of primarily basing the nomination on the importance of Devers’ life.  National Register rules allow nomination of properties “associated with lives of persons significant in our past.”

Regrettably in one sense, commercial uses near the Devers house have significantly changed the character of the immediate surroundings. 

-----Fred Leeson

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A "Victory" for Downtown Portland

 

Yes.  At long last, challenging work of restoring the David P. Thompson elk statue and fountain to its rightful place on SW Main Street has finally begun.

 The iconic landmark – donated by Thompson, an early Portland mayor --was severely damaged in 2020 during political protests and riots following the death of George Floyd in police custody.  Many Portlanders figured that the fountain and statue, then 120 years old, would be gone for good.  

As it turned out, the elk itself was not damaged.  However, nine of 52 granite elements that comprised the fountain were damaged beyond repair.  The elk and salvageable granite pieces put in custody of the Regional Arts & Culture Council, and the Portland Parks Foundation raised $160,000 in donations to pay for detailed engineering and restoration drawings. 

Though the restored landmark is intended to look identical to the original, it will be different in a key respect.  The original fountain always ran fresh water, intended for drinking by horses (and presumably some humans) back in the day.

The revised model will use recirculated water that will be stored in a stainless-steel vault under the fountain.  The Portland Water Bureau says the recirculation system will save 18,720 gallons per day, adding up to 6.8 million gallons per year.

 Serious architectural restoration projects sometimes lead to interesting connections between the past and present. In this case, it turned out that the same quarry located in Barre, Vermont, that provided the original granite could still provide slabs that would essentially match the originals in texture and color.  The slabs will be carved to proper sizes by a firm in Cleveland, Ohio. The granite will be treated with a coating intended to deter graffiti.

The elk statue and fountain restoration has a budget of $2.2 million, including $1.5 million from the city’s general fund and a $700,000 settlement of an insurance claim.  At last report, the actual work is estimated to cost $1.79 million, with the rest allocated to contract management.

No target date has been set for project completion.  A recent peek through the chain link suggests there is a long way yet to go.  Maybe mid-winter?

---Fred Leeson

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