Neighborhoods change slowly and if you’re not looking closely, you may not even notice. Until now that is.
Congress Street beyond Longfellow Square was once a stately and impressive part of the West End. Large single family homes were designed and built by well-known architects and sought after builders. Not too long ago Portland struggled economically and outer Congress suffered. Many of these stately homes fell into disrepair or in some cases, were boarded up indefinitely.
kA 5:ClQ=ECQm%96 uC2?4:D[ fcf r@?8C6DD H2D F?E:= C646?E=J[ @?6 @7 E96D6 3F:=5:?8Dj E96 3F:=5:?8 925 366? 232?5@?65 7@C E6? J62CD] %96 :GJ\4@G6C65 DE6AD 2?5 3C:4< 2?5 @G6C8C@H? 82C56?D H6C6 BF:E6 2? 6J6D@C6] x7 J@F 92G6?’E 366? E@ E9:D 6?5 @7 r@?8C6DD =2E6=J[ J@F >2J H2?E E@ E2<6 2 =@@<] (C:89E\#J2?[ @?6 @7 !@CE=2?5’D >@DE C6DA64E65 4@?DECF4E:@? 4@>A2?:6D 92D 366? C67FC3:D9:?8[ 255:?8 E@[ 2?5 362FE:7J:?8 fcf r@?8C6DD D:?46 |2C49 a_`e]k^Am
kA DEJ=6lQE6IE\2=:8?i 46?E6CjQmk6>m%96 32C 2E %96 uC2?4:D 3@2DED 2? :>AC6DD:G6 D6=64E:@? @7 366C[ 4:56CD[ H:?6[ 2?5 D@>6 G6CJ 4C62E:G6 4C27E 4@4<E2:=D]Â k^6>mk^Am
kAm%96 7@FC A2CE?6CD H9@ @H? E96 3F:=5:?8 — y2<6 s6{@:D[ }2E6 s6{@:D[ %@?J s6{@:D[ 2?5 y677 w2C56C — 42? DE2E6 H:E9 8C62E AC:56[ E92E E96 3F:=5:?8 ?@H 92D }2E:@?2= !2C< $6CG:46 #68:DECJ @7 w:DE@C:4 !=246D 56D:8?2E:@?] %96 s6{@:D 3C@E96CD 8C6H FA :? *2C>@FE9 2?5 F?E:= C646?E=J[ 925 ?@E E9@F89E 23@FE 8@:?8 :?E@ 3FD:?6DD E@86E96C] pD |2:?6CD H9@ =@G6 E96:C 9@>6 DE2E6 2?5 :ED 2C49:E64EFC6[ E96J H6C6 @?=J :?E6C6DE65 :? 5@:?8 E9:D AC@;64E :7 E96J 4@F=5 >2:?E2:? E96 :?E68C:EJ @7 E96 3F:=5:?8] %96 A2CE?6CD 92G6 4@==64E:G6 6IA6C:6?46 :? 9@DA:E2=:EJ[ C62= 6DE2E6[ >2C<6E:?8[ 2?5 :?DFC2?46] %96J H6C6 E9C:==65 E@ =62C? E92E uC2?4:D w] u2DD6EE H2D E96 @C:8:?2= 2C49:E64E @7 E96 3F:=5:?8j :? 724E[ 96 56D:8?65 E9C66 @E96C 3F:=5:?8D E92E 2C6 25;246?E E@ %96 uC2?4:D] %96 72>@FD 2C49:E64E[ y@9? r2=G:? $E6G6?D[ H9@ =:G65 :? !@CE=2?5[ H2D u2DD6EE’D AC@Eé8é]k^Am
kAm%96 3C@E96CD 2?5 E96:C 7@FCE9 A2CE?6C 6?5FC65 2 =@?8 2?5 E65:@FD AC@46DD E@ 82:? E96 !2C< $6CG:46 5:DE:?4E:@?] ~? ~4E@36C b[ E9:D 362FE:7F==J C6DE@C65 9:DE@C:4 3F:=5:?8 3642>6 9@>6 E@ 2 3@FE:BF6 9@E6= 2?5 4@?E6>A@C2CJ C6DE2FC2?E 42==65 q@=DE6C[ $?@H U2>Aj r@] — ?2>65 7@C @H?6CD @7 E96 D:?8=6 72>:=J 9@>6 H9@ 2=D@ @H?65 2 4@>A2?J 3J E96 D2>6 ?2>6] %96 9@>6 H2D 3F:=E :? `gg` 2?5 :E H2D E96? @H?65 3J |6==@? t] q@=DE6C WH96C6 |6==6? DEC66E 86ED :E’D ?2>6X] %9:D 9:89=J 2?E:4:A2E65 C6DE2FC2?E @A6?:?8 92D E9:D 5:?6C H2:E:?8 E@ A@F?46]k^Am
kAmp=E9@F89 q@=DE6C[ $?@H[ U2>Aj r@] H2D ?@E BF:E6 7:?:D965 H96? x A66<65 :?[ H92E x 5:5 86E E@ D66 H2D 723F=@FDi =@ED @7 =:89E[ 362FE:7F= 7:IEFC6D[ 2? @A6? <:E496?[ DA24:@FD[ 2?5 E9@F89E7F==J 56D:8?65] tI64FE:G6 r967 }:49@=2D '6C5:D4@ H:== 36 AC6A2C:?8 7C6D9[ D62D@?2=[ 2AAC@24923=6 7@@5 E96C6[ C6AC6D6?E:?8 E96 }@CE962DE C68:@?] w:D xE2=:2?\p>6C:42? FA3C:?8:?8 H:== 36 2 >2;@C :?7=F6?46 :? E96 4F:D:?6 — 5:D96D 96 <?@HD 2?5 =@G6D]k^Am
