Some of Oregon’s famous landmarks are in danger of closing

By Wendy Culverwell, Portland Business Journal Published: May 23, 2012 at 12:40 PM PDT Last Updated: Nov 20, 2012 at 12:23 PM PDT
Some of Oregon’s famous landmarks are in danger of closing
The View Point Inn in the Columbia River Gorge after it was hit by fire in 2011. Investigators said sparks from the chimney that landed on the cedar shake roof started the fire. KATU image.

The Jantzen Beach carousel, Portland’s Old Town District and the Willamette Falls Locks at West Linn share the distinction of being historic places with questionable futures.

The Historic Preservation League of Oregon announced its list of the state’s Most Endangered Places Tuesday at a lunch in Portland.

The league told those in attendance that each property is a significant resource and they are in danger of being lost to hard times, development pressure, demolition or neglect.

The Jantzen Beach Carousel, a fixture of Hayden Island since the 1920s, is threatened by redevelopment plans that do not seem to include it.

The center’s owner has pledged to preserve the carousel, regarded as a last vestige of the Jantzen Beach Amusement Park and one of the largest carousels ever constructed by CW Parker Co.

Jantzen Beach property managers were not immediately available to confirm plans to preserve the carousel.

The Skidmore/Old Town District, is one of just two urban districts in Oregon to carry the designation of National Historic Landmark.  The preservation league notes that surface parking lots cover 29 percent of Old Town, "accentuating a sense of blight."

Willamette Falls Locks were closed by the Army Corps of Engineers over safety concerns and lack of funds for repair. The locks, constructed in 1873, are considered a “National Treasure” by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

The list also includes Ice House at Eagle Point, the Uppertown Net Loft in Astoria, the Rivoli Theater in Pendleton, Rosemont Farm Smokehouse in Yamhill, the St. Francis Hotel in Albany and the View Point Inn in Corbett.

The View Point Inn, which is the last of the 21 inns that once lined the historic Columbia River Highway, closed after a fire in 2011. | Read more about the fire

“Our goal in publicizing Oregon’s most Endangered Places is to spotlight the value of these places as cultural and economic assets,” Peggy Moretti, executive director of the Historic Preservation League, told the Portland Business Journal.

The properties are discussed in depth on the league’s website.

The Portland Business Journal is a KATU News partner.