moved houses

Fun Fact #36 Did they really move houses with horses and oxen?

Slabtown Tours Fun Facts , , , ,
Fun Fact #36 Did they really move houses with horses and oxen?

How many houses have been moved in the Alphabet Historic District?

Morris Marks House September 30, 2017. Karen Karlsson, Felicia Williams & Tanya March

 

The Morris Marks House was cut in half and moved in two parts across PSU this past weekend—that got us thinking.  In early Portland moving houses was once more common—horses and oxen would pull houses set on rolling logs. 

 

 

Which structures do we know were moved around in the Alphabet Historic District?

1970 Captain John Brown House Courtesy: http://asitwasarchitecture.blogspot.com & Mike Ryerson

The first that comes to mind is the Captain John Brown House; it was moved from 2035 NW Everett to Couch Park in the 1970s, but that effort failed and the house was eventually demolished.  Adding up structures from memory, asking Rick Michaelson, going over Mike Ryerson photo files and consulting and the Alphabet Historic District Nomination, I came up with at least ten more:

The Elliston in 1903 Courtesy Mike Ryerson

1) The Elliston Apartments (425 NW 18th, NW Portland Hostel), moved from the SW Park Blocks by oxen.

The Lawn Apartments Courtesy: Norman Gholston

2) The Lawn Apartments (133 NW 18th Avenue, AKA George H. Williams Townhouses), moved within the same block in 1922.

1731 NW Glisan Courtesy: Zillow.com

3) 1731 NW Glisan (built in 1890), moved from Good Samaritan Hospital to current location in 1978.

4) 1721-1723 NW Glisan (built in 1886), moved within the block 1978.

 

Mike Ryerson watching 504 Lovejoy house being moved December 1977.

5) 504 NW 18th (built in 1906), relocated from 2188 NW Lovejoy in 1977.

6) 2067 NW Lovejoy (built in 1890), moved to lot in 1928.  Is currently occupied by a business “A Women’s Time”.

7) 2061 NW Hoyt (built in 1884), moved from NW 17th between Kearny & Lovejoy c. 1916.

8) 621-623 NW 22nd (According to the AHD Nomination, pp. 150-51, a 1894 building on this site was demolished in 1930 and this duplex structure was moved onto the location c. 1930, the MLS and Portland Maps thinks this is the 1894 building but the State Historic Preservation Office has the Mary Shephard House as c. 1930)

516 NW 18th City Archives and Record Center

9) 516 NW 18th (William H. Doran House built in 1886), moved from NW 17th Ave and NW Flanders Street in 1977 and is currently for sale.  Image to left clearly shows the building upon bricks with faux tarpaper like brick exterior.  This Italianate has been lovingly restored and you would not believe it to be the structure in this image.

Courtesy: Mike Ryerson

10)  1628 NW Everett (built 1880) The image on the left taken by Mike Ryerson and a story Rick Michaeson about a house he moved to Everett getting stuck leads me to conclude this Italianate was moved despite the fact that the AHD Nomination does not indicate that Thomas & Lizzie Whalen house was ever moved.

Of course, there are also the houses/apartments moved from the 1905 Lewis & Clark World’s Fair site.  Join us for our tours of Slabtown and St. Johns neighborhoods to learn more moved building stories.

 How many more can you help us identify???

Architectural Heritage Center has asked our owner Dr. March to present on the Challenges of Moved Buildings in Portland on June 13, 2026.

The brainstorming for this talk added to the Fun Fact above first created in 2017. This talk will focus on buildings city wide. Talk will touch on technology from capstans to trucks.

At Risk of Being Demolished

  1. Joes Cellar
  2. New Renaissance Bookstore 1338 NW 23rd

Secure for Now

  1. Float Shop NW 23rd
  2. Multiple Guilds Lake Courts Buildings
  3. Kamm House
  4. Morris Marks House
  5. Morris Marks II House
  6. Anna Bannanas (1214 NW. 21st & neighboring house – closed 2025)
  7. St. Johns Pub, 1905
  8. “Renovize House” 6th next to Pioneer Square moved a second time to SE
  9. Joseph Bergman House (built 1885 – 2134 NW Hoyt)
  10. NW Hostel 479 NW 18th Ave
  11. Ladd Carriage House, 1883
  12. Simon Benson House
  13. The Lawn
  14. Tavern and Pool
  15. Spencer Cp. Irvington (? Broadway Bridge- 1913 altered from ital. to Craftsman- Elizabeth daughter’s house? marries Spenser daughter Irevinton 1884)

Demolished Buildings Post Moving

  1. Captain John Brown House (moved to Couch Park prior to demo)
  2. Float Shop (NW23rd)
  3. Lincoln House, 1905 Lost initially moved by Eric Ladd
  4. Massachusetts State Building (1905- Mt. Tabor re, B.S. Josselyn SE 60th & Belmont demp 1950s)
  5. Elizabeth House St. Johns

Lost Track Of 

sp- Emmintener House

St. Mary’s

Willson St. House

Not Portland But…

  1. McLoughlin House moved in 1909
  2. Jantzen Beach C.

Thematic Clusters

  1. Ladd Colony
  2. Overton Houses
  3. Guilds Lake Homes
  4. Thurman Set moved 1903
  5. Lovejoy Column