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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"All aboard!" Could it happen?

Thousands of people who used to enjoy riding the old Portland Zoo train through scenic Washington Park are likely to have a chance to testify for the route’s restoration, thanks to a new study being sent to the Portland City Council and the Metro Council.

 Travel on the scenic 3.5-mile loop from the Oregon Zoo was suspended in 2013. Problems included deterioration of the track bed, aging equipment and zoo management that no longer desired to continue train operations outside of the zoo boundaries.

 After numerous meetings from March through July, the Metro Washington Park Zoo Train Task force issued its report this month after several squabbles over its wording.  Regardless, it carries the support of Metro Council Christine Lewis and Portland City Councilor Olivia Clark who served as co-chairs.

The task force meetings were exploratory in nature and did not include opportunities for public testimony. 

 Restoration of the Washington Park loop is far from a done deal. Potential obstacles include several million dollars needed for repair work, aging train equipment, and creation of a management structure to manage and operate the train outside of the zoo boundaries.

 One of the few undisputed controversies during task force meetings as zoo management’s refusal to support return of the loop to its management.  “The Oregon Zoo is not positioned to lead development or assume long-term ownership of the Historic Washington Park Loop,” the report says.

 Management likely would be taken over by a non-profit, charitable organization as proposed by the Friends of the Washington Park Zoo and Railway, after figuring out a multi-jurisdictional agreement with Metro, owner of the zoo, and the City of Portland, owner of the train and tracks.

 Restoring rail operations is not the only potential option for the loop, either.  Two possibilities mentioned during task force deliberations were adding a hiking trail to adjoin the tracks, or removing the tracks in favor of a hiking trail.  Neither of those options were priorities in the task force report.

“The Friends of the Washington Park and Zoo Railway have collected 44,000 signatures in support of reinstating the Historic Washington Park Loop. Additionally, hundreds of letters and postcards have been sent to the Metro Council in support of a longer train loop,” the task force reported.

“While community interest appears strong, it is unclear if political will exists to pursue the restoration of the Washington Park Loop; liability concerns, financial limitations for capital improvements, and local government budget constraints complicate any decision,” the report adds.

The zoo train opened in 1960.  It quickly proved to be a popular “vehicle” for family enjoyment.  Passengers could get off the train at the Washington Park depot, see the Washington Park Rose Garden and return to the zoo on a later train.

 x

 -----Fred Leeson

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Great News at the Albina Library

 

Historic Carnegie branch on Knott Street

There is much to admire about the new Albina branch library that just reopened after two years of remodeling and expansion.

Our focus here is primarily on preservation of the original 1912 Albina library that was funded by a donation by Andrew Carnegie.  The wealthy industrialist paid for small libraries built in neighborhoods, rather than for monstrosity buildings erected in central cities.  (He paid for seven in Multnomah County; three remain as libraries today.)

Ellis Lawrence, who had a distinguished architectural career over several decades in Portland and Eugene, was the original architect. 

A team headed by Portland’s Lever Architecture has done an outstanding job repairing the 11,000 square-foot Carnegie structure facing on NE Knott Street while adding 30,000 square feet of new facilities facing a block south on Russell Street. 

New Albina branch entrance on Russell Street

The Carnegie building has been totally devoted to children’s books and activities.  Chandra Robinson, a Lever principal, said elderly Albina residents remembered going to the old library as children with their parents.  She said the goal is to provide similar memories for children entering from Knott Street today.

Preservation of the old building included reopening three elegant interior arches that has been closed off in 1960 when the original library closed to the public.  The work also included extensive work to improve earthquake protection.

 The original walls were built with hollow clay tiles that fail terribly in earthquakes.  More than 400 holes were drilled in the walls so the hollow tiles could be filled with concrete.  Then, new interior walls were added, meaning that the building’s interior dimensions were reduced by eight inches along the outside walls.

 

Children's room. Note reopened arches, restored cornice moldings

The earthquake work meant destruction of the original plaster cornice decorations.  Fortunately, Lever found an elderly plaster craftsman who was able to reproduce them. The upshot is that a viewer familiar with the original building will believe that nothing has changed.

Given the north-to-south slope of the block, walking through a passageway at the rear of the Carnegie building brings one out on the second floor of the big addition that faces on Russell Street.  Extensive use of laminated timber beams and large windows provide an open, airy feeling.

 

New adult reading room

The new addition includes meeting rooms, reading rooms for adults and teens, many comfortable seating options and an enclosed courtyard intended to give a “back yard” feel.

