St. Johns Bridge (Brian Libby)
BY BRIAN LIBBY
Merchants and Markets: Historic Yamhill District Tour
Exploring the heart of Portland’s late-nineteenth century commercial district, this Architectural Heritage Center tour visits the Yamhill Historic District and nearby historic buildings of SW Second and Third Avenues. The route is packed with the names of prominent city pioneers who made their mark as merchants, developers and architects as well as providing some of the city’s finest examples of cast iron, Richardsonian Romanesque and Classical buildings. The tour also will visit the Willamette’s first bridge, the first public market, and the city's first Chinatown as we discuss how the district spearheaded the first preservation efforts for Portland’s downtown. Tour meetup location revealed with ticket purchase. 10AM Tuesday, March 3. $20 ($12 for AHC members).
Designing Size-Inclusive Spaces
Designers hold immense power to create spaces that make all people feel seen and welcome. More than a third of the American population is considered very plus-size. So why don’t our offices, restaurants, retail, or public spaces reflect this through size-inclusive design and furniture selection? What does it look like to design an equitable world with a literal seat at the table for everyone? How do we advocate for size inclusion with our project clients and peer designers? Hosted by the American Institute of Architects' Oregon chapter's Committee on Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, this discussion on size-inclusive design best practices will be presented by Rebecca Alexander, founder and chief executive of AllGo, a startup focused on plus-size accessibility issues, and Hannah Silver of Informal/Function, whose work is focused on creating equitable experiences for people of all abilities in the built environment. Center for Architecture, 403 NW 11th Avenue. 12PM Thursday, March 5. Free.
Walking Tour of Historic St. Johns
St. Johns was a separate, incorporated city from 1902 until it was annexed into the City of Portland in 1915. With a distinctive development history and one of the most beautiful suspension bridges on the West Coast, St Johns has an identity all its own. This Positively Portland Walking Tour will pass though the historic center of St Johns and then make its way down to Cathedral Park for an up close view of the landmark St Johns Bridge. Tour begins at McMenamins St. Johns Pub, 8203 N Ivanhoe Street. 1PM Friday, March 6. $15.
Railroad Architecture and the Northwest: Economics, Ethos, and Culture
Railways were one of the driving forces in the settlement and urbanization of the United States. As a result, rail stations also profoundly impacted the country's architectural legacy. From humble wooden depots that pioneered the concept of franchise architecture to grand urban depots displaying the power of the country's newly-minted late-19th century millionaires (also known as Robber Barons), these structures embody the story of America's Gilded Age. Portland and the Pacific Northwest include fine examples of these structures, and collectively contribute to the understanding of our region's past. Presenter Alexander Benjamin Craghead, author of Railway Palaces of Portland, Oregon, is a historian of technology, representation, and landscape, and teaches in the American Studies program at the University of California, Berkeley. Included in his presentation will be restoration of two of the region's grand urban stations with ties to important works of Italian architecture, as well as theeleventh-hour rescue of the oldest depot in Oregon. Culminating the presentation is a unique look at the history of Portland's landmark Union Station of 1896. Architectural Heritage Center, 701 SE Grand Avenue. 10AM Saturday, March 7. $20 ($12 for AHC members).
Pearl District Walking Tour - A Century of Preservation and Change
Over the last 20 years, the Pearl District has been transformed from industrial enclave and rail yards into one of Portland’s most popular residential, cultural and retail districts. A century ago, the area went through a similar transformation, from a working class housing area at the edge of a marsh to the city’s biggest industrial and warehousing area. Many of Portland’s best known architects of the period designed buildings for important local and national companies. Most of these buildings remain, with their exteriors intact, and new uses inside. But as the recent demolition of the Pacific Northwest College of Art's Feldman Building (a renovated old warehouse) reminds us, the current wave of development could threaten more historic buildings. Tour meetup location revealed with ticket purchase. 10AM Tuesday, March 10. $20 ($12 for AHC members).
The Lloyd District — Then and Now
In the early 1960s, urban renewal created the Lloyd Center shopping mall and Memorial Coliseum. Though not connected, collectively they made the largest sports/entertainment center in the city. Today, the Lloyd District is in transition. On this Positively Portland Walking Tour, Eric Wheeler leads an easy urban stroll in this Northeast Portland neighborhood that the city of Portland hopes to transform into another high density, livable urban enclave. With several high-rise residential projects now completed, the Lloyd District is poised to become Portland's new east side "downtown". The tour will also focus on the stories of two ambitious entrepreneurs, Ben Holladay and Ralph Lloyd, whose legacies live on in name and in spirit. At the end of the tour will be a presentation about the history of the Bonneville Power Association and the legacy of Woody Guthrie in the Pacific Northwest. To pass through the security at BPA, one will need a government-issued photo ID. Tour begins at Temptations Cafe, 1130 NE Holladay Street. 1PM Friday, March 13. $15.
"Number Please" — Portland and the Architecture of the Telephone Exchange
In the early 20th cenury, the development of the telephone created a need for large buildings to house both operators (who manually connected each call) and equipment. Things changed, however, by the by the mid-20th century, as rotary-dial telephones replaced older hand-crank models dependent upon operators. These buildings that had once housed hundreds of workers in Portland were seen as obsolete. Yet today, several Portland area telephone-exchange buildings still exist. The majority are clustered in downtown or are located on the east side, mostly repurposed as offices and often showing little evidence of their original purpose. This Architectural Heritage Center presentation by architectural historian Positively Portland Walking Tours founder Eric Wheeler will provide a short overview of the early years of the telephone industry in Portland and feature several photographic then-and-now comparisons for exchange buildings that for more than 50 years electronically connected commerce and community. Architectural Heritage Center, 701 SE Grand Avenue. 10AM Saturday, March 14. $20 ($12 for AHC members).
Trio Untold at The Gordon House
As a fundraiser for its ongoing preservation, and in a presentation from Portland Jazz Composers Ensemble, the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Gordon House welcomes the students of Willamette University and PJCE Records recording artists Trio Untold for a two-part concert. Comprised of guitarist Mike Nord, pianist James Miley and percussionist Ryan Biesack, Trio Untold's eponymously-titled debut album was released in in 2018. Following the performance by the Trio, a student performance will take place following a short intermission. VIP ticket holders will also be treated to refreshments and a private museum tour. All funds raised will benefit the nonprofit Gordon House Conservancy. The Gordon House, 869 West Main Street, Silverton. 5PM Saturday, March 14. $25 ($15 for students, $75 for VIP package).
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