New Telephone Exchange - Portland OR

This view of the New Telephone Exchange in 1949 shows the corner of SE 17th and Belmont though the buildings address is 1724 SE Morrison St. Some odd almost Brutalist remodeling but the original structure is still in there.

Another One Bites the Dust - R.I.P. 3330 SE Oak St Portland OR

  This wonderful Arts & Crafts home sold in September of 2013 for $810,000 to Lisa D Brooke of Wellington Properties LLC. It was promptly razed to be replaced with something that I'm sure is nice but is a total slap in the face to it's neighbors, the Laurelhurst neighborhood, and quite frankly the City of Portland. This WAS a unique home and I'm sure the previous owners are sick that their home was leveled. I was in the house for an estate sale a few years back and it was stunning and well maintained. I have no idea why she took an interest in this particular address for a "Statement of Wealth" home? She lives in Dunthorpe amongst the monied mansions of Southwest Portland but even there I think only the newly rich would attempt something this tasteless.
  According to Shawn Wood, the Construction Waste Specialist for the City of Portland, demolitions are at a 20 year high in 2013. He explains that there are a few reasons. First, properties that appear "historic" or that even are on the National Register or Historic Resource Inventory have no protection. The developer simply has to write the City a letter. Second, EXISTING houses come with a set of development fee credits. Essentially a developer can target a property with a low improvement value and remove it without new fees so long as what goes in it's place it somewhat the same (you can't avoid fees if you tear down a house and put up an apartment building). A new house on a vacant lot is assessed fees simply by being an improvement over well, nothing. Developers can apply this credit system to a new home that keeps only a wall or floor or something. You can see these all over town. My grandmothers home was a "remodel" because they kept one chimney base and parts of the foundation. Last but not least, there are no demolition delays. There is even such a thing as SAME DAY demolition where you can get ready, go to the City and get the permit and start trashing. No time to comment, move, or salvage. In the case of this home on Oak, I didn't know about it and who knows what happened to all the wonderful house parts inside.

Original View of 1807 Marion St SE in Albany Oregon

Just picked up this cabinet photo today. Simply labeled Jewel's Home Marion St Albany Ore. Googled historic homes on Marion street and VOILA!

Great original view of 1732 N Simpson St Portland OR

I believe the "16502" is for photography purposes as this house was being sold at the time and this image was from the collection of the realtor.

Mid 1970's street view near the Paul Bunyan statue

This image was taken in 1973 and shows the First National Bank of Oregon at 8368 N Denver. The building was built in 1945 and stands today though the design is ruined by the drive through.

Kenton Masonic Temple - Portland, Oregon

Wonderful view of the Kenton Masonic Temple (1923) sometime in the past when it was The First National Bank Livestock Kenton Branch. Still stands today!!!

Portland Surgical Hospital

The building is lone gone but that a house it must have been at one time!!! This is from the 1920 Polk City Directory from Portland Oregon.

Pacific Coast Rescue and Protective Society

The original Albertina Kerr home for pregnant girls. Can't find much info on this structure other than what is found on a Albertina Kerr National Register of Historic Places application for a different 1925 brick structure. This ad says this building is on Barker Road between Sandy and Base Line (Stark) but the application says it 373 Cable Street. There's a VERY similar looking structure at 1829 SW Cable St but there's no way this was in SW Portland. A mystery!!!

Portland Nursery and Child's Hospital (Marcus Delahunt House) Portland OREGON 1920

I had no idea that the 1894 Marcus Delahunt House was also a hospital or should I say "hospital". Odd concept. Must be code for something else like depression or....

The Moore Sanitarium - Portland OR

Interesting "milk cure" offered at this hospital. I assume the original location was SE 28th and Alder. If so it does not survive.

Doctors Hart & Hart Maternity & Surgical Hospital in Portland Oregon

Wonderful advertisement from the 1920 Polk City Directory. The current address is 5211 N Williams and the home still stands. Today this 1904 home is the headquarters of the East Multnomah Soil & Water Conservation District.

Symmetrical Victorian Cottage

Simple but interesting symmetrically placed porches.

Newly constructed bungalow

I just love photos of old houses when they were new. Unknown location but possibly Portland OR.

