History Preserved Pendleton Tours a success
More than 250 people attended first event
The Historic Pendleton Building Tours Fall 2023 were a rousing success.
The first in a series of events from the new History Preserved Pendleton program, the Historic Building Tours gave people a chance to see inside multiple historic buildings in Pendleton, including areas rarely accessed. More than 250 people participated.
“I am delighted with our turnout,” History Preserved Project Manager Stephanie Huffman said. “Both long-time residents and new arrivals enjoyed our tours, and the feedback I heard was very positive. Again and again, I was told that people had walked by these buildings for years and wondered about their history and ‘what was going on upstairs.’ Long-term residents shared fun memories of time spent in several buildings on our tour.”
History Preserved Pendleton is a new program under the auspices of Pendleton Urban Renewal and the Pendleton Development Commission. PDC Associate Director Charles Denight said the program was created in response to encouragement from the State Historic Preservation Office to develop programs focusing on public education about historic buildings.
“For two decades, Pendleton Urban Renewal, overseen by the Pendleton Development Commission, has awarded grants to the owners of historic buildings to upgrade their structures, over $5,250,000, including 2023,” Denight said. “The simple goal of History Preserved is to help Pendletonians see first-hand the condition of historic buildings, prior to, during and following urban renewal restoration and upgrade projects.”
Denight said the goal was to attract at least 100 Pendleton residents on the Historic Building Tours.
“Between 250 to 300 Pendleton residents are now more familiar with the state of downtown’s historic buildings and with the changes that are occurring in the upper stories of those buildings,” Denight said. “Many of those upper stories, as was explained in the information given out, have been vacant for 70 or more years. With support from Pendleton Urban Renewal, the buildings will be helped toward a commercially successful future, which in turn means they are more likely to survive and to continue reminding Pendletonians of their lively history.”
The first History Preserved tours provided information and tours of eight downtown historic buildings that had either completed restoration construction projects or were under construction. The self-guided tours began at Heritage Station Museum where participants picked up a passport with a map of the tour, a photo of each building, and a space for a rubber stamp. After the tour, stamped passports earned participants discounts or special offers at 13 downtown merchants.
“The project could not have happened without the enthusiastic support of building owners,” Denight said. “They allowed the History Preserved Pendleton staff to open their buildings for five hours on Friday, Sept. 29, and again on Saturday, Sept. 30, as hundreds of tour participants saw, read and better understood the town’s history and the important role of its surviving historic buildings in enlivening the imaginations of those who choose to call Pendleton home.”
In addition to the September tours, History Preserved Pendleton staff have also planned additional events, including a “sit down” version of the History Preserved tour on Oct. 27, where a history instructor from Eastern Oregon University will present about Pendleton history at Heritage Station Museum and provide a visual slideshow for those unable to attend the History Preserved Tours.
“Tours such as HPP are a valuable resource for our city,” Huffman said. “They provide a free, enjoyable way to communicate with our citizens the actions being taken to preserve our historic properties and to promote our local economy.”
The presentation is open to the community. Other workshops are in the development stages, and History Preserved is coordinating tours for schools and youth groups. Anyone interested in scheduling a trip can contact Huffman at Stephanie.Huffman@ci.pendleton.or.us.
Learn more about the History Preserved efforts and the Pendleton Urban Renewal at https://pendletonurbanrenewal.com/
- Oct 6, 2023
