Chasing the Kids Around the City: The Architectural Evolution of Portland Public Schools

Between 1845 and 1979, the City of Portland erected dozens of schools in a variety of designs in an attempt to address the city’s ever changing demographics, political ideologies, architectural character, educational philosophies, notions of health and fitness, and economic progress.  Amazingly, Portland Public Schools has one of the larger intact collections of pre-1967 schools in the West with 94 of its 98 properties erected during that time period and stand as a laboratory for examining the evolution of education in Portland.  This presentation will review the three major school building campaigns and relate entertaining stories about the architects, builders, administrators, and students who have made the schools what they are today.

Kirk Ranzetta, Ph.D, is a Portland based architectural historian and current chair of the City's Historic Landmarks Commission. In 2009, he served as a principal author for Portland Public Schools' Historic Building Assessment.

This lecture program is held at the Architectural Heritage Center - 701 SE Grand Avenue

Parking is on-street (free on Saturdays) or in the parking lot on the west side of Grand Avenue between SE Yamhill and Belmont Streets - just to the north of the Grand Marketplace. Do not use the lot where Dutch Bros. Coffee is located. Thank you to Bolliger and Sons Insurance for sharing their lot with us for our evening and Saturday education programs.

Image: Postcard of Jefferson High School (c.1912). Architectural Heritage Center Library.