Historic Preservation Terminal Projects

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Open Access
Something in the Way: Interpreting Historical Frictions on the Upper Klamath River
(University of Oregon, 2024) Wylie, Samuel
On November 17, 2022, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) approved the surrender of licenses to operate four hydroelectric dams on the Upper Klamath River.2 Their approval, conveyed in a written order and filed alongside millions of documents in FERC’s E-Library, had historic implications. The order was the result of decades of negotiations influenced by stakeholders with concerns as large as the regional economy and as small as the view from their kitchen window. The final order conveys this recent history glancingly since most concerns were hashed out in a series of documents in the preceding decade. Its aim and implications were clear, however: The Klamath River Renewal Corporation (KRRC), who inherited the hydroelectric licenses a year earlier, wanted to surrender their right to operate the facilities. Their decision initiated a monumental effort to remove the infrastructure from the river’s path and is currently the world’s largest dam demolition project to date.
Open Access
Preservation Perspectives: Cultural Resource Meaning, Memory, and Management at Casa Grande Ruins and Hohokam Pima National Monuments, Arizona
(University of Oregon, 2024) Beesley, Caitlin R.
Managing cultural resources in our modern world can be a delicate balance, where cultural resource managers bridge the past and the future amid the omnipresent atmosphere of contemporary financial, societal, and political pressure. Adding to this pressure is a demand from professionals or the public for unfettered access to tangible resources. Preservationists generally view tangible resources, the physical pieces of history, as the best way to interpret cultural and historical significance to an unfamiliar audience, who aren’t always able to grasp the intangible value of these resources—non-material experiences or traditions—absent a physical object to envelope them. The methods with which CR managers preserve and display tangible pieces of history is informed by their cultural perspectives; these methods say as much about how managers define cultural resources as it does the role of preservation in cultural heritage. This paper will explore cultural resource management using two sites to discuss larger themes of cultural resource definition and value. The sites in question: Casa Grande Ruins National Monument, managed by the National Park Service (NPS), and Hohokam Pima National Monument, overseen by the Gila River Indian Community (GRIC). Both preserve landscapes and infrastructure from a period of civilization in the Sonoran Desert of Southern Arizona known as Hohokam Culture. Each agency approaches management and preservation from different perspectives, leading to the paper’s general question: What can the different preservation efforts at Casa Grande Ruins and Hohokam Pima National Monuments tell us about cultural resource management?
Open Access
To Scrape or Not to Scrape? Writing a Preservation Plan for the Patterson-McDermott Cabin
(University of Oregon, 2024) Davis, Phebe
Using scrape versus anti - scrape theories, a preservation plan is written for the Patterson - McDermott Cabin. These applications of these theories in current day preservation practices are debated, wherein scrape theory is to rehabilitate a building regardless of its state, and anti - scrape theory is a maintenance only approach. Instead of a spectrum of scrape versus anti - scrape, these theories should be viewed rather as a timeline: starting with anti - scrape theory (maintenance) and transition ing to scrape (rehabilitation) as the building deteriorates. Both theories are applicable to the Patterson - McDermott Cabin, but the structure mostly falls into scrape territory. The cabin serves as an example of what can happen to a building once anti - scrape theory and maintenance are no longer a priority.
Open Access
Beyond City Beautiful: Interpreting Cultural Landscapes at the International Rose Test Garden and Laurelhurst Park in Portland, Oregon
(University of Oregon, 2023-06) Tran, Lindsay
Historical interpretation (alternately referred to in this research as “heritage interpretation and “public interpretation”) often limits the narratives that are highlighted for public consumption in places of historical importance. I argue via discussion of cultural landscape theory and material rhetoric (the idea that discourse is material, i.e. that beyond content, the format of a piece of communication carries a rhetorical power of its own) that such limitations are a choice, not an inevitability—especially with cultural landscapes, which thanks to their relationship with time are historic resources of a particularly dynamic character. Treating public parks as cultural landscapes that evolve over time, rather than as historic sites wedded to a discrete period of significance, allows for a more flexible interpretation of their historical meaning. When parks are treated as cultural landscapes, their significance to many people and many groups throughout history presents as a coherent narrative, rather than a haphazard and seemingly unrelated collection of events. Using the inductive process of grounded theory as a methodological approach, I critically examine the extant interpretive infrastructure in two case studies, Laurelhurst Park and the International Rose Test Garden. I explore the material form of each park’s historical interpretation as a series of rhetorical choices, and then suggest expansions based on each park’s respective history and the material rhetoric of the existing interpretive infrastructure.
