Black History Film “Local Color” Re-release
ABOUT THE GOLDEN WEST HOTEL
Rebirth of Golden West Hotel reopens era of Oregon
Golden West-reopening
AFTER CHURCH
W.D. Allen, Jr. interview
ABOUT THE GOLDEN WEST HOTEL
Rebirth of Golden West Hotel reopens era of Oregon
Golden West-reopening
AFTER CHURCH
W.D. Allen, Jr. interview
Today's African-American community in Portland dates back to the beginnings of the transcontinental railroad. Many black workers made Portland their home in order to have access to Union Station and jobs on the railroad...
Until Oregon's public accommodations law was passed in 1953, this was the only hotel in Portland catering to African Americans. Built in 1906 for railroad men away from home, it soon became a social center, especially on Sunday afternoons. With the Mt. Olivet Baptist Church just across the street, the Golden West Hotel hotel drew church goers to its restaurant, billiards room, ice cream parlor and candy shop. There was a thriving saloon, too (though perhaps not after church!). The barber shop was operated from 1913 to 1930 by Waldo Bogle, grandfather of former television news anchor and Portland City Commissioner Dick Bogle. Closed during the Depression, the hotel now serves the homeless mentally ill. Interpretive historical displays are on either side of the entrance.
Historic Preservation/Urban Design Focus
Cathy Galbraith, Bosco-Milligan Foundation, presented a slide show that gave insight to numerous properties within the boundary that have social/cultural significance but are not on an official historic registry. Most historic designations look to the architectural significance of buildings, and leave out the socio-cultural significance. The slide show gave an idea of houses and buildings associated with African American individuals, families, businesses, institutions that are not seen as architectural gems but that do have historical/community meaning. She explained that a large number of properties have been torn down in the past for public works projects. There are many examples of transfers of properties in the area from African American ownership to other ownership. She suggested that the group create incentives to save historically, culturally, socially significant buildings. Bosco-Milligan published Cornerstones of Community: The Buildings of Portland's African American History in February 1998 which identified 1,284 buildings associated with African-American history and that are socially and/or culturally significant.
Cielo Lutino, Bureau of Planning, presented a map highlighting the Conservation Districts, Historic Landmarks and Conservation Landmarks located within the Interstate Corridor URA boundary. She handed out example images of homes and buildings within the area that have varying historic significance, demonstrating the range of different designations that properties can have.
She explained the chronology of recent public actions that relate to historic preservation. In 1984 the City of Portland conducted its first inventory of historic properties in which about 5,000 properties were published in the Citywide Historic Resources Inventory (CHRI). An update of the CHRI was conducted in 1993 as part of the Albina Community Plan process and seven Conservation Districts were designated. Five of these seven districts are located either partially or entirely in the Interstate Corridor URA boundary (Russell, Eliot, Mississippi, Piedmont, Kenton.) In 1995, Senate Bill 588 enacted the "owner consent" law, which requires owners to agree to their property being designated as historic. To create a Historic Designation District on a national level, 51% of the property owners within the area must agree to it. To create a local Historic District, 100% of property owners must agree to it. In 1996 the Portland Zoning Code was updated to create a four-tier system of historic designations.
In addition to the Conservation Districts, there are currently 23 individual Historic and Conservation Landmarks within the Interstate Corridor URA. There is always the possibility to identify more; however this involves an application process that can be costly. To apply for local historic designation, the application fee is $2,000 (whereas a demolition permit fee is approximately $200). To apply for state and federal historic designation, the fee is much less. Once a property is designated at the state and federal level, it is automatically considered a local Historic Landmark, thus it is more practical to apply for the state and federal historic designation. There are a number of federal, state and city incentives that come with historic preservation designation.
The Sellwood community is currently taking on its own historic inventory process and is a local example of a community historic preservation project in the works that could serve as an example for the Interstate area....
Cielo Lutino, Bureau of Planning, presented a map highlighting the Conservation Districts, Historic Landmarks and Conservation Landmarks located within the Interstate Corridor URA boundary. She handed out example images of homes and buildings within the area that have varying historic significance, demonstrating the range of different designations that properties can have.
She explained the chronology of recent public actions that relate to historic preservation. In 1984 the City of Portland conducted its first inventory of historic properties in which about 5,000 properties were published in the Citywide Historic Resources Inventory (CHRI). An update of the CHRI was conducted in 1993 as part of the Albina Community Plan process and seven Conservation Districts were designated. Five of these seven districts are located either partially or entirely in the Interstate Corridor URA boundary (Russell, Eliot, Mississippi, Piedmont, Kenton.) In 1995, Senate Bill 588 enacted the "owner consent" law, which requires owners to agree to their property being designated as historic. To create a Historic Designation District on a national level, 51% of the property owners within the area must agree to it. To create a local Historic District, 100% of property owners must agree to it. In 1996 the Portland Zoning Code was updated to create a four-tier system of historic designations.
In addition to the Conservation Districts, there are currently 23 individual Historic and Conservation Landmarks within the Interstate Corridor URA. There is always the possibility to identify more; however this involves an application process that can be costly. To apply for local historic designation, the application fee is $2,000 (whereas a demolition permit fee is approximately $200). To apply for state and federal historic designation, the fee is much less. Once a property is designated at the state and federal level, it is automatically considered a local Historic Landmark, thus it is more practical to apply for the state and federal historic designation. There are a number of federal, state and city incentives that come with historic preservation designation.
The Sellwood community is currently taking on its own historic inventory process and is a local example of a community historic preservation project in the works that could serve as an example for the Interstate area....