Exceptional historic preservation projects to be celebrated • Daily Journal of Commerce

By: Hilary Dorsey in Construction August 2, 202312:58 pm

Restore Oregon has selected 14 projects across the state to receive 2023 DeMuro Awards for excellence in historic preservation. These honors are the highest in Oregon for the preservation, reuse and revitalization of architectural and cultural sites.

The honorees will be feted during the Restoration Celebration, an annual party and fundraiser hosted by Restore Oregon, on Sept. 22 at Castaway Portland. The event will kick off with a happy hour reception at 4:30 p.m. and follow with the awards presentation at 5:30 p.m. Visit restoreoregon.org/restoration-celebration-2023/ to learn more and purchase tickets.

Including this year, more than 124 projects have received DeMuro Awards since 2013. The 2023 honorees were selected by a jury of top professionals in the field of historic preservation and allied or related disciplines like architecture, planning, and engineering. Criteria included extraordinary craftsmanship, community impact, inclusion of affordable housing, and overall contribution to meeting the state’s climate-related sustainability goals.

The 2023 DeMuro Award-winning projects are:

Hollywood Theatre Lower Facade (Portland)

Designed by Bennes & Herzog and constructed in 1926, the Hollywood Theatre is one of Portland’s most beloved historic landmarks. It has an ornate Mediterranean front façade featuring a Spanish Baroque entry pavilion topped by arched niches, turned pillars and multicolored terracotta. During partial demolition, original building elements including artwork, glass-fiber reinforced concrete castings, old-school plasterwork and more were discovered, repaired and incorporated into the new design.

Historic Canby City Hall (Canby)

Originally named the Holly Street City Hall, this building was designed by Portland architects George Howell Jones and Harold D. Marsh and constructed in 1936 and ’37. From unearthing antique firehouse finds, to diligently restoring the interior by refinishing hardwood floors, installing historic light fixtures, and replicating historic wooden doors and windows, great care was taken to preserve the building’s character in a way that can support future retail use.

The Pickle Factory (courtesy of Restore Oregon)

The Pickle Factory (Portland)

Originally constructed as a tire factory in 1921, this building spent most of its life as a foundry. Preservation of the building’s history through retention of exposed concrete and obsolete cranes and gantries transformed The Pickle Factory from the raw industrial space it used to be into the usable, creative space it is today.

Woodburn Historical Museum & Bungalow Theatre (Woodburn)

The Woodburn Historical Museum (formerly known as the Woodburn World’s Berry Center Museum) was constructed in 1905, while the Bungalow Theatre, the town’s only remaining historic theater, was built as a furniture store in 1894 and converted to theater use around 1911. Restoration work included seismic updates, facade improvements and interior remodels of both spaces.

Fountain Place Apartments (Portland)

Strongly associated with Portland’s exponential growth during the decade following the Lewis and Clark Exposition of 1905, the building formerly known as the Wheeldon Annex was designed by MacNaughton & Raymond and completed in 1911. One of the most exceptional aspects of this renovation was its unique approach to seismic safety, which provided much-needed, structurally sound affordable housing without compromising historic integrity.

Hotel Grand Stark (courtesy of Restore Oregon)

Hotel Grand Stark (Portland)

Built in 1907 for the Morgan-Atchley Furniture Company, this historic four-story brick building occupies a quarter block at the intersection of Southeast Grand Avenue and Stark Street. To comply with current seismic requirements, a dramatic series of interventions included a new foundation with micro piles, two large seismic brace frames at the ground-floor perimeter, new shear cores, and a series of strong backs and tension ties to support existing brick.

De La Salle North Catholic High School Renovation/Addition (Portland)

After evaluating over 40 potential sites, De La Salle High School and Bora Architecture & Interiors found St. Charles Parish to offer an ideal opportunity for transforming an outdated space into a vibrant new high school campus. The parish’s 30,000-square-foot school wing, which was built in 1950, expanded in the ’50s and ’60s, and closed in the ’80s, was repurposed and renovated to meet today’s needs by including flexible classrooms, a commons area, a visual arts center, a maker space, and new biology, chemistry, and physics and laboratories. A 21,000-square-foot addition features a commons and gymnasium.

Path Home (Portland)

Constructed in 1961 as the Lents Evangelical United Brethren Church, this mid-century modern building underwent multiple renovations prior to becoming a permanent Path Home shelter for unhoused families in Greater Portland. Renovation of this building created shared spaces for cooking, dining, laundry, bathing, reading, learning, playing, lounging, and gathering, as well as private bedrooms.

McDougall Farmhouse (Dayton)

Working with a diverse range of subcontractors from many different backgrounds, Fackler Construction Co. recently completed the restoration of a 1926 farmhouse that has been cherished by the same family for generations. The project involved comprehensive renovation of the kitchen, living space, bedrooms, bathrooms, closets and the exterior.

Union High School (courtesy of Restore Oregon)

Union School District Renovations (Union)

Built in 1911, Union High School is an American Renaissance building that is a primary contributing building to the Union Main Street National Historic District. The project budget was shared between Union High School and three other buildings not included in the historic district designation: the gymnasium (1950), J.F. Hutchinson Elementary School (1935), and S.E. Miller Elementary School (1957).

Oregon Supreme Court Building Rehabilitation (Salem)

Constructed in 1914, this building was the first solely dedicated to state Supreme Court matters in Oregon and the first documented use of terra cotta in Oregon outside of Portland. Modernization has provided a safer, more accessible work environment for the 60 workers integral to Oregon’s highest courts, and includes energy-efficient updates to interior systems, as well as replacement of the foundation for seismic resilience.

BackFire Station (Pendleton)

Pendleton Fire Station #1 was built in 1958 and served as the town’s primary fire station through 2019. The repurposed firehouse is now home to a second-story owner’s residence, and several businesses including the BackFire Station Bar and Restaurant, a retail space for motorcycle and regional products, adventure motorcycle rentals and guided tours, motorcycle service & repair, and the BackFire Lodge – a motorcycle-themed short-term lodging facility occupying the former firefighters’ sleeping quarters.

Harlow Hotel (Portland)

The Harlow Hotel, constructed in 1882, is a three-story Italianate brick building with arcuated fenestration. Following a major interior and exterior overhaul, visitors can enjoy private baths with heated towel racks, and rich textiles and finishes including velvet, geometric textured headboards, and natural metals and glass evoking the Art Deco style.

SERA Portland Headquarters (Portland)

Designed by Seattle-based architect Charles Aldrich, the Galleria was constructed in 1910 as the Olds, Wortman & King department store. The exterior of this National Register-listed building has received thoughtful interventions that improve comfort and performance while retaining its original character.