Building Oregon
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- Alternative Title
- Portsmouth School (Portland, Oregon)
- Creator Display
- George Howell Jones (architect, 1887-1950)
- Creator
- Date
- 1928
- 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.
- View Date
- 2009
- Temporal
- 1920-1929
- MODS Note
- Oregon Historic Site Form Clarendon- Portsmouth School 5103 Willis Blvd Portland, Multnomah County block nbr: lot nbr: tax lot nbr: township: range: section: 1/ 4: LOCATION AND PROPERTY NAME elig. evaluation: not eligible/ non- contributing primary orig use: School secondary orig use: primary style: Classical Revival: other secondary style: Spanish Revival primary siding: Standard Brick secondary siding: Cast Stone plan type: School ( General) Portland historic name: Clarendon- Portsmouth School primary constr date: 1928 secondary date: height (# stories): 1 total # ineligible resources: 1 ( optional-- use for major addns) current/ other names: Portsmouth School ( c.) ( c.) orig use comments: prim style comments: sec style comments: Pantile roof location descr: assoc addresses: vcnty address: ( remote sites) siding comments: PROPERTY CHARACTERISTICS farmstead/ cluster name: zip: total # eligible resources: 0 apprx. addrs resource type: Building NR status: RLS survey date: 6/ 25/ 2009 external site #: 182 ( ID# used in city/ agency database) survey project name or other grouping name comments/ notes: HRI Rank II. ILS survey date: 6/ 25/ 2009 Gen File date: SHPO INFO FOR THIS PROPERTY NR date listed: GROUPINGS / ASSOCIATIONS Optional Information 5103 N Willis Blvd Multnomah County ( former addresses, intersections, etc.) architect: Jones, George builder: NR date listed: ( indiv listed only; see Grouping for hist dist) 106 Project( s) PPS Historic Building Assessment 2009 Survey & Inventory Project South elevation front entry and auditorium Printed on: 10/ 14/ 2009 Page 1 of 4 Oregon Historic Site Form Clarendon- Portsmouth School 5103 Willis Blvd Portland, Multnomah County ARCHITECTURAL / PROPERTY DESCRIPTION ( Include expanded description of the building/ property, setting, significant landscape features, outbuildings, and alterations) Description Summary Situated in the primarily single family residential neighborhood of Portsmouth in North Portland, Clarendon- Portsmouth School is located at 5103 North Willis Boulevard. The two- story school building ( 182A) with a ground floor basement is located on a 3.3- acre campus. Built in 1928, the hybrid style building features Classical Revival detailing as well as Spanish Revival/ Mediterranean Revival style tile roof. Cladding for the reinforced concrete structure consists of brick veneer with cast stone ornamentation. The building’s irregularly shaped plan provides spaces for classrooms, a media center, an auditorium, a gymnasium, a cafeteria, and an administrative office. Architectural Description Situated in the primarily single family, residential neighborhood of Portsmouth in North Portland, Clarendon- Portsmouth School is located at 5103 North Willis Boulevard. The school, which faces North Willis Boulevard, is situated at the south side of the 3.3- acre campus. The building is surrounded by asphalt covered parking lots and play areas. Grass covered play areas occupy the northeast portion of the campus. The two- story school building with a ground floor basement is oriented on an east- west axis. Clad in variegated brick, the reinforced concrete building sits on a poured concrete foundation. The Classical Revival style building features a pantile roof. Classical Revival style details include a cast stone bracketed cornice below the roof line, door and window surrounds, and decorative panels. The entrances are distinguished by porches with Tuscan columns and a balustrade with finials. Polygonal bays project from the front ( south) and side ( east and west) elevations. The building features a variety of fenestration types including original wood frame, multi light, and replacement metal frame windows. The original fenestration consists of a set of three wood frame, multi- light arched auditorium windows on the front ( south) elevation, and round arched windows and doors with fanlight/ sunburst windows. There are also flat- headed windows with multi- light double hung sash over the entrances. Many of the windows now feature symmetrically placed metal frame windows with a horizontal sliding opening at the bottom of the window. Divided into three horizontal sections, the upper section of each window is blocked off with louver vents. Some of the wood frame rectangular shape windows on the stairwell landings between the 1st and 2nd floors are intact. The original wooden, fixed pane entry doors with cast stone surrounds capped by sunburst/ fanlight windows have also been retained. The interior layout of the school is organized around a central U- shaped corridor plan. Two short hallways that run north- south connect to the main corridor from the entry doors and the second floor staircases. The installation of partition walls to delineate the entries to several rooms altered the width of the corridors. The second floor hallways skylights are covered with an opaque laminate. The ceilings have been lowered and covered with acoustic tile. Fluorescent lights have replaced the original light fixtures. The wood molding and framing has been