kA DEJ=6lQE6IE\2=:8?i 46?E6CjQmk6>mtI64FE:G6 r967 }:49@=2D '6C5:D4@ 8C6H FA >2<:?8 A2DE2 3J 92?5 H:E9 9:D 8C2?5>@E96C] tG6C D:?46[ 96VD ?FCEFC65 2 A2DD:@? 7@C 4@@<:?8]k^6>mk^Am
kAmr967 }:4< H2D >@DE C646?E=J E96 tI64FE:G6 $@FD r967 2E %96 x?? 2E !@F?5 #:586 3J y62?\v6@C86D] %96C6 96 925 2 =@J2= 4=:6?E6=6 2?5 C646:G65 4@F?E=6DD 244@=256D D6CG:?8 FAD42=6 p>6C:42? 72C6] w6 8C25F2E65 H:E9 9@?@CD 7C@> r@??64E:4FE rF=:?2CJ p4256>J 2?5 5:5 9:D 6IE6C?D9:A 2E q2C46=@?2 (:?6 q2C :? qC@@<=:?6[ |2DD249FD6EED]  (92E DE2?5D @FE :D E96 D:>A=:4:EJ @7 r967 }:4<’D >6?Fj E96 7C6D9?6DD @7 E96 7@@5 H:== 36 7C@?E 2?5 46?E6C] }@ 5@F3E 8F6DED @7 E96 9@E6= H:== 36 A=62D65 E@ 92G6 2 ?@E23=6 4967 :? E96 9@FD6] tG:6 {255[ q2C |2?286C[ 2==@H65 >6 E@ AC6G:6H 2 56=:4:@FD 4@4<E2:= >6?F] }2EFC2= H:?6D[ ?F>6C@FD 4:56CD[ 2?5 =@42= DA:C:ED H:== 36 D6CG65 H:E9 DF886DE65 7@@5 A2:C:?8D] #64:A6D H:== 36 >256 2G2:=23=6 E@ C6DE2FC2?E 2?5 9@E6= 8F6DED]k^Am
kAm%96 `d 9@E6= C@@>D 2C6 4@?E6>A@C2CJ 2?5 F?:BF6=J 2AA@:?E65] x 42? @?=J E9:?< @7 @?6 @E96C DA246 E92E 6G6? 4@>6D 4=@D6 E@ :ED DF3E=6 6=682?46] %C24J s2G:D @7 &C32? sH6==:?8 96C6 :? !@CE=2?5 5:5 E96 :?E6C:@C 56D:8?] $96 H@C<65 H:E9 s2G:5 {=@J5[ !C:?4:A2= 2?5 |2EE |2:6==@ @7 pC496EJA6 pC49:E64ED[ 2=D@ 96C6 :? !@CE=2?5] p=E9@F89 E96 3F:=5:?8 92D =2?5>2C< DE2EFD[ E96 E9C66 H6C6 23=6 E@ H@C< H:E9 >@56C? 3F:=5:?8 4@56D 2?5 E96C67@C6[ @?6 D66D 4C62E:G6 7:?:D96D E9C@F89@FE]k^Am
kAmx 2D<65 A2CE?6C y2<6 s6=@:D 23@FE E96 8C62E6DE 492==6?86 96 6?4@F?E6C65 H9:=6 AC6A2C:?8 %96 uC2?4:D 7@C @A6?:?8ik^Am
kAm“(96? E96 7@FC @7 FD D2E 24C@DD E96 DEC66E 2E %2?56> q2<6CJ =@@<:?8 2E E96 AC@A6CEJ EH@ J62CD 28@[ H6 4@F=5 ?6G6C 92G6 2?E:4:A2E65 E96 5:77:4F=EJ :? ?2G:82E:?8 E96 C65 E2A6 :?G@=G65 :? H@C<:?8 H:E9 7656C2= 9:DE@C:4 286?4:6D] }2G:82E:?8 E9C@F89 2== @7 E92E C65 E2A6 H2D >2?28623=6 H:E9 E96 96=A @7 @FC 9:DE@C:42= 4@?DF=E2?E[ r9C:DE:?6 q62C5 7C@> %C6>@?E !C6D6CG2E:@?[Q s6=@:D D2JD] k^Am
kAmx? C6EC@DA64E[ E96 H2:E:?8 2?5 7CFDEC2E:@? H6C6 H6== H@CE9 E96 677@CE] %96 C6DE2FC2?E 2?5 9@E6= 2C6 92?5:42AA65 2446DD:3=6[ H:E9 2? 6=6G2E@C DE@AA:?8 @? 2== 7@FC 7=@@CD] %96 uC2?4:D 92D 2 4@?4:6C86[ DA2[ H@C<:?8 7:C6A=246D[ =@F?86[ G2=6E A2C<:?8 2?5 E96 H@C< @7 =@42= 2CE:DED @? 5:DA=2J] %96 H6DE 6?5 @7 r@?8C6DD $EC66E 92D ;FDE 366? 6=6G2E65 E@ 2 H9@=6 ?6H =6G6= @7 49:4]k^Am
k9C ^m
kAmkDEC@?8mq@=DE6C $?@H U2>Aj r@] k6>mMÂ k^6>mfcf r@?8C6DD $E][ !@CE=2?5 M $F?52J di__ A> \ hi__ A>[ |@?52J \ %9FCD52J di__ A> \ hib_ A>[ uC:52J U2>Aj $2EFC52J di__ A> \ `_i__ A> M a_f\ffa\fchek^DEC@?8mk^Am
