Ladd Carriage House
Encyclopedia
The Ladd Carriage House is a building in downtown
Portland, Oregon
. It is one of the few surviving pieces of the former grand estates which once existed in the downtown core. It was on the National Register of Historic Places
from 1980 until 2008. It was restored to the listing in 2010.
The building served as an outbuilding to the William S. Ladd
mansion, once located across Broadway on the block now occupied by The Oregonian
s headquarters. Since its decommissioning as a private residential structure, it has been used as offices and retailing space.
An early remodel, circa 1930, converted the open first floor and hayloft into three floors of offices according to architect Van Evera Bailey, who established his office in the carriage house.
The future of the building was cast into doubt when the neighboring First Christian Church announced plans to redevelop the entire block. The congregation had bought the Ladd Carriage House in 1971, and sought to expand parking for its members. As part of the redevelopment, a condo tower, Ladd Tower
, would be built above a parking garage. A demolition permit had been secured for the lot, but never used. Nevertheless, this raised alarm bells in the preservationist community and a grass-roots campaign, the Friends of Ladd Carriage House, sprang into action to either save or move the old building. One proposal was to move the Carriage House to Lair Hill, but this was logistically complex (steep streets, crossing bridges, cutting Portland Streetcar
lines).
A compromise was agreed upon where the Ladd Carriage House would be moved temporarily while a new garage would be dug out, then the building would be moved back onto the lot. The plans for the condo tower were scaled back so that the tower's footprint only took up half the block, not three-quarters of it.
On June 16, 2007, after ground was broken on Ladd Tower, the Ladd Carriage House was moved to the parking lot owned by the Church of Christ, Scientist
at the corner of 10th and Columbia streets. This meant the house wouldn't need to cross the streetcar lines. It was moved back to its original site on October 25, 2008.
Extensive renovations occurred after the Ladd Carriage House moved back to its original site. In April 2009 the house was repainted, going from shades of blue to shades of brown. The house was restored to the National Register of Historic Places in 2010, and in 2011 the building was sold for $1 million. The new owners plan to open a restaurant in the building.
Downtown Portland
Downtown Portland, the city center of Portland, Oregon, United States, is located on the west bank of the Willamette River. It is in the northeastern corner of the southwest section of the city and is where most of the city's high-rise buildings are found....
Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
. It is one of the few surviving pieces of the former grand estates which once existed in the downtown core. It was on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
from 1980 until 2008. It was restored to the listing in 2010.
The building served as an outbuilding to the William S. Ladd
William S. Ladd
William Sargent Ladd was an American politician and businessman in Oregon. He twice served as Portland, Oregon’s mayor in the 1850s. A native of Vermont, he was a prominent figure in the early development of Portland, and co-founded the first bank in the state in 1859...
mansion, once located across Broadway on the block now occupied by The Oregonian
The Oregonian
The Oregonian is the major daily newspaper in Portland, Oregon, owned by Advance Publications. It is the oldest continuously published newspaper on the U.S. west coast, founded as a weekly by Thomas J. Dryer on December 4, 1850...
s headquarters. Since its decommissioning as a private residential structure, it has been used as offices and retailing space.
An early remodel, circa 1930, converted the open first floor and hayloft into three floors of offices according to architect Van Evera Bailey, who established his office in the carriage house.
House relocation and renovation
Ladd Tower
Ladd Tower is a 23-story residential building in Portland, Oregon completed in early 2009. The construction of Ladd Tower caused the Ladd Carriage House to be moved from its foundation, returning in October 2008. Holland Residential manages the building, which also has commercial space on the...
, would be built above a parking garage. A demolition permit had been secured for the lot, but never used. Nevertheless, this raised alarm bells in the preservationist community and a grass-roots campaign, the Friends of Ladd Carriage House, sprang into action to either save or move the old building. One proposal was to move the Carriage House to Lair Hill, but this was logistically complex (steep streets, crossing bridges, cutting Portland Streetcar
Portland Streetcar
The Portland Streetcar is a streetcar system in Portland, Oregon, that opened in 2001 and serves areas surrounding downtown Portland. It is currently a single line that is almost long and serves some 12,000 daily riders, but a second line is expected to open in 2012.As with the heavier-duty MAX...
lines).
A compromise was agreed upon where the Ladd Carriage House would be moved temporarily while a new garage would be dug out, then the building would be moved back onto the lot. The plans for the condo tower were scaled back so that the tower's footprint only took up half the block, not three-quarters of it.
On June 16, 2007, after ground was broken on Ladd Tower, the Ladd Carriage House was moved to the parking lot owned by the Church of Christ, Scientist
Church of Christ, Scientist
The Church of Christ, Scientist was founded in 1879 in Boston, Massachusetts, USA, by Mary Baker Eddy. She was the author of the book Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures. Christian Science teaches that the "allness" of God denies the reality of sin, sickness, death, and the material world...
at the corner of 10th and Columbia streets. This meant the house wouldn't need to cross the streetcar lines. It was moved back to its original site on October 25, 2008.
Extensive renovations occurred after the Ladd Carriage House moved back to its original site. In April 2009 the house was repainted, going from shades of blue to shades of brown. The house was restored to the National Register of Historic Places in 2010, and in 2011 the building was sold for $1 million. The new owners plan to open a restaurant in the building.
See also
- Architecture of Portland, Oregon
- List of Registered Historic Places in Multnomah County, Oregon