Architecture

The historic houses of worship in Portland date back to 1850 with the creation of the city’s first church, First Methodist.

The Portland community embraced not just faith and values but also their aesthetic priorities as a society. Working in diverse styles such as Gothic Revival, Italianate, Romanesque Revival, and Modernism, architects Warren Williams, A.E. Doyle, Pietro Belluschi, and a host of others helped forge Portland’s architectural identity. While Portland’s earliest houses of worship are gone, a nearly complete photographic record of their existence remains. Portland’s religious communities have a long history of diversity, and the inclusion of as many faiths as possible has been a priority in the creation of this book.

John Doyle has been a lifelong student of history, architecture, and art history. After earning his master’s of art in art history from Tufts University, Doyle lectured at the Met Cloisters and then lived and traveled overseas for several years. He has lived in Portland since 1997 and has been a docent for the Architectural Heritage Center and a private tour guide since 2010. Doyle has devoted hundreds of hours to the study of Portland and Oregon history at the Oregon Historical Society, from whose collection most of the photographs in the book were obtained. 

As the first community to incorporate after Washington achieved statehood in 1890, the original city of Ballard has one of most storied histories in the state.

Bordered by Salmon Bay, the famous Ballard Locks, a bascule bridge, and the Salish Sea, the longtime joke was that one needed a passport to enter. The convergence of protected water and rich forests made Ballard's resources a seasonal draw for the Shilshole branch of the Duwamish tribe and then homesteaders. Dating back to the first claim of 820 acres in 1852, Ballard has weathered waves of development and rare times of bust. Once known as the Shingle Capital of the United States, Ballard saw many of its mills burn, its fishing fleet endure, and its local museum become a national treasure. Ballard always rises again, as did the iconic bell, which graced its city hall before annexation and now anchors the Ballard Avenue Landmark District, from its wildly popular Farmer's Market by day to destination nightlife. Preserving Ballard celebrates what has always kept the community's independent spirit alive.

Formed in 1988, the Ballard Historical Society is a nonprofit organization committed to the research, preservation, and public awareness of the Ballard community. The society maintains a growing interactive archive of photographs, media materials, and artifacts. Preserving Ballard showcases Ballard's spirit by providing historic knowledge and a deep sense of place to a district experiencing rapid change.

Lighthouses of the Pacific Coast explores many of the lighthouses and breakwater, pier, and reef lights in Alaska, Washington, Oregon, California, and Hawaii. Whether it is Eldred Rock Lighthouse in Alaska or Diamond Head Lighthouse in Hawaii, then as now, people have loved to visit the lights while on holiday and to send postcards back home.

Many of these important navigational aids are still in existence and can be visited, thanks to the historical societies and associations that still maintain them. Linda Osborne Cynowa has had a love of lighthouses for many years and has enjoyed visiting and photographing them. She has a background in photography and genealogy, along with postcard collecting and a lifelong love of history. She volunteered at the archives at her local library, researching the historical homes and families in the Romeo and Washington, Michigan, area where she lives. She is the author of Washington Township (2019), Macomb Township (2020), Farming in Northern Macomb County (2021), Lighthouses and Lifesaving on the Great Lakes (2022), and Lighthouse of the North Atlantic Coast (2023), all published by Arcadia Publishing.

A life in buildings

The son of Oregon pioneers, Walter D. Pugh spent his career as an architect building landmarks throughout his home state. From designing the Thomas Kay Woolen Mill and supervising the installation of the State Capitol dome in Salem to drawing the plans for the Crook County Courthouse in Prineville, Pugh had a hand in a wide variety of buildings. In less than twenty-five years, he worked on more than a hundred projects before fading into obscurity. Many of these structures are still standing, a testament to his skill even after his contributions have been all but forgotten.

Join author and historian Terence Emmons as he explores the life and legacy of one of Oregon's foremost architects.

Located along the west bank of the Willamette River at the falls in Oregon, the West Linn area offers a vibrant and interesting array of geological history, including ice age floods and the Willamette Meteorite. It is a significant historic site for Native Americans because of fishing and trading at the falls, and it was a settling place for early pioneers at the end of the Oregon Trail. It was known as an important hub of the paper and electric production industry.

The West Linn Historical Society has been sharing “History Without Walls” since 2014.

Oregon City’s storied past remains embedded in its architecture, where impressions of earlier generations linger beneath bricks and plaster. These structures narrate the city’s growth and are concrete reminders of those who labored in its transition.

Anchored between historical and modern lenses, writer Johna Sans Heintz and photographer Jo Lynn Dow have combined their academic backgrounds in history and education to present time-capsuled snapshots of Oregon City. Their street scenes and anecdotes humanize those whose legacies are interwoven into the city’s fabric.