Matthew Ginn's Portland Public Schools photo tour: Madison and Lincoln

Madison High School (photo by Matthew Ginn/Homestead Images)

Continuing a series that began this summer, Portland architectural photographer Matthew Ginn of Homestead Images has been visiting each of the city's public high schools.

It is a tough time for public education in general, of course. Any consideration of the architecture of these schools begins first with function: are they serving the needs of students, and are they being properly kept up? But historic preservation is also a factor here. As we saw with the demolition of Riverdale Grade School in 2009, even those buildings with the most significant architectural pedigree (Riverdale was designed by the legendary Portland architect A.E. Doyle) can be lost. While not every Portland high school Ginn has photographed in this series is of exceptional design caliber, many of these buildings are significant historic structures for a variety of architectural and social reasons.

As for Madison and Lincoln themselves, Ginn and I both felt a dichotomy. Lincoln is home to one of the most affluent student bases in the Portland Public Schools system, yet it's probably one of the least attractive visually. Madison, situated in the Roseway-Madison South area of Northeast, represents humbler zip codes but is a finer looking example of midcentury modernism. Having said that, I did enjoy learning that the architect of Lincoln High School, Hollis Johnston, also designed the massive Tillamook Blimp Hangers on the Oregon coast.

"Though both are red brick, international-style buildings of the 1950s, the architectural similarities end there," Ginn noted by email. "Madison, on the one hand, makes a statement of style with its simple right angles, long duotone facades of glass and brick, and just enough embellishment to highlight its absence in most of the design. You might or might not like the style, but it is clearly stated."

"Lincoln, on the other hand, makes virtually no statement of style whatsoever. It’s just there. The closest it comes to something cohesive and interesting is the courtyard, the least visible elevations of the whole building. It’s rather sad that the city’s best high school for academics has the worst original architecture."

Interestingly, there have been rumblings about someday constructing a new Lincoln High on a new site, but my guess is that idea was borne before the Great Recession began, and Portland Public Schools started playing a Russian roulette with closing campuses. And it wasn't that many years ago that the school system was lampooned by cartoonist Gary Trudeau in Doonesbury.

Meanwhile, as with past Ginn-PPS photo posts from this series, I am including below some information from the PPS' historic building assessments of both schools, starting with Madison. Text from the site is obviously noted with italics.

Madison High School (photo by Matthew Ginn/Homestead Images)

Madison High School (originally Northeast High) is situated in the Roseway-Madison South neighborhood of East Portland at 2735 NE 82nd Avenue. The neighborhood consists of commercial buildings and single and multi family residences. The campus occupies a sloping L shaped parcel that is bound on the north by Glenhaven Park, east by NE 82nd Avenue, south by NE Thompson Street, and west by the Rose City Golf Course. The school is located at the north end of the campus and ball fields are located along the south end of the campus. The terrain slopes steeply downward at the middle of the campus. A driveway loops around the north east side of the campus. Parking is provided directly to the south of the facility.

Madison (originally Northeast High) is a three-story brick veneer building designed in the International style. The campus consists of the 1955 multi story brick-faced building (218A) that forms an irregular finger-shaped plan. The building consists of seven wings—four classroom wings, an auditorium wing, a cafeteria wing, and a library/gymnasium wing. The wings are separated by courtyards and form a variation on a finger plan type school. The building features International style elements such as a linear composition, bands of aluminum windows, flat roofs, overhangs, and a lack of ornamentation. These elements serve to reinforce the ideals of functionalism and minimalism.

The building is constructed of reinforced concrete with a red brick veneer. Bricks are arranged in courses of eight and nine stretchers separated by a single header course. The building features a linear composition and asymmetrical plan. The horizontal massing of the building is emphasized by flat roofs with metal coping along the parapet. Bands of fixed and hopper metal sash windows provide the fenestration.

Concrete shading devices are located over the south elevation windows, which further accentuate the horizontal massing of the building. The building has a concrete pier foundation. The primary entrance, which is located along the SE classroom wing, is recessed within the north (front) wall of the building. The wall above bears the school’s name in metal letters. The entrance is marked by two sets of double metal doors with side lights and transoms. A breezeway with structural frames that forms a four-point arch extends between the NE classroom and SE classroom wings, to the west of the main entrance.

Madison High School (photo by Matthew Ginn/Homestead Images)

Other ornamentation includes walls of projecting brick arranged in a Flemish bond pattern. The single story building located along the east (side) elevation of the SE classroom wing and the walkway wall between the cafeteria and northeast music wings feature this decorative brick work. The wall between the music wing and cafeteria wing encloses a covered walkway on the north (front) side and features glass block windows. The frames of the walkway, like the breezeway between the NE and SE classroom wings, form a four point arch. This arch is utilized for structural systems within prominent interior spaces.

