Historic Preservation Theses and Dissertations

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Open Access
The Achfa-hammi Plankhouse: Understanding Tribal Architectures in the Realm of Historic Preservation
(University of Oregon, 2013-10-03) Rieke, Lauren; Roth, Leland
After years of assimilation and acculturation, many Native Americans have both the means and strength to assert their unique identity among mainstream America. They have devised various channels for accomplishing this, such as language classes and continuing traditional practices, often using resources offered through State, Federal or Tribal Historic Preservation programs. Constructions of contemporary traditional architecture can be another of these tools used to promote this cultural renaissance. As a field that defines itself on the basis of cultural conservation, Historic Preservation principles claim to support these endeavors; however, because they do not meet the age criteria for "historic structures," such buildings are often left out of the preservation matrix. By examining the Achfa-hammi plankhouse of the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde, this thesis will address the building's impact on cultural revitalization and explore the disconnect that exists between Historic Preservation policies and new constructions of tribal architectures.
Open Access
Addressing the Dam Problem: Balancing Historic Preservation, Environmentalism, and Community Place Attachment
(University of Oregon, 2019-09-18) Wunderler-Selby, Althea; Buckley, James
This thesis addresses the growing occurrence of historic dam removals across the United States and the complex balance of interests they entail. Historic dams are often environmentally harmful, but they may also represent significant cultural resources and places of community attachment. In the Pacific Northwest, hydroelectric dams powered the region’s growth and development, but today many of these dams are being removed for their negative environmental impacts. This thesis explores hydroelectricity’s significance in the Pacific Northwest region, the parallel growth of the modern river restoration movement, the intricate process of dam removal, and the primary regulatory method used to address the loss of historic resources. Through four case study hydroelectric dam removal projects in Oregon and Washington, the effectiveness of balancing interests during the dam removal process and the consequences of removal for community history are assessed. The outcomes of these assessments are several key elements necessary to planning and implementing dam removals that equally address the concerns of preservationists, environmentalists, and the community. This topic is explored at a relevant time and is applicable on a larger scale to other historic resources that carry significance but also have detrimental environmental consequences.
Open Access
The Archaeology of a 19th Century Post-Treaty Homestead on the Former Klamath Indian Reservation, Oregon
(University of Oregon, 2010-12) Ruiz, Christopher L., 1974-
The preservation of architecture associated with underrepresented communities has been hindered by traditional biases in preservation. The post-contact history of Native Americans of the Klamath Basin has not been exempt from this trend. Archaeologists have begun to uncover evidence of post-contact lifeways of Native Americans on the former Klamath Indian Reservation in southern Oregon. This thesis examines the influence of 19th and 20th century federal policies on reservation households, using data from archaeological investigations at a 19th century Native American homestead (the Beatty Curve Site, 35KL95). This information, coupled with historical research, is used to reconstruct the homestead and cultural setting on paper and will be useful in identifying similar properties. More importantly, this thesis adds to a regional and national narrative on Native survival, adaptation, and cultural persistence in the face of new social realities in the post-contact period. This thesis includes previously published and unpublished co-authored material.
Open Access
Behind the Scenes: Investigating Processes Shaping Willamette Valley Architecture 1840-1865 With a Case Study in Brownsville
(University of Oregon, 2014-09-29) Trexler, Susan; Hardwick, Susan
This thesis studies the diffusion of architectural types and the rise of regionally distinct typologies in the Willamette Valley's settlement period (1840-1865) in Oregon. Using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to analyze the dispersion of architectural types within the Willamette Valley revealed trends amongst the extant settlement architecture samples. Brownsville, Oregon, was identified to have a locally-specific architectural subtype, the closer study of which enabled deeper investigation of the development of architectural landscapes during the Willamette Valley's settlement period. Field and archival research revealed that the appearance of an architectural subtype, at least in Brownsville, was not directly connected to a shared provenance of settlers but rather came about through a number of regionally-specific circumstances, especially an active local carpenter community.
