“There’s gold in your attic!” could also apply to our city’s historic buildings. There are consequences to tearing down our older buildings and homes; we could be throwing away a major economic benefit. The “gold” is heritage tourism, which can provide long-term returns on investments in our historic resources. Lake Oswego has the only remaining iron furnace west of the … [Read more...] about May 2015 Letter to the Editor by Marylou Colver, President
Letters to the Editor
April 2015 Letter to the Editor by Marylou Colver, President
“Building demolitions unlock decades of poison.” This attention-grabbing headline immediately brought to mind the seemingly daily demolition of homes in Lake Oswego neighborhoods. As backhoes claw these houses to piles of rubble, lead paint is converted to a particulate dust that spreads to neighboring homes, an unwelcome and dangerous presence which lingers for … [Read more...] about April 2015 Letter to the Editor by Marylou Colver, President
July 2014 Buildings Matter Letter to the Editor
A Seattle wedding and a Philadelphia funeral — what do these two solemn ceremonies have in common? There’s the woman who tried to save an abandoned Seattle warehouse by marrying it and the funeral held for a vernacular Philadelphia townhouse prior to demolition. Both of these ceremonies were intended to honor buildings that were once an integral part of their communities. Why … [Read more...] about July 2014 Buildings Matter Letter to the Editor
February 2013 The Eloquence of Buildings Letter to the Editor
Homes, commercial buildings, and even industrial remains can be among the few long-lived “residents” who can tell us, our children, and future generations the stories of our community. These stories might be about the place where the first city council meetings were held after Oswego incorporated in 1910 (long before a city hall was constructed) or the local mid-century … [Read more...] about February 2013 The Eloquence of Buildings Letter to the Editor
January 2013 Let’s be Visionaries Letter to the Editor
Let’s be visionaries and see buildings for their potential and not just for the value of the land on which they sit. Many buildings, particularly houses, have been part of the lives of generations. You don’t have to live in a house for it to become a part of you. It’s the small mid-century modern you notice every time you walk to town. It’s the cottage where your best grade … [Read more...] about January 2013 Let’s be Visionaries Letter to the Editor