The principal entrance opens into a lobby located along the administrative office. The office is marked by a wall of fixed metal sash windows. The lobby is illuminated by windows surrounding the entrance and features brick walls and an elevated ceiling supported by a single concrete column. Corridors extend east-west through the classroom wings and north-south through the auditorium wing and library/gymnasium wing. The corridors feature recessed lockers and drinking fountain alcoves.

Madison High School (photo by Matthew Ginn/Homestead Images)

The auditorium wing features a concourse that is lit by a wall of fixed windows and supported by a series of concrete columns. The auditorium features roman brick and wood trimmed walls. The auditorium also features WPA murals, which were originally located in Rose City Park School. The murals, entitled "The Columbia River Pioneer Migration" were painted by Oregon artist Maria Gangle. The cafeteria features exposed steel frames that form a four-point arch and walls of fixed lights at the north (front) and south (rear) ends of the room. The gymnasium also features exposed steel frames that form a four-point arch, as well as plexiglass skylights. Structural features, such as the steel frames, add to the spatial aesthetics of school spaces. The library, located within the gymnasium wing, features large ceiling beams and one wall of fixed metal sash windows.

Madison was constructed during a period of modernization and new construction initiated by Portland Public Schools (PPS) after World War II. In 1945, the citizens of Portland approved a ballot measure that provided $5,000,000 over five years to construct, improve, and rehabilitate its public school buildings. The ballot measure provided some of the initial funds that enabled PPS to respond to the explosive growth in school-age children that had occurred in the city as a result of the arrival of defense plant workers and their families, as well as the deferred maintenance arising from the lack of funds during the depression. In 1950 the site for Madison (or Northeast High) at N. Emerald was acquired for $109,076 and the building was constructed for $4.3 million.

For the new building program, PPS adopted the call of architects and school planners across the country for new types of schools. Nationally known architects including Richard Neutra, the Walter Gropius led Architects Collective, and the Perkins Will architectural firm promoted new school types that reflected both evolving educational practices and design philosophies. Emphasizing the need for economy and rapid construction, the designers adopted new materials that were standardized and mass produced including steel, plywood, glass block, and aluminum. In many buildings, architects achieved flexibility through the building’s structure by employing non-load-bearing partitions walls and zoned ventilation and heating systems. Folding walls and moveable cabinets provided additional flexibility intended to enable teachers to rearrange rooms based on lesson plan and activities.

Madison High School (photo by Matthew Ginn/Homestead Images)

The architects of Madison High School, Glen Stanton Architects, adopted the building program and principles that dominated the discourse for school design during the second half of the twentieth century. A native of Iowa, Glenn Stanton graduated from the University of Oregon and received his M.A. from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Stanton worked with Portland architect Morris H. Whitehouse and eventually became a partner in the firm of Whitehouse, Stanton & Church. In 1935, Stanton opened his own firm, Glen Stanton and Associates. Stanton later entered into partnership with Hollis Johnston. The firm designed a number of notable structures such as building for the Lewis & Clark College Campus and the Stadium Branch of the U.S. Nation Bank. Stanton was also known for supervising the restoration of the McLoughlin House (1846) in Oregon City, which was one of the early architectural preservation projects in the state. Glenn Stanton designed at least two Portland public school buildings, Mount Tabor Middle School and Madison High.

Madison High School retains integrity of location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, and association with its plan and exterior and interior finishes. The 1955 International style influenced school is recommended as eligible for the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) for its association with the PPS program of post-war construction. The school is a strong example of the educational principles that drove the design of schools during this era; therefore, it is eligible for listing in the NRHP under Criterion A.

And now Lincoln:

Lincoln High School (photo by Matthew Ginn/Homestead Images)

Lincoln High School is located at 1600 SW Salmon St. in the Goose Hollow neighborhood of southwest Portland. The 11 acre property, which includes the main school building and two portable classroom buildings, is bounded the north side bounded by SW Salmon Street, on the east by SW 14th Avenue and west by SW 18th Avenue as well as an artificial surface football field and oval track to the west of the main building. Development in the surrounding areas consists primarily of commercial uses, surface parking lots, as well as I-405, which passes immediately to the east.

The two-story brick face and reinforced concrete building, constructed in 1951, exhibits a low horizontal massing and a U-shaped plan. The building features a flat roof and the fenestration consists of repeating rows of single pane, large light windows. Overall, the building exhibits minimal architectural embellishments but still conveys the various components of the school by clearly differentiating between the classrooms and the double-height gymnasium and auditorium that largely lacks windows. A below ground level cafeteria provides easy access to the field. A grassy courtyard is formed between the two arms of the U-shape massing and a circular concrete planting bed, the latter of which is formerly the site of a fountain and still contains a welded bronze sculpture by Thomas Hardy dedicated in 1960. The courtyard is terraced with the slope descending from east to west toward the building. A surface parking lot is located near the southeast corner of the property.