Open Access
Cacao Haciendas in Choroní, Venezuela: Understanding and Conserving Historic Cultural Landscapes
(University of Oregon, 2010-06) Fuenmayor, Ernestina R., 1979-
The Cacao Haciendas have been an important element of the Venezuelan cultural heritage since the seventeenth century, especially the haciendas in Choroni. These historic agricultural landscapes have been threatened since the decline of agriculture and the rise of the oil economy in the country, beginning in the 1930s. In Choroni, agriculture was replaced by tourism and fishing, creating a need for housing and hotels in the area that were constructed in the agricultural spaces and destroyed the landscape heritage that has lasted almost 400 years. To understand and analyze these sites, I studied three haciendas of the six remaining in Choroni, identifying the character-defining features that shaped these historic cultural landscapes and proposing a conservation plan for the remaining haciendas. The cultural landscape analysis and conservation plan are designed within the Venezuelan conservation heritage laws and the needs of the local society and culture in Choroni, building on parallel practices in the United States.
Open Access
Colors of the Western Mining Frontier: Painted Finishes in Virginia City, Montana
(University of Oregon, 2017-09-06) Geraghty, Kathryn; Heath, Kingston
Virginia City once exemplified the cutting edge of culture and taste in the Rocky Mountain mining frontier. Weathering economic downturns, mining booms and busts, and the loss of the territorial capital to Helena, Virginia City survives today as a heritage tourism site with a substantial building stock from its period of significance, 1863-1875. However, the poor physical condition and interpretation of the town offers tourists an inauthentic experience. Without paint analysis, the Montana Heritage Commission, state-appointed caretakers of Virginia City cannot engage in rehabilitation. As of 2017, no published architectural finishes research exists that provides comparative case studies for the Anglo-American settlement of the American West between 1840-1880, for American industrial landscapes, or for vernacular architecture in Montana. This thesis offers a case study of five buildings to add to the body of scholarly architectural finishes research, provide rehabilitation recommendations, and provide a published, baseline study for future research.
Open Access
Common Ground: Bridging the Gap between Architect and Historic Preservationist
(University of Oregon, 2014-09-29) Phillips, Ann; Peting, Donald
The present lack of communication between the fields of architecture and historic preservation has resulted in a tenuous relationship between the two professions. With the adequate tools, this philosophical and ideological gap can be bridged by encouraging productive communication and collaboration between the two fields. In this thesis, I attempt to develop a common language between the two professions. Through the research and analysis of three case studies, I have developed a framework of thought for architects and preservationists to utilize when working on projects involving historic building fabric. Structure, Story, and Significance are the primary factors of the framework which is intended to provide an armature for communication--a common language. The employment of this framework will increase efficiency of the design process in addition to the number of "best solution" outcomes. The fruitful partnership of architects and historic preservationists is essential in creating vibrant and culturally rich communities.
Open Access
Community Art Methods and Practices: A Model for a More Human-Centered and Culturally Sensitive Historic Preservation Practice
(University of Oregon, 2018-10-31) Ferry, Sabrina; Buckley, James
A growing number of Community Artists are doing work with potential relevance to the field of historic preservation. They have seen a need for action in low-income communities and communities of color that are losing their historic, physical, and social character through dilapidation, redevelopment, and displacement. These artists have found nontraditional ways to bolster communities while preserving neighborhood buildings, histories, and social structures. This thesis analyzes three community art case studies as a means to evaluate changes proposed to our current preservation system by leaders in historic preservation concerned with issues of equity and social justice. This study finds that these projects offer many useful examples for preservationists interested in better serving underrepresented communities through the field of historic preservation.
Open Access
A Concise History of the Use of the Rammed Earth Building Technique Including Information on Methods of Preservation, Repair, and Maintenance
(University of Oregon, 2013-07-11) Gramlich, Ashley; Peting, Donald
Pisé de terre or rammed earth is a building technique that has existed for over ten thousand years. Although this technique was first documented for Western Civilization by the Roman Pliny the Elder circa 79 AD, evidence of its use prior to his time is found in China, Europe, and elsewhere. Rammed earth achieved notoriety in the United States during three distinct periods in its history: the Jeffersonian era, the Great Depression, and the Back-to-Nature Movement of the 1970s. In the United States earth buildings are uncommon and usually deemed marginal or fringe. This is true even though at times the U.S. government has been a proponent of alternative building techniques, especially rammed earth. Intended for those interested in material culture, this thesis provides a brief history of rammed earth, articulates its importance to the building record of the United States, and describes methods for its preservation, repair, and maintenance.
