Building Oregon

Duniway School (Portland, Oregon)

Title
Duniway School (Portland, Oregon)
LC Subject
Architecture, American Architecture--United States
Alternative
Duniway Elementary School (Portland, Oregon)
Creator
Jones, George H.
Creator Display
George Howell Jones (architect, 1887-1950)
Description
This image is included in Building Oregon: Architecture of Oregon and the Pacific Northwest, a digital collection which provides documentation about the architectural heritage of the Pacific Northwest. Oregon Historic Site Form. Prepared by Iris Eschen.
Provenance
University of Oregon Libraries
Temporal
1920-1929 1940-1949
Style Period
Gothic Revival Collegiate Gothic
Work Type
architecture (object genre) built works views (visual works) exterior views public schools (buildings) rooms (interior spaces) architectural drawings (visual works) plans (orthographic projections) plans, floor
Location
Portland >> Multnomah County >> Oregon >> United States Multnomah County >> Oregon >> United States Oregon >> United States United States
Date
1926 1948
View Date
2009
Identifier
OR_Multnomah_Portland_Duniway.pdf
Rights
In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted
Type
Image
Format
application/pdf
Material
Brick; Cast Stone
Set
Building Oregon
Primary Set
Building Oregon
Institution
University of Oregon
Citation
PPS Historic Building Assessment 2009
Note
Oregon Historic Site Form Duniway School 7700 Reed College Pl Portland, Multnomah County block nbr: lot nbr: tax lot nbr: township: range: section: 1/ 4: LOCATION AND PROPERTY NAME elig. evaluation: eligible/ significant primary orig use: School secondary orig use: primary style: Late Gothic Revival secondary style: primary siding: Standard Brick secondary siding: Cast Stone plan type: School ( General) Portland historic name: Duniway School primary constr date: 1926 secondary date: 1948 height (# stories): 2 total # ineligible resources: ( optional-- use for major addns) current/ other names: Duniway Elementary School ( c.) ( c.) orig use comments: prim style comments: Collegiate Gothic sec style comments: location descr: assoc addresses: vcnty address: ( remote sites) siding comments: PROPERTY CHARACTERISTICS farmstead/ cluster name: zip: total # eligible resources: 1 apprx. addrs resource type: Building NR status: RLS survey date: 6/ 24/ 2009 external site #: 244 ( ID# used in city/ agency database) survey project name or other grouping name comments/ notes: HRI Rank II. ILS survey date: 6/ 24/ 2009 Gen File date: SHPO INFO FOR THIS PROPERTY NR date listed: GROUPINGS / ASSOCIATIONS Optional Information 7700 SE Reed College Pl Multnomah County ( former addresses, intersections, etc.) architect: Jones, George H. builder: NR date listed: ( indiv listed only; see Grouping for hist dist) 106 Project( s) PPS Historic Building Assessment 2009 Survey & Inventory Project West elevation. Printed on: 10/ 14/ 2009 Page 1 of 4 Oregon Historic Site Form Duniway School 7700 Reed College Pl Portland, Multnomah County ARCHITECTURAL / PROPERTY DESCRIPTION ( Include expanded description of the building/ property, setting, significant landscape features, outbuildings, and alterations) HISTORY ( Chronological, descriptive history of the property from its construction through at least the historic period [ preferably to the present]) Summary Description Situated in the Eastmoreland neighborhood of southeast Portland, Duniway Elementary School is located at 7700 SE Reed College Place. The two-story L- shaped building is situated at the northwest corner of the 5.60- acre parcel. The reinforced concrete structure, faced in red brick, rests on a poured concrete foundation. The gable roof that covers the central wing is clad in red clad pantiles. Several portions of the building feature flat roofs covered in asphalt roofing materials. Designed in the Collegiate Gothic style, the building features prominent cross gable roofs that distinguish the entries to the building. Cast stone embellishments include irregular shaped quoins at the corners and window surrounds, belt courses, and coping at the parapet. The building also features a number of projecting bay windows typically situated above entries or at ends of an elevation. Fenestration consists primarily of 6- over- 6, wood frame windows. Architectural Description Situated in the Eastmoreland neighborhood of southeast Portland, Duniway Elementary School is located at 7700 SE Reed College Place. The neighborhood is comprised primarily of single family residences built 1928- 1950 ( Sanborn Maps 1924- 1928, Sanborn Map updated to 1950). The two- story L- shaped building ( 244A, 244B, and 244C) is located at the northwest corner of the 5.60- acre parcel. An asphalt covered parking lot is located to the north of the building. Asphalt covered play areas and several grassy play fields occupy the south and east ends of the campus. The site does not contain any ancillary buildings. The reinforced concrete structure, faced in red brick, rests on a poured concrete foundation. The gable roofs that cover the primary central portion of the building are clad in red pantiles. Several wings feature flat roofs covered in asphalt roofing materials. Fenestration consists primarily of six-over- six, wood frame windows. Designed in the Collegiate Gothic