 In sum, the new branch is an outstanding addition to the neighborhood. Paying admirable respect to own history makes it better. By size alone, the Albina branch now ranks as a regional rather than merely as a neighborhood attraction

----Fred Leeson

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Reviving the Washington Park Railway Loop

 

The closed Washington Park Zoo railway station (Melissa Darby photo)

From 1960 to 2013, the 2.5-mile Washington Park Zoo Railway route into Forest Park was perhaps Portland’s greatest family entertainment.  Youngsters loved the open-air cars and passengers of all ages enjoyed the trees and spectacular views of the Rose Garden, downtown Portland and Mt. Hood.

 Alas, construction changes at the zoo led to closure of the park loop in 2013.  Though a smaller loop still runs within the zoo’s boundaries, it doesn’t capture the majesty of the longer route with a stop as the now-closed Washington Park station.

Could the bigger loop be restored?  A special committee meeting in an obscure government room could prompt the Portland City Council and the Metro regional government to consider the train’s revival and hold public hearings to consider it.

From 1960 to 2013, the 2.5-mile Washington Park Zoo Railway route into Forest Park was perhaps Portland’s greatest family entertainment.  Youngsters loved the open-air cars and passengers of all ages enjoyed the trees and spectacular views of the Rose Garden, downtown Portland and Mt. Hood.

 

Map shows current and former zoo railway routes

 Officials at the Oregon Zoo, a branch of the Metro regional government, are not keen on the idea.  Though the train was always considered a profitable venture, they don’t see it as playing a role in the zoo’s mission related to animal preservation and education.  Further, they worry about maintenance and operational costs.

 However, there appears to be light at the end of the tunnel, so to speak.  The train, tracks and route are owned by the City of Portland, dating back to the era when the city owned the zoo.  Train advocates think the city and Metro could create an intergovernmental agreement in which a non-profit entity would be in charge of operating and maintaining the train and tracks.

 At a recent meeting, Rick Gustafson, a former Metro executive director, said the intergovernmental agreement with a non-profit operator is how the Willamette Shore Trolley operates. He recommended the same strategy for the zoo railway.  

Kathy Goeddel, president of the non-profit Friends of Washington Park Zoo and Railway, said the longer ride is preferred by riders by a 4 to 1 margin.  “We need to give everyone the ride they want,” she said.

 Key members of the current task force are Olivia Clark, a Portland city councilor, and Christine Lewis, a Metro councilor.  They likely will have to become advocates of the long route if it has a chance of being revived. The public likely will not have a chance to comment unless those governments decide to hold public hearings.

---Fred Leeson

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St. Mark: The Interior is Even better

 

Unlike houses and commercial buildings, churches are less susceptible to abusing their original architecture with trendy makeovers or so-called “upgrades.”  As time passes, churches often become sentinels that represent continuous stability as neighborhood landmarks.

A key example is the Parish of St. Mark in Northwest Portland, now celebrating its hundredth year in its red-brick basilica and bell tower at the intersection of NW 21^st Ave. and Marshall St.   While its presence on the street is unmistakable, the interior with its muscular, thick Norman arches is an even more remarkable architectural statement.

The interior also is graced with murals, stained glass windows, two organs and a variety of religious relics that predate the church’s arrival in Portland.   Regardless of one’s religious beliefs, anyone interested in architecture should visit the interior, either for a regular service or when the church is open for other events.  More public events will be held as 2025 unfolds.  Details can be found at stmarkportland.org

Some photographs provide at least some evidence of the artistic treasures inside.

St. Mark was designed by Portland architect Jamison Parker, whose brief career was cut short by the Great Depression.  In just a few years, he also designed First Unitarian Church downtown and many residences for affluent clients.  Parker had started his career at age 17 in 1912 in the office of A.E. Doyle; he opened his own firm in 1921 after serving in World War I.

Parker’s design of St. Mark was modeled after the Church of the Evangelists in Philadelphia, which in turn had been patterned after Italian basilicas dating as far back as the 10^th Century.   Architectural purists no doubt will quibble about generously borrowing from earlier precedents.  Nevertheless, examples like St. Mark give us a taste of architectural history and a chance to enjoy the amazing engineering pioneered by brick masons centuries ago.

Regardless of religious views, seeing the building is a wonderful architectural experience.

 --Fred Leeson

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Perspectives on Preservation

 

During a recent visit downtown, Jim Paynter, a dedicated reader of Building on History, captured an interesting that tells us much about the importance of preservation.  Thanks to his permission, you can enjoy the picture above.

 In the foreground is the Skidmore Fountain, a gift of the 19^th Century entrepreneur and Portland City Council member, Stephen Skidmore.  Its classical composition, no longer embraced by the modern art world, reminds us that people came before us who also had vivid artistic sense that we can still enjoy.

 Behind the Skidmore Fountain sits the cast iron colonnade that once was the ground floor face of the New Market Theater’s north wing.  The north wing was erected in 1874 and torn down in 1952.  Fortunately, the cast iron was saved, and a wonderful preservationist, William J. Hawkins III and his dedicated Portland Friends of Cast Iron Architecture, lobbied to have reinstalled at its original location on SW First Avenue.  Mission accomplished in 1983.

