Lincoln Hall (Portland, Oregon)
Encyclopedia
Lincoln Hall is a building containing a theatre and classrooms at Portland State University
in Portland, Oregon
. It was originally home to Lincoln High School.
of Whitehouse and Fouilhoux
Architecture, it was constructed as the second home of Lincoln High School in 1912. The 45-room schoolhouse was constructed on a former cow pasture
belonging to Jacob Kamm
, who was involved in steamboat
shipping on the Columbia River
. In 1937, during its use as Lincoln High School, the building served 1580 students. After the 1948 flood of Vanport City, Oregon, the Oregon State Board of Higher Education
purchased the building from the Portland Public School District in 1952 for $875,000 as a new home for the Vanport Extension Center. The purchase followed the passing of House Bill 213, signed by Paul Patterson
on April 15, 1949.
Originally, the Vanport Extension Center intended to move into Lincoln Hall in the Fall of 1951, but delays in construction of the new Lincoln High School forced the extension center to wait. The building was remodeled by E. Carl Schiewe for approximately $113,000, and was ready in September 1952 for the school to move in. Upon moving, Vanport Extension Center joined the Portland Extension Center, which had held night classes in Lincoln Hall for some time. Shortly after moving to Lincoln Hall, the two extension centers merged into Portland State Extension Center. In 1955, the extension center became a college by 1955 Senate Bill 1 and subsequently named Portland State College. The college was "located on the site of the former Lincoln High School and any areas in the vicinity of such property."
Repairs were needed to the building, even after the 1951-52 remodel, as it was forty years old and in a state of deferred maintenance
. The Daily Vanguard
stated the doors "required more than a gentleman to open doors for the coeds. It took a Sampson
. Usually persons had to compromise; one leaning, the other pushing to open them. To get out of the building was like trying to leave a bank vault."
The building has been known as Lincoln High School, Old Lincoln High School, Old Main, Portland State Extension Center, and Lincoln Hall.
(PICA) events including the Time-Based Art Festival
. Notable performers at Lincoln Hall have included Alfredo Rolando Ortiz
, the National Theatre of the Deaf
, and the Florestan Trio
.
Through the years, renovations have occurred to change the usage of Lincoln Hall. In 1966, a gym
nasium in the basement was converted into a sloped lecture hall, currently used as a 200-seat concert hall.
A structural renovation in 1974 expanded the main auditorium, including converting the floor and balcony style seating to sloped seating, which reduced seating capacity from 750 to 500 seats. This renovation also added an orchestra pit, added an elevator, and expanded other rooms.
After a 2000 seismic evaluation, the building was condemned but used for classes due to a lack of space. Oregon governor Ted Kulongoski
urged the Oregon Legislature to pass funding to pay for improvements, part of a $175 million stimulus package for state agencies.
A $29 million seismic retrofit
, replacement of the asbestos
roof, and general remodel was begun in the summer of 2008 with designs by Boora Architects
and Howard S. Wright Construction
as the general contractor
. Construction was completed in August 2010, and has acquired LEED
Gold standards.
Lincoln Hall contains a skybridge
and a tunnel to the adjacent Cramer Hall, added in the first phase of Cramer Hall construction, 1955-1958.
Portland State University
Portland State University is a public state urban university located in downtown Portland, Oregon, United States. Founded in 1946, it has the largest overall enrollment of any university in the state of Oregon, including undergraduate and graduate students. It is also the only public university in...
in 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 was originally home to Lincoln High School.
History
Designed by Morris H. WhitehouseMorris H. Whitehouse
Morris Homans Whitehouse was an American architect whose work included the design of the Gus Solomon United States Courthouse in Portland.Whitehouse was born in Oregon and graduated from MIT in 1906.He partnered with J...
of Whitehouse and Fouilhoux
J. André Fouilhoux
Jacques André Fouilhoux was an engineer and architect from Paris, France who partnered with architects in Salem, Oregon and New York City. He was in the United States ca. 1904....
Architecture, it was constructed as the second home of Lincoln High School in 1912. The 45-room schoolhouse was constructed on a former cow pasture
Pasture
Pasture is land used for grazing. Pasture lands in the narrow sense are enclosed tracts of farmland, grazed by domesticated livestock, such as horses, cattle, sheep or swine. The vegetation of tended pasture, forage, consists mainly of grasses, with an interspersion of legumes and other forbs...
belonging to Jacob Kamm
Jacob Kamm
Jacob Kamm was a prominent early transportation businessman in Oregon.-Early life:Kamm was born on December 12, 1823 in Canton of Glarus, Switzerland. His family immigrated to America when he was 8 to Illinois, St. Louis, then New Orleans. He worked as a Printer's devil beginning at age 12...
, who was involved in steamboat
Steamboat
A steamboat or steamship, sometimes called a steamer, is a ship in which the primary method of propulsion is steam power, typically driving propellers or paddlewheels...
shipping on the Columbia River
Columbia River
The Columbia River is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The river rises in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia, Canada, flows northwest and then south into the U.S. state of Washington, then turns west to form most of the border between Washington and the state...