Van Hay home in Oregon City

Slightly grainy photo of the Van Hay home in Oregon City. Originally location on Pleasant Ave. The home was demolished in 1971

View of Hawthorne Boulevard taken from the Walter F Burrell residence

Wonderful view down Hawthorne. Most likely taken from the third floor balcony of the Burrell home (today the Homan's Funeral Home). The large home at left is Still standing at 1516 SE 21st and the home with distinctive trim at right is 2491 SE Hawthorne.

Early view of 441 NE Jarrett St

Wonderful 1911 old concrete block home. Still stands today. Needs some restoration and most of the wall is gone but it's intact and an amazing house!

Early view of 1210 SE 37th Ave Portland Oregon

Great early image of a wonderful house on SE 37th Ave. I'm not sure who all of the people are in this photo but the woman on the porch on the left is Laura Penn. The house still stands today. The only alteration is the porch is partially filled in to make a room. It's done quite well and the house is really quite nice.

Brown Apartment Hotel SE Grand and Hawthorne Blvd

Wonderful old building. Not sure exactly which corner it was on but it's long gone.

Early view of 5425 SW Texas Portland Oregon

This photo was probably taken sometime around 1950 not long after this house was built. Wonderful view of post-war housing and the views from this neighborhood before trees.....

1913 NE Ridgewood Drive - Portland, Oregon

Wonderful somewhat early view of 1913 NE Ridgewood Drive in Portland Oregon. Built in 1925. Parked in the driveway is a classic 1960 Chrysler Imperial so the photo is no earlier than 1960. The house remains unaltered!

2 cool old Victorian homes. Unknown location

These photos were purchased at an estate sale in St. Helens, OR but their location is unknown. You can see the eave of the house in photo 2 in at left in photo 1 and the corner of the wrought iron fence of the house in photo 1 near the bottom of photo 2. Who wouldn't want to live in THIS neighborhood!!!

Jantzen beach roller coaster in Portland flood of 1948

Long before "Superstorm Sandy" brought us the images of a New Jersey roller coaster submerged in the ocean, Jantzen Beach offered a similar glimpse. This great one of a kind snapshot taken from the Interstate Bridge shows much of the park underwater in the 1948 flood that destroyed Vanport.

View of Alexandria Louisiana

I'm unsure of the date this photo was taken but the large building near the middle is the Hotel Bentley which was constructed in 1908 so some time after that.

Moving the Captain John Brown House in 1970

Efforts were made to move this mansion from it's original location at 2035 NW Everett to Couch Park. Money ran out and the house was razed 3 years later.

Yee Residence in Portland Oregon

A wonderful survivor though it needs some help these days.... Located at 202 NE Graham.

UPDATE: MAY 2017 !!!

Rehabilitation!!!

Great view of the Powell's Books parking garage

Thanks to the stumptownblogger for posting this great image. What a perfect survivor, especially on West Burnside! Even the stain from the old sign in there. Wouldn't that be a PERFECT spot to recreate one that says Powell's Books!!!

Victorian Study - Genesee Wisconsin

Great interior photo of a study in a church parsonage in Genesee Wisconsin. Appears to be dated 1889 but the 10/10 89 written on the front of the cabinet card might be something else. Great details in wall-paper and furniture. Even a great cast iron stove! The most interesting element is an unusual Spanish quote above the bookcase. It says "Fiel es El que ha prometido" which is kind of translated as "faithful is he who has promised" or something like that. Might even be part of the wallpaper border but I'm not sure.

Governor Sylvester Pennoyer's home

I ran across this wonderful image on eBay. As you can see in the photo it was the Miller & Tracy Funeral Home by the early 1920's. I did a little digging with the help of the Oregonian's Historical Archive and found an original address for that funeral home as 178 Ella Street (renamed 20th Place). Fortunately that street is really short running only about a block on either side of Burnside so it was easy to find the structure labeled "178" on the 1909 Sanborn map of the area. The structure that sits in this exact location is the Pennoyer Building which is clearly old but looks nothing like the 1880's home in the photo. After a bit of further sleuthing and I discovered that the Sylvester Pennoyer home (today named the Pennoyer Buliding) was actually built in 1888. Some intense remodeling but it's still there.....somewhere.....