Like the Skidmore Fountain, the colonnade reminds us of elegant architecture in an age long gone.  It showcases a wonderful, lasting building material no longer used in contemporary architecture.  It reminds us again that people who care about our history and want it saved, like Bill Hawkins, can achieve victories, though their roads may be twisted and difficult.

In the background, of course, is Big Pink, the 42-story tower completed for U.S. National Bank in 1983.  It celebrates the victory of modern technology and building practices that allow us literally to reach into the skies.  Big and modern as it is, Big Pink is on its way to becoming a relic, too, given how the digital age has shrunken the number of employees who are required to show up at the office.

The beauty of Jim Paynter’s photographs is that it celebrates the beauties of the past while honoring the present as we currently know it.  People were here before us, and if we’re careful, we can enrich our lives by respecting their art and craft.  People will come after us, too, and perhaps there will be folks among them who battle to save Big Pink from whatever ravages of time await it.

----Fred Leeson

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Transformation Complete

 

Exactly a year and a half ago, a couple residing in Northeast Portland’s Alameda neighborhood agreed to pay $500,000 for an eyesore residence that had been the lifetime home of two elderly brothers who simply couldn’t seem to part with anything.

 The yard of their unusual trapezoidal lot was littered with seven junker cars.  Inside, the decades-long accumulation of “stuff” restricted access throughout the two-story house and basement to narrow pathways.

 The buyers, Michael and Jaylen Schmitt, wanted to save the house built in 1926 and preserve the ambiance of their neighborhood filled with well-kept homes dating to the 1920s era.  They feared that a developer might swoop in and replace the derelict house with a McMansion or some larger structure incompatible with the neighborhood.

 

Cleaning up the property took several months.  The Schmitts worked with architects and an interior designer to completely renovate the house with historic touches reflecting its past while fully upgrading its kitchen, bathrooms and utility systems to 21^st Century standards.  You can see numerous pictures here:  

4072 NE 24th Ave, Portland, OR 97212 | For Sale ($1,575,000) | MLS# 263171720 | Redfin

The Schmitts entered the project with no ambition or expectations about earning big bucks.  On the other hand, they hoped not to fall into the red, if possible.  Based on the extensive renovations, the asking price may well be close to the breakeven point.

The asking price appears to be a little higher than the values of many other older homes on nearby streets.  But it also is only a block away from the huge Autzen mansion originally built for the lumber entrepreneur whose name now graces the football stadium at the University of Oregon.

 Whatever the financial outcome proves to be, it is a remarkable story of residents willing to take a major risk to preserve the ambiance of a neighborhood they deeply appreciate.

------Fred Leeson

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The Future (?) of Skyscrapers

 

Big Pink (nee U.S. National Bank Tower)

In the history of urban development, Portland faces a problem perhaps never before considered:  What to do with skyscrapers nobody wants?

 At issue are 72 stories in two downtown skyscrapers, the former U.S. National Bank tower (42 stories) and PacWest Center (30 stories) which made big news when they opened in 1983 and 1984, respectively.

 Now both are for sale.  With office vacancy rates running at 30 percent or higher and many employees happily ensconced working from home, it is hard to imagine these towers ever being filled again with office workers.  The high-end owners who are throwing in the towels likely are headed for major “haircuts,” the investment trade jargon for losses. 

Aside from the financial losses, what lies ahead for these towers?  Demolition seems unlikely, given the huge costs involved.  Can they be remodeled into something else, with other uses besides office space?

 The topic is attracting attention in the construction trades, where housing often is listed as the primary need in repurposing old buildings.  Yet the obstacles are daunting, including earthquake bracing, operable windows for fresh air, and redesigned plumbing and electrical access.  Yet the problems are not always insurmountable.  Downtown Portland’s best example is the Woodlark Hotel, created by joining the 9-story Woodlark office building from 1912 and the seven story Cornelius Hotel from 1908.

Carl Kloos, a Portland structural engineer, said seismic requirements were met in part in the Woodlark project by tying together the common walls between the historic buildings.

 

Woodlark (left) and Cornelius Revived Together

In a talk with the Carbon Leadership Forum, Kloos said the city of Los Angeles started taking steps to encourage older buildings being rehabbed into housing.  Since 1999, he said Los Angeles has added 12,000 housing units in buildings converted from other uses.

 In 2025, Los Angeles revamped its development rules by adding new incentives for adaptive conversions.  Incentives include an extra story allowed above zoning or height limits for fitness facilities or lounges open to all residents; up to two additional stories dedicated to affordable housing; no minimum unit sizes; and square footages lost to lightwells or courtyards can be added on adjacent properties.