style, the building features prominent cross gable roofs that distinguish the entries to the building and the brick is laid with different colored bricks to create diapering. Cast stone embellishments include irregularly arranged quoins at building corners and door and window surrounds, belt courses, and coping at the parapet. The prominence of the entries are further highlighted by the built- up four- centered ( or depressed) arches above the doors, panels inscribed with the word “ Duniway”, and additional panels inscribed with floral patterns above and below an oriel window. The school building is comprised of the 1926 primary wing ( 244A) that extends north south. An L- shaped wing ( 244B) forms the north end of the building, added in 1948, houses the cafeteria and additional classrooms. The south end addition ( 244C) houses 3 additional classrooms that were added in 1953. Double loaded corridors provide access to most of the classrooms, offices, and community spaces. The auditorium features the original stage, seating, and balcony. The floors are clad in a mixture of 6” x 6” tiles, newer 12” x 12” tiles, carpet, concrete, and hardwood. Tubular fluorescent light figures are suspended from the acoustic tile covered ceiling. Many spaces feature original woodwork in the moldings, window surrounds, and built- ins. The classrooms are primarily rectangular. Chalkboards and built- in cabinetry are located on the interior walls. Heat for the individual spaces are provided by radiators and univents. Alterations Built in 1926, the original school building was L- shaped with a small courtyard that separated the auditorium from the north classrooms with a rear bay that housed the gymnasium. The L- shaped wing that occupies the north end of the building was added in 1948. This wing houses the kitchen, cafeteria and additional classrooms. A rectangular wing was added to the south end of the building in 1953 that added 3 first floor and 1 2nd floor classroom. More modest changes include the addition of acoustic tiles and new lighting fixtures in 1953, changes to flooring ( 1987, 1989), and installation of partition walls in various classrooms ( Duniway Elementary School Facility Profile). There have also been multiple changes to floors, finishes, and light fixtures. Integrity Although there have been multiple changes to Duniway Elementary School, the building retains its integrity. The additions are modest in scale and height and secondary in location. The utilization of similar brick, cast stone, and fenestration on the additions maintain the continuity of the building. The original circulation was retained through the placement of the new wings on the ends of the building. The majority of classrooms retain their original configuration and many built- ins. The auditorium and gymnasiums are highly intact. The fenestration, cast stone, pantiles, and brickwork have been extremely well cared for, maintaining the sense of design, workmanship, and materials. Printed on: 10/ 14/ 2009 Page 2 of 4 Oregon Historic Site Form Duniway School 7700 Reed College Pl Portland, Multnomah County Statement of Significance Constructed in 1926, Duniway School was part of the last wave of a dramatic building program begun by Portland Public Schools in the early 1900s. Gradually influenced by John Dewey’s Progressive Education Movement, PPS responded to changing city demographics and ideas concerning school safety, sanitation, and child centered instructional methods beginning in the first decade of the 1900s ( Rippa, 1997: passim; Cremin 1961: 135- 153; Cubberley 1915: 283- 290). By 1905, it became increasingly clear that dramatic increases in school- age children outstripped the district’s existing classroom capacity and existing schools could not effectively serve areas of the city where new residential development was occurring ( Cubberley 1915: 283- 285, 288- 290). After several well- publicized school fires elsewhere in the United States, calls for a more fundamental change in the building stock of the district began as early as 1906 when Mayor Lane called for the construction of new “ fireproof” school buildings ( Oregonian, 10- 31- 1906). In 1910, various city neighborhood “ advancement clubs” joined forces to discuss the unfit school buildings in their respective neighborhoods ( Oregonian 07- 31- 1910). Soon after this meeting, on August 16, 1910, the Portland City Council enacted a requirement that all schools constructed after January 1, 1911 would have to be of fire proof construction ( Powers and Corning 1937: 183). By 1914, in the first joint meeting between Portland city officials, Multnomah County Commissioners, and the school board, officials agreed to work with building code officials to encourage the use of fireproof construction and to implement fire safety measures in all existing and future schools ( Oregonian, 03- 31- 1914). In 1908, Portland Public Schools created the Bureau of Properties in an effort to centralize the management of the district’s various properties ( Powers and Corning 1937: 182). Within this office, the District architect took on a more formalized role in the design and maintenance of school facilities. Two of the most influential district architects during this period included Floyd Naramore and George Jones