Open Access
Foundational Growth: The Role of California Women's Clubs in Community Building, Historic Preservation and Environmental Conservation
(University of Oregon, 2023-06) Possert, Nicole Y.
Starting in the late 1980s, I lived in the Highland Park community of Los Angeles for nearly thirty years. Over half of that time, I helped infuse new energy into the landmark Highland Park Ebell Club (HPEC), one of the oldest surviving women’s clubs in Los Angeles. (Figure 1.) That two-decade journey of service, continuing the legacy of many previous generations of local women who envisioned, built, and sustained their community, led me to this research. The gendered space of the HPEC’s “Clubhouse” and its distinct and lasting presence in Highland Park piqued my interest in the unexplored role of women in society and how they shaped community both physically and socially. The work and contribution of these women, through their club and in collaboration with other women, can be experienced in the built environment well beyond the clubhouse they built. They shaped their community’s landscape by preserving nature as parkland, creating playgrounds, libraries, museums, building theirown residences and landscaping, and actively working to preserve and conserve places in and beyond their locale in the name of community service. Today these advocacy actions are considered historic preservation and environmental conservation activities and fall within the broader umbrella of place making/ keeping. These women and their accomplishments within the women’s club ecosystem are relatively unknown and certainly undervalued in today’s academic and professional discourse about the important role of women in community building, historic preservation, and environmental conservation. In this terminal project, I expand the knowledge and importance of these untold histories by uncovering and shedding new light on the contributions of women’s clubs in California.
Open Access
Taking Shelter from the Rain: Exploring Trailside Shelters in Olympic National Park
(University of Oregon, 2023-06) Wisernig, Adeline
Shelters along the trail system of what is now Olympic National Park (the Park) have been a dry place to rest for employees and the public alike since they were constructed beginning in the early 1900s. They began as an integral component for sheltering workers tasked with monitoring the vast Olympic forest and the natural resources of timber and game therein. Today, they continue to be used by Park employees as well as by the ever-growing number of Wilderness visitors each year. Of the over ninety that once stood in boundaries of the Park, only nineteen remain as of 2023. This project outlines the history of the development of the trailside shelter network in the Park as well as the legal issues surrounding the preservation of those that remain. From there, the project elaborates on the various shelter typologies and their unique construction styles in the larger context of National Park Service conventions of their time. Furthermore, the project proposes evaluating the Historic Trail Network of Olympic National Park—including the trailside shelters as contributing features—as a cultural landscape resource that is eligible for the National Register of Historic Places. Lastly, the project explores how the preservation of historic structures in designated Wilderness offers the opportunity to preserve more intangible aspects of our nation’s heritage in the form of the traditional trades such as the preservation carpentry and masonry.
