Architectural Heritage Center

Like many Northeast Portland neighborhoods, Beaumont-Wilshire was carved from orchards, open fields, and patches of forest. As a young Portland sprawled across the river, the rural landscape of the eastside was replaced by a grid of neighborhoods, a busy streetcar system, and tens of thousands of new residents. Using early maps, documents, photos, newspaper accounts, and memories he’s collected from past residents, local historian Doug Decker will explore the early years of the Beaumont-Wilshire neighborhood to examine connections between past, present, and future.

How did Portland get this way, with its little square blocks and weird intersections, the funny pronunciations, and the bridge ramps to nowhere? Why is it even located where it is? There’s a reason for everything (we didn’t say a good reason!) Stone carver’s mistakes, upside-down pineapples, and mythical tunnels are just part of the things about which true Portland residents should know. We’ll look at the grid, the naming and re-naming of our streets, and the eras of commercial architecture that have marked our compact and vibrant downtown, as well as the near blitzkrieg effect of the Great Demolition which left us with parking lots where the temples of finance and industry once stood. Long-time AHC Education Committee member Robert Jordan will guide us through 150 years of Portland’s development – a great overview for those just getting interested in Portland’s architectural heritage as well as for anyone who ever wondered “Why did they do THAT?” This lecture program is held at the Architectural Heritage Center - 701 SE Grand Avenue