Central Southeast Preservation Project records

Collection

Identifier: Coll 1035

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The collection consists of the records of the Central Southeast Preservation Project, an organization that surveyed and sought landmark status for historic properties in Southeast Portland, Oregon, in the late 1980s. Administrative records include correspondence and mailings, financial records, grants, contracts and agreements, and records of a photograph exhibit the project produced. A substantial amount of the collection consists of description and documentation for individual properties. This includes evaluation sheets; nomination forms for city landmark status and for the National Register of Historic Places; a report submitted to the National Register of Historic Places; photographs in the form of color slides, black and white negatives, and black and white contact sheets; photocopies of newspaper articles, records, and book passages relating to property history; and a three-volume inventory of properties, titled "Oregon Cultural Resource Inventory, Central Southeast Portland."

Dates

Creation: 1888-1989
Creation: Majority of material found within 1986-1989

Creator

Central Southeast Preservation Project (Portland, Or.) (Organization)

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

The Oregon Historical Society owns the materials in the Research Library and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. The Society does not necessarily hold copyright to all materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use may require seeking additional authorization from copyright owners.

Historical Note

The Central Southeast Preservation Project was an organization that sought historic landmark status for multiple properties in Southeast Portland, Oregon, in the late 1980s. Directed by Karen Zisman (later Karen Perl Fox), the project was sponsored by the Hawthorne Boulevard Business Association, and received a $36,500 grant from the State Historic Preservation Office and the National Park Service. Project employees and volunteers surveyed and inventoried sites, and produced research, photographs, and written descriptions to document Southeast Portland's history. In 1988, the project nominated 44 properties for the National Register of Historic Places. Nominated properties included historic houses, theaters, fire stations, and commercial buildings located in a 600-block area that included the Buckman, Sunnyside, and Hosford-Abernethy neighborhoods.

In 1989, the Central Eastside Industrial Council and the Hawthorne Boulevard Business Association proposed a 39-block National Historic District in Southeast Portland. In 1990, the Portland City Council approved a smaller, 20-block historic district.

Sources: Articles in the Oregonian: "Project developed to preserve Southeast," August 5, 1987; "Landmark status sought for Hawthorne area," October 3, 1988; "Historic designation sought for district," March 21, 1989; "City Council approves Eastside historic district," August 23, 1990.

Extent

6.2 Cubic Feet (5 record cartons; 1 letter document case; 1 oversize folder (12x15) in shared flat box)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

Records of the Central Southeast Preservation Project (CSEPP), an organization that nominated multiple properties in Southeast Portland, Oregon, for historic landmark status in the late 1980s. The collection includes administrative records, National Register of Historic Places nomination forms, color slides and black and white negatives of buildings, and survey and research documentation.

Arrangement

Collection is arranged in two series:

Series 1: Administrative records
Series 2: Property survey and nomination records

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Researcher access to negatives in the collection is limited for preservation purposes. Contact library staff for assistance.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Gift of Karen Perl Fox, August 2023 (RL2023-045).

Processing Information

During processing, materials that had originally been kept in binders were removed from the binders for preservation purposes. Most original file folders were retained. The titles given in the collection guide for these folders were derived from the original folder labels and from folder contents. In cases where the original label was unclear, a new title was devised by the processing archivists and written on the folder.