Architectural Heritage Center Archives

Irvington is a Northeast Portland neighborhood that was originally part of the Donation Land Claim of 1851. Today, it is a thriving community of single-family homes and apartment buildings. The southern boundary of Irvington is NE Broadway Street. Boasting numerous restaurants, shops, and other services along this southern boundary (Things From Another World games and comic shop, barber shops, the tidy gas station Fastrack, veterinarian clinic, etc.), it makes for a great biking and pedestrian-friendly area of Portland. Catch the bus on Broadway to get to downtown in just minutes. The Pearl District is also just past the Broadway Bridge, so there is direct and efficient access to other neighborhoods. It is also close enough to the on-ramps for I-84 and I-5 (but not too close!). The northern boundary is Fremont Street, also a haven for shopping and dining.

Coming Full Circle

The Portland Streetcar was implemented in 1889, connecting more neighborhoods. Its relevance peaked in 1912, according to the Portland Bureau of Transportation’s website. The original Portland Streetcar service ended in 1950. The modern version of the Portland Streetcar, more efficient and practical for modern roadways, was implemented in 2001. Alas, history does repeat itself.

Having once lived in this neighborhood myself, it is near and dear to me. Please enjoy a selection of photos collected over the recent years and seasons. If you’d like to read a more extensive history on Irvington, please visit the Irvington Neighborhood Association’s National Park Service’s National Register Nomination submission. Enjoy the tour!

Photo Gallery

tudor style home — Craftsman half-timber home

scooter in front of home — Great place to ride a scooter

home with hand sanitizer in entry — Hand sanitizer adorning the entryway

yellow stately manor home — Another stately style

queen anne victorian home — Queen Anne Style

black cat chilling by wall — Black cats are my favorite

cat crossing street — Cat walking the clean streets

large tree in fall — Majestic fall colors

home decorated for halloween — Halloween

orange rose in bloom — You can almost smell this rose

home christmas lights — Home decorated with Christmas lights

meringue pies and babka — Goodies at Helen Bernhard Bakery

bulbous tree growth — Interesting trees abound

vintage red car under fall tree — Vintage car in front of Central Lutheran Church in Fall

mushrooms — Take time to notice the little things

black and white cat climbing leg — The cats are very friendly

architectural heritage center walking tour — 1913 – Graham Woodlaw house. He was a theater owner who owned the Bagdad Theater, along with many other old theaters in Portland.

On this Architectural Heritage Center’s Walking Tour, Jim and Robert lead us through Portland’s Sullivan’s Gulch neighborhood. Tucked in between the Irvington neighborhood (which is north of Northeast Broadway) and I-84 in Northeast Portland, Sullivan’s Gulch is named for Thomas Sullivan. Sullivan received the land as a donation land claim in the 1860’s and had a cabin on the edge of the Gulch. When Sullivan died, he left all of his land to his daughter, who became a nun and donated the 360-acre parcel to Sisters of Providence Church.

Holladay’s Addition

Ben Holladay bought land and started to develop it, with the first house having been built in 1871. About 500 homes were built in total. Holladay Park was a town square for Victorian colonial mansions, a major part of the development of the train going south from Portland and the bridge going across the river from downtown. Irvington Street car and Broadway Street car came to the Addition from what was the first Morrison Bridge street car and the river ferry from Portland.

By 1920, many of the former owners had moved to places like Dunthorpe neighborhood, so there was a question of what to do with hundreds of these large, swanky homes. Holladay had gone bankrupt with railroad development, so portions of Holladay’s Addition were sold off. Ralph Lloyd ended up buying all the land and tore down 500 homes in the area for commercial development. The area had been cleared of the homes by the 1940s. Lloyd Center was built in the area in 1960.

Planning and Liveability

One of the interesting planning features is the use of cul de sacs. Between Northeast 21st and Northeast 28th Avenues, there are no outlets, except to either Northeast 21st, NE Weidler or NE Broadway. This intentional feature greatly reduces vehicle through-traffic and associated noise.

If you’re ever at Hollywood Fred Meyer, you’ll see enlarged historic photos of Sullivan’s Gulch in the entryway and throughout the store. The area continues to evolve as new residential and commercial buildings are constructed. Contact me if you’re interested in seeing what is for sale in this neighborhood. For more information about the Architectural Heritage Center, please visit their website.