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of historic renovation work between 1995

and 1999. And there’s still plenty of restora­

tion to be done.

“We have the ability and the culture to get

these types of projects done,” the business

development director says. “They’re different,

they’re rime-consuming, they’re complicated.

And we know how to do them.”

But preserving vintage buildings isn’t just

good business for Andersen Construction.

“It’s good for the community It’s good to

rebuild, redo and respect some of the older

buildings that exist in this town,” Charpentier

continues. “Instead of wiping them out, why

not keep them around for another 60 to 70

years so we can continue to enjoy them?”

For Andersen Construction, Charpentier

concludes, working to preserve the timeless

style of antique architecture is “a labor of

love.”

Patti Curry is a Portland freelance w riter The Simon Benson House. Photo by Nick Garibbo, Photo Design.

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DJC/October 2000 9

By Stephanie Basalyga for ti)e D ie mag(̂ zine

1f the walk of the Simon Benson House could talk, they might tell about the

years of neglect — the trash and mbbish piled

strewn across floorboards, the crumbing chim­

neys and boarded up windows, the transients

who built fires in empty rooms to keep warm

More likely, however, the house would talk

about the caring hands of craftsmen, hands

that recendy hammered nafls and reshaped

millwork in an attempt to restore the 100-

plus-year-old house to its former glory

The transformation from eyesore to show-

place hasn't been easy or short-lived, however.

City residents and companies contributed tens

of thousands of dollars. Businesses and indi-

viduak donated htmdreds and hundreds of

manpower hours. And that's just to restore the

exterior of the Portland landmark.

Built in 1900 by local logger and philan­

thropist Simon Benson, the Queen Anne-style

house once held a place of distinction in

Portland. Over the years, however, the house

fell into disrepair, sitting like an afterthought

on a street comer near the freeway

Some championed to salvage the house,

which had become home to transients looking

for a temporary home. Others called the house

a safety hazard and demanded it be tom down.

“The house was sagging,” said John

Eidman of SERA Architects. “The foundation

was absolute powder. The roots fiom a tree in

the b a c c a n i had grown into and collapsed

the foundation.”

But Eidman and George “Bing” Sheldon, a

SERA principal who steered the firm toward

the restoration project first promoted by

Portland City Commissioner Gretchen Miller

Kafoury saw something else.

“The heart of the house — the interior fiaming

— was in wonderful diape,” Eidman said. “Wfe

saw without a doubt that (it) could be saved.”

The rescue wouldn't be easy

The Friends of Simon Benson House, a

non-profit organization formed in 1998, com­

mitted itself to the task of collecting contribu­

tions and stirring up volunteers from the

building industry

The physical transformation of the house

beg3n almost three years ago when SERA

architects began investigating the architectural

history of the house. The list of available

resources was short.

“'Afe only had to exterior shots and two inte­

rior shots,” Eidman said. “We had to rely on a

level of archaeology and anthropology an under­

standing of the social context of the period.”

Earlier this year, the house was lifted off its

crumbly foundation and transported several

blocks to a new location on the Portland State

University Campus.

Once the house was lowered on its new

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DJC / October 2000 11

Interior renovation is forging ahead, but $250,000 is still needed to complete work. Photos by Nick Garibbo, Photo Design.

foundation, crews went to work tearing off

and rebuilding one entire side of the structure.

Framing for the porch was replaced.

Because of the age of the house and the

desire to remain true to the architectural histo­

ry, special attention was paid to replacing deli­

cate detail work.

Steve Malany, project manager for P&C

Constmction, points to a band of dental work

around the outside of the house. It took a cou­

ple of top-notch craftsman three or four days

to come u p with a modern-day, cost effective

method for reproducing the one-

by-one-inch squares, Malany said.

But those involved in the

hands-on portion of the projea say

those tirne-corrsurnirig aspects ate

a small price to pay for a larger

benefit.

“Itfe very hard to find a project

of that caliber — the care and quality of the

detail,” Eidman said. “1 love being out there on

the site when I get a chance.”

The biggest thrill for Eidman is working

alongside some of the most talented craftspeo­

ple in the building industry, a sentiment

echoed by Malany

“16 been a pleasure to come to a project

like this, to work with the test of the team,”

Malany said.

For members of the Friends of Simon

Benson House, each step of the restoration

brings the group closer to the day viren the

house can be used as a museum honoring the

house’s original creator.

Before that can happen, however, the

group still needs about $250,000 for interior

work, said volunteer Joan Johnson.

Despite the financial shortfall, the interior

renovation is forging ahead. Lathe and

plaster has already been removed.

New systems — including electri­

cal, HVAC and sprinklers — will

be installed.

“We’re starting to remove the

stain from the woodwork,”

Malany said. “16 just beautiful

what’s underneath — the quali­

ty of the wood and that i6 made it through all

the ages.”

Stephanie Basalyga covers architecture, engineering and construction f o r the Doily Journal o f Commerce. She can be reached b y e-mail at stephanieb@djc-orcom or by phone at (503) 221-3360.

Simon Benson House Restoration Project ; Project partners include: ' Friends of Simon Benson House Portland Development Commission Portland State University The Marandas Family Portland State University Alumni Association

General Contractor. P&C Construction Company

Architect SERA Architects

Landscape Architect Mayer/Reed

Subcontractors: " House mover: Emmert International

Tree pruning: Pruett Tree & Landscaping Excavation: Excel Excavation Inc.

Block/Stone Masonry: Louis Guinett Masonry, Vancouver

Concrete Pumping: Brundage-Bone Concrete Pumping’*'

Concrete Finisher: La Russo Concrete Scaffolding: Scaffold Errectors’"; IvyHi-Uft

Tool Rental: DeWalt Tools’*'

Trim and Siding: Creative Woodworking N W Inc.

Concrete: Ross Island Sand & Gravel Co.’* Miscellaneous Iron: Royal Oak Drywcdl: Fred Shearer Roofing: Rain-Master Roofing Co. Painäng: Schiller & Vroman Inc.

Exterior Paint Sherwin Williams Ptzint Removal: PAS; Lyon’s Paint Removing

Fire Sprinklers: Delta Fire Glass: Benson Industries"' Plumbing: Peninsula Plumbing Co. HVAC: DeTemple Bectrical Cochran Broadway Electric

Roof Finials: Architectural Reproductions Copper Flashing: Liberty Sheet Metal Landscaping/Irrigation: Teufel Nursery Inc.

‘ Indicates company that donated services

For more information, contact Friends of Simon Benson House at (503) 725- 5072. Web information is available at slumni.pdx.edu/benson.htm.

12 DJC/October 2000