SOLD OUT - Whimsical and Quirky: the Storybook Style

A House of Stone for Dr. Mackenzie:
The Legacy of McCaw, Martin, and White

NEW DATE & TIME:

Saturday, March 1, 2014 | 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm

Members: $12
General Public: $20

Long acclaimed as a masterwork of architects Whidden and Lewis, the Dr. Kenneth A. J. and Cora Mackenzie residence was established in 2012 as the work of another firm, McCaw and Martin, and the National Register of Historic Places nomination was subsequently revised. Now the William Temple House, this Portland landmark has delighted observers with its intriguing design and exceptional craftsmanship ever since its completion in 1892.

Masters of the Richardsonian Romanesque, William F. McCaw and Richard H. Martin, Jr. are best known as architects of Portland’s Dekum Building, the Armory (now the Gerding Theater), the First Presbyterian Church, and the University of Portland’s West Hall. They were also briefly associated with another notable Portland architect – F. Manson White. This presentation, an update of an AHC lecture given in 2012, demonstrates how the increasing availability of digitized resources is enabling a richer understanding of Portland’s architectural heritage. Our presenter, Ed Teague, is the head of the Architecture and Allied Arts Library at the University of Oregon.

Shake, Rattle & Roll – Getting your house ready for the “Big One!”
Saturday, March 1, 2014 \| 10:00 am – 12:00 Noon	Members: $8 General Public: $12
The Pacific Northwest and the Portland area are no strangers to the threat of impending earthquakes and this is made all-too-clear when an earthquake devastates some part of the world – whether near or far. The potential for the “Big One” has generated considerable press and anxiety in recent years. So – what are Portland-area homeowners to do, to increase the chances that your house will survive?” This encore program “Shake, Rattle & Roll” is just the thing to help you answer that question. Scott Burns, Professor of Geology at PSU, is the guy who is on every local newscast following an earthquake. Scott will explain the complex seismic fault lines that run through the Portland area and surroundings, and how buildings behave in an earthquake. Steve Gemmell, owner of Earthquake Tech, will describe the step-by-step procedure for bolting your house and other improvements that can help your house ride the big one. Mark Strauss, independent agent with Leonard Adams Insurance, will cover earthquake options for homeowners. DON’T MISS this opportunity to learn how to prepare for an earthquake emergency and make certain that your house is as safe as it can be for you and your family.

Richardson Comes West: Romanesque Architecture in Portland
Saturday, March 8, 2014 \| 10:00 am – 11:30 am	Members: $12 General Public: $20
Henry Hobson Richardson (1838 – 1886), the interpreter of the Romanesque style, practiced in Boston but influenced architects throughout the nation. Here in Portland, numerous buildings were constructed in the 1880s and 1890s that reflected the Richardson aesthetic. The Richardsonian Romanesque style, with its heavy rustic stonework, Roman arches, use of red brick, and unglazed terra cotta, was popular for only a short time in Portland, but the buildings constructed in this style have had a lasting impact on the city. Perhaps the most notable of these buildings is the Dekum Building, built in 1892 and designed by the firm of McCaw and Martin. Others include the Auditorium Building and the New Market Annex – all of these buildings denoted a dramatic change in the city’s preferred architectural style, while also demarcating how the heart of downtown was, by the late 1880s, quickly moving away from the waterfront. To tell the fascinating story of how a Pacific Northwest city became enraptured in an architectural style, even in the wake of the passing of its progenitor, we present Leland Roth, the Marion D. Ross Distinguished Professor of Architectural History, Emeritus, at the University of Oregon. Roth is the author of several books, including American Architecture: A History (2001) and Shingle Styles: Innovation and Tradition in American Architecture, 1874 to 1984 (1999).

The Portland Building, Postmodernism, and Historic Preservation
Tuesday, March 11, 2014 \| 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm FREE! ($3 suggested donation)
When Michael Graves won the 1980 design competition for a new public service building in Portland, little did we know that it would turn out to be the building people love to hate. Countless arguments about the building, both pro and con, have been published in newspapers, blogs, and magazines from around the country. Now, only 32 years after the building was completed, the media is filled with stories of poor working conditions inside the building and numerous structural issues – all leading to a hefty price tag for repairs or an even larger one should the City decide to demolish the building and build something new. Join architects Peter Meijer and Becca Cavell as they debate the Portland Building, Postmodernism, and whether a building with known failings, while also the first of its kind, deserves a place in history. Following the debate there will be plenty of time for Q & A. Peter’s firm PMA, wrote the National Register of Historic Places nomination for the building. Becca Cavell is a principal with THA Architecture. Both Becca and Peter serve on the board of the Oregon chapter of DoCoMoMo (Documentation and Conservation of the Modern Movement).