who designed a majority of the schools between 1908 and 1932. These new school buildings were often constructed of brick and concrete and were one or two stories in height. To speed the construction of the new schools and to anticipate later growth in the neighborhood, these new buildings were often constructed in units ( sometimes referred to as extensible schools) ( Powers and Corning 1937: 182). The buildings also contained more differentiated and increasingly specialized instructional spaces such as libraries, gymnasiums, science rooms, music rooms, as well as assembly spaces ( Powers and Corning 1937: 182). The architectural details of the new schools were largely encompassed by the Classical Revival, Colonial Revival, and Collegiate Gothic styles; architectural revivals that were viewed as inspirational and appropriate for educational settings ( Betelle 1919: 28; Sibley 1923: 66; Patton 1967: 1- 8). Between the onset of the Great Depression in 1929 and World War II in 1941, few schools were constructed in Portland, although several schools were recipients of Works Progress Administration funding for artwork, additions, system updates, and playground improvements. The architect of Duniway School, George Jones, was well versed in the design of school facilities through his role as Superintendent of Building for the district. The son of Thomas J. Jones, who had also served as district architect for many years, George Jones was born in Portland in 1887. After attending Oregon State College for two years, George Jones obtained a degree in architecture in 1913. Jones worked in New York for several years before serving in U. S. Army Combat Engineers during World War I. Following his return to Portland in 1920, Jones obtained his architecture license. He quickly assumed the position of school architect after his predecessor Floyd A. Naramore became district architect for the Seattle School District. In his role as district architect, George Jones designed about 25 new schools and supervised the construction of additions for many existing building. Following his tenure with PPS, Jones went into private practice in Portland. With architect Harold Marsh, he established the firm of Jones & Marsh. Throughout his career Jones continued to specialize in school design, with projects in Pendleton, Klamath Falls and Oregon City. The firm of Jones & Marsh also designed additions to Roosevelt High School in Portland, buildings at Concordia Academy, and the Engineering wing and coliseum at Oregon State College in Corvallis ( Ritz 2002 217). Although the current building that houses Duniway Elementary school was constructed in 1927, the new school building signaled the growth of the Eastmoreland neighborhood beginning in the late nineteenth century. In 1877, a wooden school house was erected at S. E. Tacoma and 26th Street by Lorana Wills, the wife of a local sawmill owner. Willsburg School, Portland’s 7th, was replaced in 1902 by a new building that boasted two classrooms, three blackboards, a hot air furnace and a brick foundation. In October 1911, the land in the Eastmoreland neighborhood was incorporated into the city of Portland. In 1914, a new school campus featuring 4 portable buildings opened under the name Eastmoreland School at the site of the present Duniway School. The school was renamed Duniway in 1919 in honor of Abigail Scott Duniway a significant early settler and suffragette ( Oregonian 10- 28- 1997, Eastmoreland History). By the mid 1920s growth in the Eastmoreland neighborhood led to the decision to construct a permanent school building. In a December 7, 1926 article in the Oregonian newspaper, the school board indicated that it would be seeking bids for the construction of the new Duniway School ( Oregonian 12- 07- 1926). Completed later that year, the original school building was L- shaped with a small courtyard that separated the auditorium from the north classrooms with a rear bay that housed the gymnasium ( Oregonian 10- 28- 1997, Eastmoreland History). The Collegiate Gothic detailing chosen for the Duniway school was conspicuously similar to the academic buildings of nearby Reed College. A 1927 article in the Oregonian indicated that Duniway, along with Gregory Heights, Hosford, Beaumont, and Laurelhurst, would include a cafeteria provided that the cost would not exceed $ 500 ( Oregonian 11- 08- 1927). It appears that the cafeteria was not constructed until 1948 when an L-shaped wing was added at the north end of the building ( Eastmoreland History). This wing housed the cafeteria and additional classrooms. Shortly after this, a fire started by a fourteen year old graduate of the school destroyed two portables including one that had previously housed the cafeteria ( Oregonian 06- 14- 1949). In June 1976 a 2nd fire badly damaged the new wing resulting in the remodeling of the classrooms. A rectangular wing was incorporated into the south end of the building in 1953. This wing added 3 classrooms on the first floor and 1 on the 2nd floor. More modest changes include the addition of acoustic tiles and new lighting fixtures in 1953, changes to flooring ( 1987, 1989), and installation of partition walls in various classrooms ( Duniway Elementary School Facility Profile). There have also been multiple changes to