Open Access
Remember Where You Came From
(University of Oregon, 2023) Tsolakos, Dylan Ray
The goal of this book is to demystify historic preservation for communities interested in potentially designating their own historic industrial sites. It will also benefit those interested in industrial history, and historic preservation professionals. The companion booklet does a deep dive into historic preservation terminology, framework, and funding options for reference. Topics include the use of historic preservation terminology, the invention of United States heritage and the historical perceptions of the working class, historic significance and industrial landscapes, the history of graffiti and how it ties into industrial preservation, and an economic resources guide. This user-friendly format allows readers to refer to the history, theory, and definitions; focus on the policies and solutions; or utilize any combination the reader finds most useful. The examples demonstrated are meant to showcase tangible strategies and the problem-solving methods used by different institutions, with a focus on how they personally decided to develop and interpret their own industrial heritage with public use of the site in mind. Often, comprehending the designation of historic sites can be limited by academic and institutional rules, regulations, and shop talk. Despite the process of nominating historic sites being open to the public, knowledge regarding the information and resources contained in this book is too often unknown, creating an unbalanced representation of the diversity of communities. Therefore, the systems of historic interpretation, historic preservation legal framework, and development will be explored in the companion book. Transparency and education about methods are important for each communities’ ability to use the information provided in this book to decentralize knowledge from the hands of “experts” and to provide an intro to the knowledge and tools for people to share their own histories and make their own community decisions. I hope that further representation of industrial communities’ histories empowers those communities and aids in sharing their complete history. Challenges come with compressing an incredibly complex topic and that will result in gaps of information. There are so many more sites, towns, and people impacted by the industrial past. There is always room for improvement and hopefully this will just be the first edition of this title, augmented by future communities, authors, contributors, resources, research, and interpretations.
Open Access
HISTORIC LOOKOUT STATIONS ON THE WILLAMETTE NATIONAL FOREST: MANAGEMENT PLANS FOR PRESERVATION
(University of Oregon, 2022) Hartmans, Donna Marie
The United States Forest Service constructed over 5,000 lookout stations to guard forests, beginning in the early 1900s. The Forest Service deemed these structures obsolete and began destroying them when other methods of fire detection were adopted by the 1960s. In the 1980s, many public interest groups encouraged the Forest Service to preserve these buildings. This thesis explores the history of the Forest Service's lookout system, focusing on the Willamette National Forest in west central Oregon for case studies. Relevant legislation regarding their preservation, and issues and options for future uses of the Forest's four historic lookout stations are discussed. Methodology includes a literature search, site visits, and interviews with Forest Service officials to ascertain management goals for these buildings. Preservation recommendations are provided for each structure. Emphasis is also given to the public involvement necessary in the preservation of these structures.
Open Access
Interdisciplinary Negotiations: The Disconnect between Architects and Historic Preservationists
(University of Oregon Libraries, 2020-06) Leavitt, Skyla
In the interdisciplinary practice of historic building preservation, there is a disconnect between architecture and historic preservation professionals because each side is not fully aware of the responsibilities and goals of the other within the context of a project. Subsequently, these projects involve more conflict than collaboration, undermining the quality and focus of the work. This research acts as an accessible reference and provides resources to help emerging professionals in both fields become more aware of the challenges each side faces. This includes a comprehensive interrogation and identification of the root causes of the disconnect that currently divides the fields, and proposes solutions to mend it. By compiling information related to the various disciplines and factors at play during a project, this document presents an overview of considerations both architects and preservationists make throughout the historic preservation process. This includes a brief contextual discussion on the evolution of preservation practice in the United States. It should be expected that the number of non-preservation architects working on historic buildings will increase out of a necessity to reuse our existing building stock in the face of climate change, and also hopefully out of a greater appreciation for built historic resources. If we are to continue the practice of historic preservation with integrity, it is imperative that we provide emerging architecture and preservation professionals with the tools and knowledge to communicate efficiently and to complete appropriate, successful, quality interventions on our historic buildings.