Moderate Modernist: The Life and Work of Architect Ellis F. Lawrence
Saturday, March 15, 2014 \| 10:00 am – 11:30 am	Members: $12 General Public: $20
Ellis Fuller Lawrence (1879-1946) was born in Massachusetts and received his architectural training at MIT in the classical Beaux Arts tradition. He came to Portland in 1906 and designed over 500 buildings in his nearly forty-year career. Equally important to his private practice was his advocacy for the profession of architecture and his role in advancing architectural education. The Ellis Lawrence House (1906) in Irvington is considered one of the first Arts and Crafts residences in Portland. However, Lawrence’s architectural palette was quite eclectic, ranging from the formal and historical to the picturesque and modern. Many of his designs display a surprising juxtaposition of the traditional and modern, especially his institutional buildings. Two of his best known buildings in Portland are the Albina Branch Library (1912) and the Riverview Cemetery Caretaker's House (1914). But perhaps Lawrence’s most significant contribution to regional architecture was as founder and first dean of the School of Architecture and Allied Arts at the University of Oregon. During his lengthy tenure at the U of O, Lawrence designed more than two dozen campus buildings while also helping to mentor a new generation of architects in the less formalized approach of the Modern movement. We hope you’ll join us as architectural historian, AHC Education Committee member, and walking tour docent Eric Wheeler takes us on a whirlwind exploration of the career of one of Oregon’s first modernist architects.

In the Shadow of a Concrete Forest: The Mt. Hood Freeway Story

Saturday, March 22, 2014 | 10:00 am – 11:30 am

Members: $12
General Public: $20

On February 4, 1974, a judges ruling put a halt to further development of the proposed Mt. Hood Freeway, a roadway that for nearly 20 years most people had assumed would be constructed. Oven the next few years the freeway died a slow controversial death, but although it never came to pass, the Mt. Hood Freeway still left an indelible mark on Southeast Portland.

The story of the once-planned but never constructed Mount Hood Freeway has attained legendary status as a tale of grass-roots efforts, by citizen activists, to preserve their Portland neighborhoods. Lesser known, however, is the story of where the concept for the freeway originated, and how it would have fit into the larger transportation network of the city. It is also the story of how a handful of political leaders utilized their power, along with changes in federal transportation and environmental policies, to move a Pacific Northwest city away from complete automobile dependence and toward burgeoning alternatives in mass transit.

Please join us as AHC Education Manager Val Ballestrem shares the Mt Hood Freeway story from its origin in the minds of highway planners through to its demise and long-lasting impacts.

Whimsical and Quirky: the Storybook Style
Saturday, March 29, 2014 \| 10:00 am – 11:30 am	Members: $12 General Public: $20
Ever wonder who was inspired to build and promote those fanciful homes of the 1920s and 1930s that seem straight out of a fairy tale? Join us to hear the story of how Portland came to have so many of these whimsical “Storybook Style” homes. The end of the First World War brought about a time of nostalgia, of lighthearted humor, and rambunctious building creations. It was during this time that home styles in the US began to reflect those of 17th and 18th century Western Europe. An architectural revival to be certain, but with an emphasis on specialty craftsmanship, theatrical flair, and abundant (and sometimes extraordinary) architectural features. Over time, the style evolved as architects and builders employed charming details and intimate scale in an effort to lighten the hardships of the Depression. Drawing on the work of architects such as A.E. Doyle and Wade Pipes, as well as numerous not-so-well-known Portland area home builders, this presentation promises to be an adventure you won’t soon forget! Our presenters are AHC education committee members Leslie Hutchinson – a Portland native and aspiring historian and Barbara Fisher – a Portland area historic preservation professional. Leslie and Barbara will share the “story” of the Storybook Style, and how it came to be so popular in Portland and elsewhere across the country.