floors, finishes, and light fixtures. The school retains a high degree of integrity. The additions utilize similar brick to the main building. The ceiling height, stair location, and corridor configuration are intact. The gymnasium and auditorium have only been minimally altered. The school retains much of the original built- in cabinetry, moldings, and its original windows. Printed on: 10/ 14/ 2009 Page 3 of 4 Oregon Historic Site Form Duniway School 7700 Reed College Pl Portland, Multnomah County RESEARCH INFORMATION Title Records Sanborn Maps Obituaries City Directories Census Records Biographical Sources Newspapers Building Permits Property Tax Records SHPO Files State Archives State Library Local Histories Interviews Historic Photographs Local Library: Multnomah County Library University Library: Portland State University Library Historical Society: Oregon Historical Society Other Repository: PPS Archives Bibliography: Betelle, James O. “ Architectural Styles as Applied to School Buildings.” American School Board Journal. Vol. 58 ( April 1919). Cremin, Lawrence. The Transformation of the School: Progressivism in American Education, 1876- 1957. New York: A. Knopt, 1961. Cubberley, Ellwood Patterson. The Portland Survey: A Textbook on City School Administration Based on a Concrete Study. Yonkers-on- Hudson, NY: World Book Co., 1915. Duniway P. T. A. and Eastmoreland Neighborhood Association. “ Duniway the School. Eastmoreland the Community .” The Sellwood Bee, November 1977. http:// www. eastmoreland. org/ about- history% 20book. htm. Internet accessed July 21, 2009. Oregonian. “ Contractors Rated By Gifts to Chest. Penurious Donated by School Board.” 11- 08- 1927. Oregonian, “ Patrons to Select New Names for Schools.” 12- 07- 1926 Oregonian. “ Change Favored in School Buildings.” 3- 31- 1914. Oregonian. “ Mayor Lane and the Schools.” 10- 31- 1906. Oregonian. “ Separate Fires Sweep Local Mill, Two Portables at Duniway School.” 06- 15- 1949. Oregonian. “ School Buildings are Called Unfit.” 7- 31- 1910. Oregonian. “ Duniway 50th Anniversary Turning out to be 100th.” 10- 27- 1977. Patton, Glenn. “ American Collegiate Gothic: A Phase of University Architectural Development.” Journal of Higher Education. Vol. 38, No. 1 ( January, 1967). Portland Public Schools. Schools Chronology Binder. Powers, Alfred and Howard McKinley Corning, History of Education in Portland. [ Portland]: Work Projects Administration, 1937. Rippa, Alexander. Education in a Free Society: An American History. New York: Longman, 1997. Ritz, Richard. E. Architects of Oregon. A Biographical Dictionary of Architects Deceased – 19th and 20th Centuries. Portland: Lair Hill Publishing, 2003. Sanborn Map Company 1924- 1928, 1908- Dec. 1950 Sanborn Maps, Multnomah County Public Library, Portland, Oregon. Available at: https:// catalog. multcolib. org/ validate? url= http% 3A% 2F% 2F0- sanborn. umi. com. catalog. multcolib. org% 3A80% 2F. Accessed June 16, 2009. Sibley, Ernest. “ Why I Prefer the Colonial Style.” School Board Journal: Vol. 66 ( January 1923). ( Check all of the basic sources consulted and cite specific important sources) Duniway Elementary School is a good example of the schools designed by George Jones during his tenure as Superintendent of Building of the Portland Schools. The 1948 addition is modest in scale and located to the east of the primary school building. The 1953 addition utilizes similar brick, windows, and cast stone belt course and parapet coping to provide continuity with the primary wing of the building. In comparison with other Portland schools developed during the same period and constructed of similar styles, Duniway School retains a high degree of integrity and is therefore eligible for the National Register of Historic Places under Criterion A as an example of school planning and the emerging development of the Eastmoreland neighborhood. The school is also eligible under Criterion C as an example of the work of George Jones in the Collegiate Gothic style. Printed on: 10/ 14/ 2009 Page 4 of 4 West elevation facing east North elevation South elevation of addition East elevation facing west South elevation facing northeast Duniway School Exterior Photos ENTRIX 2009 Staircase and handrail Auditorium Classroom built- in Classroom facing east Connecting door between gymnasiums Duniway School Interior Photos ENTRIX 2009 1924- 1928, Sanborn Fire Insurance Company Map, Portland, Oregon, Map 1099. Arrow points to future location of Duniway Public School. Immediately to the north are an array of portable classrooms. Updated to 1950 Sanborn Fire Insurance Company Map, Portland, Oregon, Map 1099. Arrow points to Duniway Public School. Note school location and street changes. Duniway School 7700 SE Reed College Place, Portland OR, 97202 Building Periods 1. Main Building ( 224A), 1926 2. Addition ( 224B), 1948 3. Classroom Add ( 224C), 1953 SE Lambert St Aerial photo © 2009 Metro, Portland OR Imagery Date: July 12, 2007 SE Reed College Pl SE Rex St 1927 architectural rendering of the Duniway School by Thayne Logan View Site in Google Maps Historical Significance and Building Integrity Contrib: High Significance Contrib: Moderate Signif. Non- Contributing 0’ 50’ 100’ 200’ N sandy Blvd Lombard st powell Blvd 82nd ave MLK jr b lvd 1 2 3