Open Access
Conde B. McCullough's Oregon Bridges: A Typological Study of the Designs and the Preservation of His Legacy
(University of Oregon, 2009-06) Glanville, Abigail M., 1980-
Oregon is recognized nationally for its collection of bridges designed by innovative civil engineer Conde B. McCullough in the 1920s and 1930s. His concern for aesthetic value fostered bridge designs that are unique in their architectural details and enhance their natural surroundings. Unfortunately, several of McCullough's bridges have deteriorated with age requiring the Oregon Department of Transportation to devise solutions which keep these bridges safe for public use and at the same time retain their historic quality. The purpose of this thesis project was to develop a typological study of his bridge designs, investigate the results of strategies applied to maintain them, and provide an analysis of the extent to which they sustain the historic integrity of structures they were applied to. It is hoped this study will help inform future decisions made regarding the effective preservation of McCullough's legacy.
Open Access
Conveying Portland's History in Modern Use: The Role of Industrial and Cultural Heritage in Adaptive Reuse
(University of Oregon, 2010-06) Churchward, Patience, 1981-
This thesis examines the role of cultural heritage in adaptively reused historic industrial buildings in Portland, Oregon. While it has been argued that adaptive reuse contributes to the ecological and economic initiatives of sustainability, this research explores how adapting historic industrial buildings for modern reuse can also be socially and culturally sustainable for communities. Industrial buildings provide physical evidence of a rich cultural and industrial past and there are opportunities to share this heritage with a building's new users and/or the surrounding community. Case studies include selectively chosen National Register nominated buildings that meet specific criteria, share a common regulatory framework, and provide insightful information regarding the relationship between history and new use. Strengths and challenges of conveying industrial heritage in modern use as well as opportunities for developers of historic properties to highlight and improve upon this process are identified.
Open Access
Cultural Demolition: What Was Lost When Eugene Razed its First Black Neighborhood?
(University of Oregon, 2009-09) Beckner, Chrisanne
In the 1940s, Eugene, Oregon's first African-American neighborhood took root on a riverbank north of the city. In 1949, county officials demolished the homes and church of the ad hoc community and relocated the residents. In the 21st century, no physical evidence of the former neighborhood remains, but the history continues to circulate among Eugene's contemporary African-American community. This thesis documents the history of Eugene's first black neighborhood, examines the roles that race and class played in its demolition, and develops recommendations for public commemoration. To do so, it critically examines methods of historic preservation and their relationship to sites of intangible history. Through an analysis of various models of commemoration, a multi-disciplinary approach emerges that may apply to similar sites.
Open Access
EARLY DENSIFICATION IN AN URBAN CENTER: PORTLAND, OREGON AND THE WAR CODE HOUSING PROGRAM
(University of Oregon, 2019-06) 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
Echoes of Utopia: The Primary Preservation Dilemma of Brutalist-Planned Campuses
(University of Oregon, 2014-09-29) Casteel, David; Narath, Albert
This thesis analyzes the Brutalist Campus and its context within the collegiate environment of the 1950s-1970s. It first defines the significance of the nation-wide phenomenon by examining its social and physical characteristics. A primary case study, SUNY Old Westbury, is then analyzed under a historic preservation perspective to determine the primary preservation dilemma of the campuses: incorporation or modification of elements within the dense, concrete-heavy environment that does not break the fluidity or movement of the holistic, interconnected nature of Brutalist design. The primary preservation dilemma is broken down into its related issues and uses both the primary and supportive case studies as evidence. From the analysis, a set of processes is proposed for management of the Brutalist campus.
Open Access
An Era of Change: Mid-Twentieth Century Architectural Education and the University of Oregon, School of Architecture and Allied Arts
(University of Oregon, 2013-07-11) Ore, Kathryn; Roth, Leland
This study focuses on the development of architectural education at the University of Oregon's School of Architecture and Allied Arts (A&AA) in Eugene, Oregon. Applying a historic preservation perspective, this study examines how architectural perceptions are manifested through institutional changes in architectural education. Beginning with a focus on the A&AA under the administration of Dean Ellis F. Lawrence and Professor W. R. B. Willcox, this study transitions into an exploration of Dean Sidney W. Little's decidedly modernist alteration of the curriculum and building in the mid-twentieth century. During this period, the A&AA underwent a major shift from a curriculum and building based on the principles of the Arts and Crafts movement to a radically different approach that fully embraced the philosophy of modernism and actively rejected any allegiance to past architectural forms.