Lincoln High School (photo by Matthew Ginn/Homestead Images)

The school's principal access into the building is situated on the north side of the building. The concrete paved plaza on the north side of the school affords access to the two separate main entrances. Each entrance is marked by a concrete column lined entry, but the two entries are separated by a long raised planting bed. Each entry exhibits two sets of double doors and concrete columns that exhibit horizontal channels and a raised panel.

To the east and west of the entries are one story brick-faced projections that extend from the two story main building. The brickwork of these projections and the rest of the school is a mixed common bond that is largely composed of stretchers interspersed by randomly laid headers. The windows for these projections as well as for most of the main building consist of bands of metal, three part windows with a bottom hopper. Each set of windows is separated by a vertical brick-faced column. A concrete balustrade to the north of the main entrances overlooks the football field.

Lincoln High School (photo by Matthew Ginn/Homestead Images)

Immediately below the plaza is the plate glass-faced entry into the cafeteria. Two double doors and single entry provide access into the cafeteria from the field level. Each of the classroom fingers that extend from the main part of the building are clearly classrooms as they exhibit similar types of windows as those found on the main entrance. The auditorium and gymnasium, however, exhibit different exterior treatments as they both largely lack window openings and feature a double-height volume that is ultimately taller than the classroom wings. The school features three floors with a portion of the bottom floor lying below ground due to changes in the site’s topography.

Unlike most finger-plan schools constructed in Portland in the 1950s, the gymnasium and auditorium are not as segregated from the classrooms. The gymnasium, for instance, is situated between rows of classrooms and is principally accessed via the main corridor and not from the outside. The auditorium is accessed through a faux-wood and stone foyer that exhibits paneled reveals. The interior of the auditorium features its original seating and balcony and the stage is framed by a wood paneled reveal similar to that found in the foyer. The gymnasium features a drop ceiling and ceramic tile walls.

The most significant alterations to the school occurred in 2000 when the main office was expanded to the south. The exterior of this addition presents a different type of window pattern as that found on the school as each bank consists of four sets of four pane windows that are not separated by a brick column. A new entrance was also added to the south side of the south classroom finger in 2000. The two-story entrance leads into a vestibule and elevator to the second floor. The building retains its integrity of design, materials, location, association, feeling, workmanship, and setting.

Lincoln High School (photo by Matthew Ginn/Homestead Images)

When the original Lincoln High School was erected at the corner of Market and Park in 1911, the building took up an entire block and was praised for its innovative, efficient, and attractive design. Following World War II, however, the building could no longer adequately serve a growing number of high school students. As early as 1945, PPS purchased the so-called “Kamm Tract” for $250,000 for use as the site for a new high school.

By 1950, PPS had retained Portland architect Hollis E. Johnston to develop plans for the new high school that would eventually cost over $2.5 million dollars. Johnston, a graduate of Jefferson High School in Portland and the University of Oregon Architecture School, was an experienced designer of schools and other public facilities. Johnston worked with several prominent architects including Lawrence & Holford and Sutton & Whitney before establishing a solo practice in 1930. During the depression Johnston served as chief consulting architect for the U.S. Corps of Engineers on the Bonneville Dam Project. He subsequently worked with Herman Brookman before founding the firm of Stanton & Johnston with A. Glenn Stanton. After the War, Johnston reestablished his own practice. Johnston is known for his work on the Portland Town Club (1931) the Watson/Eastman house (1928), and the Tillamook Blimp Hangers.

Lincoln High School (photo by Matthew Ginn/Homestead Images)

The first high school constructed in Portland after World War II, Lincoln’s classrooms featured extensive built-ins that included sinks, slots for bulky rolls of paper, and coat storage. Many buildings incorporated interior courtyards which facilitated access to the outdoors and expanded the opportunities for passive ventilation and daylighting.

While indicative of the post-war design principles and retaining its historical integrity, Lincoln High School does not appear to be eligible for the National Register of Historic Places. The overall architectural design, structural composition, and building materials used for the school were commonly reflected in most high and elementary schools of the period. Other high schools constructed in the post-war period in Portland, such as Wilson and Madison, better reflect the experimentation with building materials, school planning, and overall design. The school represented a major commission for Hollis Johnston, but other buildings already listed on the National Register better reflect his mastery of modern structural materials and architectural composition.

Thanks again to Matthew Ginn for taking these accompanying photos.