June 22, 2017 Episode.
It was a joy to welcome back today my long-time friend and partner-in-preservation Kimberli Fitzgerald. Kimberli was also my partner in the first year of this program and continues to come alongside us in her professional role to remind us that preservation of the historic resources in our area remains a top priority with our local governmental agencies. Case in point, Kimberli announced that the Salem Historic Landmarks Commission has selected the winners for the annual "This Place Matters" photo contest. This competition began in 2015 and garners more entries every year, with 33 entries submitted for 2017.
It was a joy to welcome back today my long-time friend and partner-in-preservation Kimberli Fitzgerald. Kimberli was also my partner in the first year of this program and continues to come alongside us in her professional role to remind us that preservation of the historic resources in our area remains a top priority with our local governmental agencies. Case in point, Kimberli announced that the Salem Historic Landmarks Commission has selected the winners for the annual "This Place Matters" photo contest. This competition began in 2015 and garners more entries every year, with 33 entries submitted for 2017.
 Submitted by Sarah Rohrs  Submitted by Donna Rohr The photo of the Kirkbride Building at the Oregon State Hospital (top left), submitted by Sarah Rohrs was awarded First Place in the Historic Buildings category. |  Submitted by Sarah Rohrs  Submitted by Rebekah Guest |
Another photo taken by Sarah Rohrs of the Court-Chemeketa Historic District Pedestrian Bridge (top, right) was awarded First Place in the Historic Neighborhood category. Rebekah Guest was named the winner in the Historic Place category with her photo of the Union Street Pedestrian Bridge (above, right). The Chairman's Choice award was taken by the photo of the Elsinore Theater interior by Donna Rohr (above, left). To view all the entries in this year's competition, check out the City of Salem's Facebook Page.
 Mayor Chuck Bennett (l.), HLC Chair Kevin Sund (r.) with Supreme Court Chief Justice Thomas A. Balmer  David Holton with Virginia Green | As you may recall, the month of May is National Historic Preservation Month, so recognition awards just keep coming. The SHLC has long recognized preservation efforts in the local community by bestowing awards named in honor of long-time newspaper photographer Ben Maxwell and local preservation activist Virginia Green. The Ben Maxwell Award recognizes excellence in the renovation of an historic building, and this year's recipient was the extensive work done on the exterior of the Oregon Supreme Court Building. The Virginia Green Award recognizes an individual who has contributed greatly to historic preservation in our community, with architect/builder David Bolton being named the 2017 recipient. These well-deserving folks received their awards at a recent meeting of the Landmarks Commission. |
(Photo, Thomas N. Green, Jr.) Upcoming projects of interest to our readers include the demolition of the First National Bank/Wells Fargo Bank building designed by Pietro Belluschi in downtown Salem. The HLC approved demolition of this building several years ago to allow for a new building development proposal. That proposal did not come to fruition, but the City is now anticipating receiving a new proposal in the near future. A condition of the original demolition approval that still applies is that the Littman relief panels on this building shall be professionally removed and reused in any new building constructed on the site. Any proposal for new construction within the Downtown Historic District requires review and approval by the HLC, so the public will have an opportunity to view and comment on any submitted proposals.
(Photo, T.N. Green, Jr.) The demolition of the majority of the buildings located on the North Campus of the Oregon State Hospital is nearing completion. The Dome Building and the Yaquina Building were exempt from the demolition plans. The State is looking to sell the remainder of the property. Again, the HLC will review any proposals for new construction on this site, so the public will have an opportunity to see what is proposed and provide comments. The old General Hospital on an adjacent parcel was also demolished, but that site is in private ownership and not part of the North Campus.
Kimberli also reported that as a requirement of her upcoming degree in archeology and cultural resource management, she will spend most of the summer participating in an archeological dig at the Fort Vancouver National Historic site outside of Vancouver, Washington. We're extremely pleased to announce that Kimberli has agreed to be a scheduled recurring guest on Salem History Matters, so we'll get to learn more about this exciting project in the not-too-distant future! We always have a good time when she joins us!
Posted by Deb Meaghers
Posted by Deb Meaghers
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