Open Access
An Evaluation of Oregon's Special Assessment of Historic Property Program
(University of Oregon, 2011-06) Spencer-Hartle, Brandon Cole, 1987-
This thesis examines the Special Assessment of Historic Property Program, a property tax incentive available to owners of historic properties in the U.S. State of Oregon. While several studies and task force reports have been prepared since the Program was signed into law in 1975, none have included the thorough chronological context that this thesis intends to provide. Additionally, with the numerous changes to the Special Assessment Program since the early 1990s, this thesis aims to provide a current evaluation of the incentive provided to participating property owners and governments to preserve significant historic resources. Documents, case studies, and interviews were used to provide a better understanding of a program that has come under repeated criticisms in years past. This thesis will provide a baseline for future research and criticism--both positive and negative--of the Special Assessment Program, a hallmark of the historic preservation movement in Oregon.
Open Access
Expanding Context: A Look at the Industrial Landscapes of Astoria, Oregon, 1880- 1933
(University of Oregon, 2009-12) Steen, Sarah L., 1973-
This thesis examines the possibility of a broader approach to the concept of "context" within the practice of historic preservation by producing a more inclusive model for preservationists to use in reading dynamic cultural and environmental systems. The industrial landscape of Astoria, Oregon with its buildings and ruins of once dominant fishing and canning industries serves as a case study to explore this idea. The author examines late 19th century and early 20th century industrial development in terms of cultural influx, industrial landscape development, and vernacular architecture. This thesis explores how the landscape has responded to influences such as economic shift, environmental change, migrant populations, and technology, and how cultural landscapes and the natural environment combine to form a distinct human geography as reflected in architectural and material remains. Many of the issues raised are specific to maritime, west coast, and extractive industrial settlements.
Open Access
"For This and Future Generations": Cultivating Meanings at Crater Lake National Park
(University of Oregon, 2014-09-29) Lester, Sarah; Heath, Kingston
The National Park Service strives to connect the natural and cultural resources located within its national parks to the visitors that experience them. These connections must be on personal, meaningful levels to fulfill the agency mission. Within this thesis, an analytical framework entitled the Mission and Meanings Triad Model (MMTM) is proposed to examine the process of "meaning formulation" in a national park setting. The MMTM takes into account the interdependent nature of three mission-driven factors: the park's resources, interpretation, and the visitor experience. An audience-centered perspective is emphasized within the model to ensure that the end result is the meaningful connection itself, rather than merely an "interpretive opportunity." To illustrate the MMTM, an analysis is undertaken of Crater Lake National Park and its interpretive offerings during the summer 2013 and winter 2014 seasons. Through this field and document analysis, multiple recommendations regarding the improvement of interpretive components are suggested.
Open Access
Fraternally Yours: Interpreting Oregon's Masonic History
(University of Oregon, 2019-09-18) Seaver, Tara; Buckley, James
This thesis examines the adaptive reuse of Masonic buildings in Portland, Oregon. Buildings constructed by the Freemasons, a fraternal organization, provide a tangible link to uncovering a chapter of social history not thoroughly documented in the state of Oregon, and this paper examines how examples of the reuse of Masonic buildings for new functions can help communities share this history. To better understand the best methods of preserving the history of Freemasonry through reuse of Masonic buildings, this research poses two key questions. First, how have historic Masonic buildings been preserved in Portland, OR. Second, to what extent does this preservation address the compatibility of the new use with the history of these types of buildings? In answering these questions, this thesis will explore the current challenges facing historic Masonic buildings in Oregon and offer recommendations for preserving them in Oregon.
Open Access
"From Green Refugee Shacks to Cozy Homes of Their Own": San Francisco's Earthquake Refugee Cottages as Vernacular Architecture
(University of Oregon, 2016-10-27) Urban, Arianna; Heath, Kingston
The 1906 earthquake and fire in San Francisco devastated the city and left 200,000 people homeless. To house the displaced population, small cottages were built in camps in the city’s parks. With the closure of the camps after one year, refugees were permitted to move their cottages and establish them as permanent homes elsewhere in the city, providing many with the opportunity for first time home ownership. Remarkably, some authenticated cottages have persisted through the decades in the urban landscape. A survey revealed 45 cottage sites; all have been greatly altered over their 110-year lifespans. These modifications make the relief cottages outstanding examples of vernacular architecture--an originally blank building that was moved and adapted according to the needs of its occupants. As such, the cottages reflect manifestations of significance and integrity that necessitate careful, creative evaluation to fit within the framework of modern historic preservation in the United States.