Historic Resources Surveys

The City has completed selective reconnaissance level surveys for several neighborhoods in the City: Bolton, Sunset, and Willamette.  The surveys are considered "selective" since they looked at properties over 45 years of age.  A property is generally only able to be determined to be "historic" if it is over 50 years of age.

The surveys are used as a planning and preservation tool and provide the City information regarding its potential and designated historic resources.  The survey of the property does not necessarily mean that a property is “historic”. Typically, if a property is designated as “historic” this is noted separately on the form.

In 2009, the City completed a survey in the area around Buck Street, which evaluated 118 buildings and did not identify a potential National Register historic district.

In 2010, the City completed reconnaissance level surveys for structures over 50 years of age in the Bolton and Sunset neighborhoods. This did not include the Buck Street area in Bolton. The Bolton survey evaluated 418 buildings. Three potential historic districts were identified in this survey. Two of the districts exclusively contain mid-century modern houses, while the third is potentially related to the Willamette Falls Industrial Area and contains early 20th century houses. Three other properties outside of these districts were identified as potentially eligible for individual listing in the National Register of Historic Places.  The Sunset survey evaluated 252 buildings. This survey did not identify a potential National Register historic district.

The City completed a reconnaissance level survey of 250 properties in the Willamette Neighborhood that had not previously been surveyed and were over 45 years of age and 44 accessory structures in the Willamette Historic District in 2011, which had also not previously been surveyed.  The information on the accessory structures will supplement the existing survey forms completed when the area was evaluated for listing on the National Register of Historic Places.

The survey information for properties in West Linn, and others around the state, that are surveyed are entered in the Oregon Historic Sites Database.  A link to the database is below.