painted, and the wooden display cases have been removed. Flooring consists of linoleum tiles. Single leaf metal doors provide access to the classrooms from the hallways. Some of the stairwell fenestration, consisting of wood frame windows on the first and second floor are intact, and most of the stairwells retain their original concrete steps and landings, veneer plaster walls, wooden railings and molding, and steam radiators. The molding has been painted and there are contemporary light fixtures. The classrooms are primarily rectangular. Standard features include built- in cabinetry and closets for storing coats and supplies. While the classrooms retain their original rectangular configuration and height, there are minimal built- ins, and some rooms have lowered ceilings. All the rooms have veneer plaster walls, tiled flooring and tubular fluorescent light fixtures suspended from the acoustic tile ceilings. The molding and framing is painted in a number of the rooms. The former auditorium, located on the 1st floor, is now utilized as a media center/ library. The original seating, ceiling and wall light fixtures have been removed. The stage and the balcony have been enclosed. The original wood frame, semi- circular/ arched, multi- light windows are intact. The gymnasium, located on the first floor, retains its original configuration and double height supported by steel trusses. The facility has concrete walls, radiators on the wall, partially covered skylights and has a mixture of wood frame, nine- over- nine, and double hung sash windows. The building is heated by steam boilers located in the ground floor basement behind the gymnasium. The clay tiles on one of the walls in the boiler room are exposed. Radiators with metal covers are found in the hallways, stairwells and in the classrooms. Grilles set in the wall provide heat and cool air for the basement rooms. Cool air is pushed through the building’s vents by compressor- powered fans. The multi- purpose room/ cafeteria is located in the northeast wing of the first floor. Folding tables and benches that recess into the wall facilitate the use of the room as a cafeteria. The facility includes a stage and tiled floors. Alterations/ Integrity In 1955 the cafeteria wing was added to the northeast side of the building. At this time, a small wing was also added to the west side of the gymnasium. In the 1970s more extensive alterations to the school occurred in the northeast and northwest wings. In 1976, there was major interior remodeling of the auditorium, library and of the classrooms and hallways. A significant alteration to the exterior occurred in 1987 when metal frame windows replaced most of the original wood frame, multi- light windows. The Clarendon- Portsmouth Middle School retains a poor- to- fair degree of integrity. The remodels to the interior altered the auditorium and many of the classrooms. Partition walls blur the original corridor configuration. Although the original wood frame windows have been retained in the auditorium, gymnasium, and a couple of the stairwell landings, the majority of the windows were replaced with incompatible metal frame windows. Printed on: 10/ 14/ 2009 Page 2 of 4 Oregon Historic Site Form Clarendon- Portsmouth School 5103 Willis Blvd Portland, Multnomah County HISTORY ( Chronological, descriptive history of the property from its construction through at least the historic period [ preferably to the present]) RESEARCH INFORMATION While the school’s distinctive brick veneer, cast stone cornice and cast stone window and door surrounds are intact, the one story brick additions on the rear and side elevations detract from the building’s historic design, features and materials. Statement of Significance In response to development in North Portland, Portland Public Schools acquired the property at 5103 N Willis Boulevard for $ 9,200.00 in 1909. Constructed for $ 280,000, the new two story brick facility replaced an earlier building on the property ( Oregonian. 08- 19- 1928; PPS School Chronology Binder). The Clarendon- Portsmouth School was part of a dramatic building program begun by Portland Public Schools in the early 1900s. Gradually influenced by John Dewey’s Progressive Education Movement, the district 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 from 1908 to 1932. Like Portsmouth school, these new school buildings were often constructed of brick and concrete and were one or two stories in height. The buildings also contained more differentiated and increasingly specialized instructional spaces such as libraries, gymnasiums, science rooms, music rooms, and assembly spaces ( Powers and Corning 1937: 182). The architect of Portsmouth 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 the 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 the Portland Schools, 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). For the design of Portsmouth School, Jones employed a hybridized version of the Classical Revival style that also included Spanish Colonial/ Mediterranean Revival details. Architectural revivals, such as Classical Revival, Colonial Revival, and Collegiate Gothic styles, were viewed as inspirational and appropriate for educational settings ( Betelle 1919: 28; Sibley 1923: 66; Patton 1967: 1- 8). Portsmouth School is one of the few schools constructed in Portland between the onset of the Great Depression in 1929 and World War II in 1941. Once building resumed, many of the schools were modified to meet the new standards for lighting, acoustics, and facilities. In 1955 the cafeteria wing was added to the northeast side of the building ( Portland Public Schools 1945: 2). At this time, a small wing was also added to the west side of the gymnasium. In the 1970s more extensive alterations to the school occurred in the northeast and northwest wings. In 1976, there was major interior remodeling of the auditorium, library, classrooms and hallways. In addition to remodeling several classrooms and other spaces to support team teaching, work was performed on the plumbing, heating, lighting, and electrical systems ( Oregon Journal. 