Open Access
A Sight to Dwell Upon and Never Forget: Illuminating Strategies for Saving Portland's Neon Signs
(University of Oregon, 2020-06) Ebersole, Jeremy
Few elements of the twentieth century built environment have historically stirred as much optimism, ire, or nostalgia as neon signs. Despite a growing appreciation for its value by both municipalities and the general public, however, the fate of neon signage is far from secure. Significant barriers exist to its conservation and continued in situ existence, with beloved signs continuing to disappear and others languishing in states of disrepair. This project explores solutions to the question of how Portland, Oregon may better ensure that neon signs remain a vital part of its built environment. It argues that neon signs provide multiple civic benefits and advocates for a targeted blend of regulatory tools, economic incentives, and public advocacy and outreach aimed at fostering a socio-economic environment more supportive of their conservation and continued presence. This project first establishes a historic context that includes an overview of the history of neon signage and its relationship with public policy, followed by an outline of the many shining benefits these unique signs provide. By evaluating the relevant state and national tools available for protecting these valuable resources as well as focusing on the protections for Portland neon, it reveals potential for improvement. A curated survey of various strategies being employed around the country to protect neon signage identifies best practices, which are analyzed for their potential to be implemented effectively in Portland, culminating in a menu of recommendations for how city officials and neon advocates can best ensure a bright future for the city’s neon signs. While research and recommendations are geared specifically to neon-rich Portland, the project’s insights are general enough that their relevance extends to other cities as well.
Open Access
THE PRESERVATION OF PRE-WORLD WAR TWO COAST GUARD ARCHITECTURE IN OREGON
(The University of Oregon, 2020-06) PINYERD, DAVID A.
The core mission of the United States Life-Saving Service, later to become the United States Coast Guard, has always been to rescue the victims of shipwreck. To serve this mission, coastal rescue stations were built by the government to house men and equipment engaged in rescue operations. The first station in Oregon was built at Cape Arago in 1878. By the beginning of World War II, the government had built fifteen distinct stations at eight different ports along the Oregon Coast. The evaluation and preservation of these stations along the Oregon Coast has been negligible. This thesis explores the development of each individual station in Oregon. The preservation of each station is then examined by discussing restoration, maintenance, adaptive reuse, and interpretative possibilities for each one.
Open Access
HISTORIC STRUCTURES REPORT: THE EDUCATION BUILDING AND COMMERCE HALL, (THE WEST AND EAST WINGS OF THE GILBERT COMPLEX) ON THE UNlVERSITY OF OREGON CAMPUS, EUGENE
(University of Oregon, 2020-03) Singer, David Adam
The Education Building and Commerce Hall represent a vital connection_ to the heritage of the University of Oregon's architectural development. The buildings signify the inception of Ellis Lawrence's planning and design efforts at the University, which are still quite evident on the campus today. The quality, craftsmanship and detailing of their original construction is demonstrated by their admirable condition. There are a number of areas that need to be addressed in order to maintain and improve the quality and integrity of the condition of the structures in the long-term. The Education Building needs to be repointed above the third story level, at selective areas in the lower floors, and at the main entry stair. The brick walls of the main entry stair to Commerce Hall need to be repointed and repaired. Care should be given to the sensitivity of the seismic upgrading schemes for both buildings in order to avoid solutions that are intrusive to the building's historic fabric and overall character. The historic gable-end parapet and cascading corbelled arches on both buildings should be reinstated. The entry stairs and landings to both structures should be restored to their original orientation. A system of monitoring should be established for the building's envelope, and all fenestration should be examined and repaired appropriately. Any alterations to the interior of either structure should respect the extant historic fabric and remaining spatial organization wherever possible. Finally, the proposed replacement addition should not impinge any further on the exterior historic fabric and should attempt to appropriately address Lawrence's historic planning strategies.
Open Access
Wild Notions: Preservation of Historic Buildings in Oregon Wilderness
(University of Oregon, 2020) Helmer, Charlotte M.
There is a common misperception that historic sites cannot be maintained once they are included in a wilderness designation. This conflict ultimately does a disservice to both heritage and wilderness resources. To that end, this thesis provides a baseline inventory of all known historic buildings managed by the U.S. Forest Service in Oregon wilderness, along with a set of condition assessments that direct attention towards specific maintenance needs. This study demonstrates how preservation projects can be applied in wilderness and further encourages the Forest Service and its partners to value and sustain these historic places. Ideally, the agency will continue to protect wild places, but in a manner that sustains connections to communities that once lived and worked within these landscapes. The physical acts of restoring and visiting these historic sites offer an unmatched opportunity for the public to engage and understand the paradoxical, intertwined relationships between people and wilderness.