 Kloos said the beauty of the Los Angeles rules is they show developers what the city really wants instead of what it merely will tolerate.  “Why isn’t somebody doing something like that here?” he asked.  His message clearly caught the attention of Portland preservation advocates, who see adaptive reuse of historic buildings as a vital means of saving valued historic architecture that otherwise could be demolished.

 As for what happens to the former U.S. Bank Tower and PacWest Center – we must not hold our breaths.  Architecture buffs will remember that the pink granite on the U.S. Bank Tower was recommended by Pietro Belluschi, who served as a consultant late in his storied career.  The tower quickly earned Big Pink as a nickname. Now maybe its new nickname will be “White Elephant.”

----Fred Leeson

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Coming and Going in the East Portland Historic District

 

Two changes are afoot – one positive, one not – in the Grand Avenue East Portland National Historic District.

On the plus side, Mother Foucault’s Bookshop has moved into the long-vacant building at 711 SE Grand Ave., a three-story building erected in 1892.  The building shares the block with two other buildings built in 1883 and 1896, respectively, by Nathaniel K. West, a dry goods merchant who served as president of the East Portland City Council when East Portland was a separate city.

The oldest building of the three, at 701 SE Grand, now houses the Architectural Heritage Center.  The “newest” building at the southern end is a tavern.  Though the buildings look they might share common walls, there are narrow spaces behind the front facades that separate them. When they were built, they backed up to the marshy banks of the Willamette River.

Mother Foucault concentrates in used, vintage and rare books.  With the Architectural Heritage center next door and the new Literary Arts store across the street, the nexus creates an interesting cultural connection for people interested in books, historical lectures, author presentations, and architectural displays and research all within a couple hundred feet.

 

On the downside, owners of Next Adventure, a major retailer of used sporting goods, have to enter retirement by liquidating the big store at 436 SE Grand.  The store has been a fixture in the historic district for 30 years.

The four-story building was erected in 1911, with four retail storefronts on the ground floor and apartments on the upper floors.  It is owned today by REACH Community Development, a nonprofit that develops and manages affordable housing.  The housing on the upper floors assures continued viability for the building, although filling the retail spaces below will be a major challenge.

Internet shopping and the pandemic seriously damaged retail shopping both in downtown Portland and neighborhood commercial districts.

 The space housing Mother Foucault contained a hair styling shop for several years before the pandemic.  The upper floors housed offices of Mia Birk, a bicycle transportation consultant.  Public records show that her firm still owns the building though she no longer works in it.

Mother Foucault is no stranger to the neighborhood.  It formerly operated at 538 SE Morrison in the Clifford Apartments.  It was forced to move when the apartment owner started renovating the building.

-----Fred Leeson

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Honoring the McMenamins

 

AHC Director Heather Flint Chatto and Connors McMenamin

Whenever a historic building falls into jeopardy in the Pacific Northwest, we often hear: “Maybe the McMenamins will buy it.”

 For 40 years, the company headed by brothers Mike and Brian McMenamin of Portland has established a remarkable record of transforming historic buildings with vibrant, often multiple new uses, while capturing the buildings’ origins with artifacts and historic mementos.

In a better world, other creative entrepreneurs would follow the McMenamins formula by finding vital new uses for historic structures.  With now more than 50 venues (not all of them “old”) in Oregon and Washington, the company has proved its magic on vacant schools, theaters, fraternal lodges, hotels, a county poor form and even a funeral home.

 Despite their success, the two brothers do not seek public attention.  When the Architectural Heritage Center honored them with a preservation away this month, Connors McMenamin represented his father and uncle at the ceremony.

 The younger McMenamin said his elders were impressed by early travels in Europe, when they noted that pubs often offered entertainment for whole families, not just for those imbibing alcohol.  That spirit is carried at the McMenamin venues, where, given available spaces, visitors can hear music, see movies, attend history presentations, eat meals, enjoy spas and in many cases rent hotel rooms. And have a beer.

Aside from respecting history in their buildings, the McMenamin brothers also helped make history in 1985.  They testified successfully in favor of a state law that would allow breweries to sell beer at the same locations – thus creating Oregon’s brew-pub industry.

 Connors McMenamin said the next generation intends to carry on with the business and to take advantage of opportunities to let old buildings continue to tell their stories.  And to provide visitors with recreational opportunities beyond eating and drinking.  Along the way, perhaps their successes will encourage other entrepreneurs to find successful new uses for interesting buildings that otherwise face demolition.

 The Architectural Heritage Center’s preservation award is named in honor of William J. Hawkins III, an architect and Portland historian whose work includes restoration of the Kamm House and restoration of the commercial building that now houses the AHC at 701 SE Grand Ave.  Hawkins, a proactive preservation supporter, finished the AHC rehabilitation 20 years ago.

---Fred Leeson

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