Portland's Great Boom and the Shaping of our Historic Streetcar Neighborhoods

West coast cities boomed in the early 20th Century, propelled by soaring international trade and exploding growth of agriculture and natural resources. Portland was no exception – in the years from 1900 to 1910 Portland's population grew by 130%! The rapid growth and early adoption of electric streetcar transportation led to the rise of "suburban" developments, most of which sprawled across the relatively flat East Side of the city.

This richly illustrated lecture explores the confluence of architectural taste changes and urban development that resulted in our amazingly rich heritage of residential architecture. This is especially timely in that our quintessentially "Portland" neighborhoods are all too often being targeted for demolition and redevelopment to the dismay of residents who cherish that which helps define Portland as a unique place to live. 

Lecturers Jim Heuer and Robert Mercer have been studying the evolution of early 20th Century Portland architecture for the last 15 years, and presented an earlier version of this lecture in 2011. This updated version reflects their continuing research into this fascinating period in Portland's history.

Space is limited. Pre-registration is recommended.

Sponsored by: Craftsman Design & Renovation