Open Access
A Woman's Place is in the Register: Advancing Women's Stories in Oregon's Historic Sites
(2019-06-12) Sanhueza, Alicia
The merit-based National Register of Historic Places (National Register) serves as the preeminent designation for historic resources in Oregon and a requirement for most historic preservation incentives. While many historic resources are designated for their association to important persons, identifying and protecting resources through the lens of gender has been debated on the national front for decades. Of Oregon’s ~16,000 listed historic sites, less than 1 percent are listed for their association to women’s history. Through an analysis of the Oregon State Historic Preservation Office’s (SHPO) Oregon Women’s History Project and other state’s SHPO initiatives, this study will examine the representation of women’s history sites in Oregon. It will investigate what forces are limiting resources from being nominated for their significance to women's history in the state and will result in recommendations for increasing the number and breadth of women's history sites in the National Register and through alternative preservation tools. By understanding the significance of women’s history sites and actively pursuing their preservation, the Oregon historic preservation community can provide a more comprehensive view of the state’s history and valuable historical resources. The study is intended to be a tool for the Oregon SHPO, cultural resource professionals, educators, historians, and women’s and cultural groups.
Open Access
Open to the Public: Energy Efficiency and Alternative Use Guidelines for Historic Buildings in Region 6 of the USFS
(2019-06) Kornder, Kate
There are innumerable historic buildings in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States Forest Service that are important elements of the nation’s history. Unfortunately, many of these structures are underutilized by both the Forest Service and the public. Increasing the use of these structures will lead to their inevitable preservation as they are appreciated and maintained – a process this project calls Preservation Through Use. In order to increase the Preservation Through Use of these buildings, this project provides the top 3 most cost-efficient energy upgrades that maintain the character of historic administrative buildings, making them more attractive for use, as well as the most effective leasing strategies that provide new and alternative uses for them. Trout Lake Administrative District, a complex of 30 Forest Service buildings, is used as an example of the breadth of administrative buildings extant on Forest Service land and how to identify those that are eligible to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Then, case study buildings are used to illustrate appropriate energy efficiency treatments for historic buildings from different periods of significance in Forest Service history.
Open Access
Environmental Living in Postwar Honolulu: Harry W. Seckel's Woodlawn Terrace Subdivision
(2019-03) Englund, Lauren
"The modern Hawaiian house," Harry W. Seckel, FAIA (1906-1978) asserted in Hawaiian Residential Architecture, "should be one that is as one with its immediate environment as possible." Published in 1954, the Honolulu architect's book tapped into an important zeitgeist in modernism. individual architects from Japan to California, reacting against what they perceived as a growing conformity in residential architecture, sought to create more climatically, culturally responsive homes and communities. Charismatic and eloquent, Seckel easily assumed his role from 1950 until 1965 as Hawai'i's unofficial public spokesman for advancing a similar type of regional distinction. Significantly, the release of Hawaiian Residential Architecture coincided with the opening of his new Honolulu subdivision, Woodlawn Terrace. From 1954 to 1965, Seckel completed fifty-seven single-family homes along the slopes of the Wa'Ahila Ridge. More than half a century later, fifty-three remain standing with their historic character-defining features largely intact, from tongue-and-groove vertical redwood siding and wide eaves to integrated lānaʻis and plate-glass windows with views of the natural environment. Despite his accomplishments, Seckel is a largely obscure figure in Hawai'i; most of his like-minded Honolulu colleagues and their surviving homes are similarly under acknowledged in literature and the media. Vulnerable to redevelopment due to a lack of regulatory oversight, Hawai'i's mid-century modern houses deserve greater public recognition for their historic significance and continued livability. The following narrative of Harry Seckel's own ideation of the modern Hawai'ian home provides a more comprehensive understanding of this building type in a historic context, connecting the trajectory of Seckel's cosmopolitan career to key trends in pre- and postwar modern architecture and analyzing the historic functional and aesthetic design components of his Woodlawn Terrace subdivision and 1960 Wallace and Maizie Sanford residence.
