Historic Preservation Month - Historic Preservation Program

The goal of the City’s historic preservation program is to celebrate and protect the City’s historic buildings, resources, and heritage.  A principal tool of this program is the designation of qualifying properties as historic resources on the zoning map.  Once so designated, any changes to the exterior of a building or site are subject to a historic review process that ensure the work is performed in a sensitive manner and preserves the historical aspects of the resource.   Properties currently on the map include individual landmarks such as the McLean house, and the locally and nationally recognized Willamette Historic District.

In addition to protecting properties already on the list, the City’s Development Code allows residents to nominate new buildings and resources for local designation.  This process allows for new stories to be told as recent events fade into the past, and in recognition that some parts of the city’s story may have been overlooked in past designations.   

To qualify for local designation, a nomination must meet certain minimum criteria before being presented to the Historic Review Board and City Council.   These criteria include property owner consent and documentation connecting the resource to a significant event, to significant persons or groups of people, and/or distinctive architecture and construction.  

For more information, please visit the Historic Resources page or speak to a City Planner at 503-656-3535.