01- 17- 1975). While Portsmouth School is a notable historic resource that is representative of public school planning during the progressive era and the work of George Jones, it does not retain a level of historical integrity commensurate with other Portland Schools constructed during the same period; therefore, it is not eligible for the National Register of Historic Places ( NRHP). The 1955 and 1970 additions altered the original U- shape of the building by extending the building to the north and filling in portions of the central bay. Remodels during the 1970s to classrooms and hallways have reconfigured character defining spaces and finishes. The conversion of the auditorium to a media center resulted in the loss of significant architecture features. The replacement of the original wood frame windows dramatically changed the appearance of the exterior. Due to the loss of integrity, Clarendon- Portsmouth Middle School is not eligible under NRHP Criteria A, B, or C. Printed on: 10/ 14/ 2009 Page 3 of 4 Oregon Historic Site Form Clarendon- Portsmouth School 5103 Willis Blvd Portland, Multnomah County 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: 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. Oregon Journal. “ Six Day School Clears Way for Remodeling.” 01- 17- 1975. Oregonian. “ Change Favored in School Buildings.” 3- 31- 1914. Oregonian. “ Mayor Lane and the Schools.” 10- 31- 1906. Oregonian. “ School Buildings are Called Unfit.” 7- 31- 1910. Oregonian. “ Three new schools ready for opening.” 08- 19- 1928. Portland Public Schools. Repairing, Rehabilitating and Modernizing the School Plant. Portland: Portland Public Schools. Office of the Superintendent, 1945. _______. Schools Chronology Binder. _______. Portsmouth Middle School Facility Plan. _______. Portsmouth Middle School Facility Profile. 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. 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) Printed on: 10/ 14/ 2009 Page 4 of 4 West elevation South elevation front entry ( and auditorium) East elevation South and west elevations Clarendon- Portsmouth School Exterior Photos ENTRIX, 2009 South elevation front entry Multi- Purpose Room Second floor corridor Classroom built- ins Classroom facing west Stairwell facing south Clarendon- Portsmouth School Interior Photos ENTRIX, 2009 1924- 1928, Sanborn Fire Insurance Company Map, Portland, Oregon, Map 358. Arrow points to future location of Portsmouth Public School. Updated to 1950 Sanborn Fire Insurance Company Map, Portland, Oregon, Map 358. Arrow points to Portsmouth Public School. Note street changes and removal of houses at school location property. Clarendon- Portsmouth School 5103 N Willis Blvd, Portland OR, 97203 Building Periods 1. Main Building ( 182A), 1927 2. Addition ( 182A), 1955 3. Addition ( 182A), 1970 4. Multi- Purpose Room ( 182A), 1987 Aerial photo © 2009 Metro, Portland OR Imagery Date: July 12, 2007 N Haven Ave N Hereford Ave N Willis Blvd N Hunt St 1920s photograph of the Portsmouth School. 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 3 4
- Subject
- Work Type
- Style / Period
- Location
- Street Address
- 5103 North Willis Boulevard
- GPS Latitude
- 45.584149
- GPS Longitude
- -122.71964
- Material
- Brick; Cast Stone
- Rights Holder
- University of Oregon
- Identifier
- OR_Multnomah_Portland_ClarendonPortsmouth.pdf
- Provenance
- University of Oregon Libraries
- Citation
- PPS Historic Building Assessment 2009
- Institution
- Conversion
- This image is derived from a master TIFF (3000 x 5000 pixel, 16 bit) created by scanning a 35m slide which remains as the archival artifact. Digital editing may have included cropping, color correction, and removal of dust, scratch, or other artifacts reproduced in the scanning process.
- Submission Date
- 05/04/2015
- Modified
- 08/12/2022
- Collections
- Building Oregon (open)
APA
Building Oregon, University of Oregon. (23 Apr 2024). Clarendon-Portsmouth School (Portland, Oregon) Retrieved from https://oregondigital.org/concern/documents/df67rn467
MLA
Building Oregon, University of Oregon. "Clarendon-Portsmouth School (Portland, Oregon)" Oregon Digital. 23 Apr 2024. https://oregondigital.org/concern/documents/df67rn467
Chicago
Building Oregon, University of Oregon. "Clarendon-Portsmouth School (Portland, Oregon)" Oregon Digital. Accessed 2024-04-23. https://oregondigital.org/concern/documents/df67rn467
Wiki
{{cite web | url= https://oregondigital.org/concern/documents/df67rn467 | title= Clarendon-Portsmouth School (Portland, Oregon) |author= |accessdate= 2024-04-23 |publisher= }}
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