Open Access
Early Densification in an Urban Center: Portland, Oregon and the War Code Housing Program
(University of Oregon, 2019) Franey, Kerrie
In order to house the thousands of workers migrating to Portland, Oregon to fill jobs in war-related industries during World War II, Portland’s government relaxed building code standards to allow temporary housing through internal conversions and accessory dwelling units such as garages, outbuildings, and trailers. This terminal project examines Portland’s War Code Housing Program as a historical example of rapid densification in an urban center. Using a database of property information and GIS shapefiles, this terminal project assesses the relaxation of the City’s building code to determine whether a similar relaxation of certain aspects of today’s building code could safely and effectively further encourage dense and affordable housing in Portland. The model of internal conversions and accessory dwelling units to create housing is not radical and is already in discussion among Portland’s urban planners. This is the first published record of the sites associated with the War Code Housing Program and the accompanying data will be valuable to future researchers, city officials, and Portland’s residents.
Open Access
A SELECTIVE RECONNAISSANCE-LEVEL SURVEY OF HISTORIC MASONRY DRINKING FOUNTAINS LOCATED ALONG OREGON'S HIGHWAYS
(University of Oregon, 2018-06) OPP-BECKMAN, LYS
The purpose of this project is to locate and assess the more than thirty extant historic masonry drinking fountains located along Oregon's highways. Many of the drinking fountains, some of which are a century old, show marked structural deteriorated. The reconnaissance-level survey and treatment plan will create a complete snapshot of this important part of Oregon's early travel infrastructure and offer maintenance guidelines to help preserve these fountains for future generations. Meanwhile, these resources are becoming scarce due to deferred maintenance and loss of potable water. This makes them redundant and owners often label them as attractive nuisances for vandalism and remove them.
Open Access
Romanticized and Misunderstood: Surveying Works Progress Administration Public Buildings and Structures in Oregon's Willamette Valley
(University of Oregon, 2018-05-30) Wood, Timothy W.
Formed under President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's New Deal, the Works Progress Administration (WPA), employed millions of unemployed Americans to conduct thousands of projects across the United States from 1935-1943. Developed amidst a period of tremendous suffering, WPA activities helped to reinvigorate the nation's struggling economy and instill a sense of hope among the populous that recovery from the Great Depression was possible. As a temporary program, the WPA was intended to provide employment to stabilize the economy until the private sector could recover and to alleviate the hardships that had engulfed the country. In Oregon, there is a lack of documentation and analysis of these projects. This report documents WPA public buildings and structures constructed in the cities of Eugene, Salem and Portland to better understand their historical significance and why the work of the WPA has been confused with other New Deal programs.
Open Access
ONWARD HISTORIC PRESERVATION! EXPLORING ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF NEW CONSTRUCTION THROUGH LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT (LCA): A POLICY PERSPECTIVE
(University of Oregon, 2016) Wheeler, Terra Ettrick
The initial motivation for this project was the desire to root academic research and knowledge in practical application. After living in Portland, Oregon for ten years I began to witness the destruction of historic resources in the inner Southeast Hosford - Abernethy neighborhood. Before this experience of demolitions, I was sheltered from the destruction of old buildings. I learned to appreciate the musty smell of an old basement and peeling paint at an early age. Growing up in Northampton, Massachusetts I was privileged to be protected from the devastation of demolition. Many years later after moving to Portland I fell in love with old buildings all over again. I began to question the contradiction between the city's touted progressive policies and the destruction of existing buildings without consideration of the environmental impact. This project is an attempt to answer this long-held question; using scholarship to move from conceptual understanding to solidifying observations and experience through production of measurable impacts.