. In 1937, during its use as Lincoln High School, the building served 1580 students. After the 1948 flood of Vanport City, Oregon, the Oregon State Board of Higher Education
Oregon State Board of Higher Education
The Oregon State Board of Higher Education is the statutory governing board for the Oregon University System. The board is composed of eleven members appointed by the Governor of Oregon and confirmed by the Oregon State Senate...
purchased the building from the Portland Public School District in 1952 for $875,000 as a new home for the Vanport Extension Center. The purchase followed the passing of House Bill 213, signed by Paul Patterson
Paul Patterson
Paul Patterson is a British composer and Manson Professor of Composition at the Royal Academy of Music.Patterson studied trombone and composition at the Royal Academy of Music. He returned there to become Head of Composition and Contemporary Music until 1997, when he became Manson Professor of...
on April 15, 1949.
Originally, the Vanport Extension Center intended to move into Lincoln Hall in the Fall of 1951, but delays in construction of the new Lincoln High School forced the extension center to wait. The building was remodeled by E. Carl Schiewe for approximately $113,000, and was ready in September 1952 for the school to move in. Upon moving, Vanport Extension Center joined the Portland Extension Center, which had held night classes in Lincoln Hall for some time. Shortly after moving to Lincoln Hall, the two extension centers merged into Portland State Extension Center. In 1955, the extension center became a college by 1955 Senate Bill 1 and subsequently named Portland State College. The college was "located on the site of the former Lincoln High School and any areas in the vicinity of such property."
Repairs were needed to the building, even after the 1951-52 remodel, as it was forty years old and in a state of deferred maintenance
Deferred maintenance
Deferred maintenance is the practice of postponing maintenance activities such as repairs on both real property and personal property in order to save costs, meet budget funding levels, or realign available budget monies. The failure to perform needed repairs could lead to asset deterioration...
. The Daily Vanguard
Daily Vanguard
The Daily Vanguard is an independent student newspaper for Portland State University. The newspaper is now generally referred to as simply the Vanguard.-Publishing:...
stated the doors "required more than a gentleman to open doors for the coeds. It took a Sampson
Samson
Samson, Shimshon ; Shamshoun or Sampson is the third to last of the Judges of the ancient Israelites mentioned in the Tanakh ....
. Usually persons had to compromise; one leaning, the other pushing to open them. To get out of the building was like trying to leave a bank vault."
The building has been known as Lincoln High School, Old Lincoln High School, Old Main, Portland State Extension Center, and Lincoln Hall.
Events
In addition to university performing arts, Lincoln Hall has been a venue for local events such as mayoral debates, the Oregon Ballet Theatre., and Portland Institute for Contemporary ArtPortland Institute for Contemporary Art
The Portland Institute for Contemporary Art in Portland, Oregon, United States was founded in 1996 by Kristy Edmunds, formerly the Director of the Portland Art Museum's "Art on the Edge" program...
(PICA) events including the Time-Based Art Festival
Time-Based Art Festival
The Time-Based Art Festival is an annual interdisciplinary art and performance festival presented by the Portland Institute for Contemporary Art . It occurs over a ten-day period in September in Portland, Oregon in the United States...
. Notable performers at Lincoln Hall have included Alfredo Rolando Ortiz
Alfredo Rolando Ortiz
Dr. Alfredo Rolando Ortiz is an internationally acclaimed soloist of the arpa paraguaya , a composer, author, educator and recording artist. Alfredo considers his most important concert playing the harp in the delivery room during the birth of his second daughter, Michelle Ortiz.- Biography :In...
, the National Theatre of the Deaf
National Theatre of the Deaf
The National Theatre of the Deaf is a touring theatre company in the United States. It was founded in 1967. Productions combine the use of American Sign Language with the spoken word. The theatre has won several awards, including the Tony Award for Theatrical Excellence...
, and the Florestan Trio
Florestan Trio
The Florestan Trio is a piano trio. Formed in 1995 in London, England, its members are Anthony Marwood , Richard Lester , and Susan Tomes . Their recording of the first two trios by Schumann won the 1999 Gramophone Award for chamber music. Also in 1999, the Trio received the Music Award for Chamber...
.
Renovations
Gym
The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, that mean a locality for both physical and intellectual education of young men...
nasium in the basement was converted into a sloped lecture hall, currently used as a 200-seat concert hall.
A structural renovation in 1974 expanded the main auditorium, including converting the floor and balcony style seating to sloped seating, which reduced seating capacity from 750 to 500 seats. This renovation also added an orchestra pit, added an elevator, and expanded other rooms.
After a 2000 seismic evaluation, the building was condemned but used for classes due to a lack of space. Oregon governor Ted Kulongoski
Ted Kulongoski
Theodore R. "Ted" Kulongoski is an American politician, who served as the 36th Governor of Oregon. A Democrat, he has served in both houses of the Oregon Legislative Assembly, as the state Insurance Commissioner, the Attorney General, and an Associate Justice on the Oregon Supreme Court.-Early...
urged the Oregon Legislature to pass funding to pay for improvements, part of a $175 million stimulus package for state agencies.
A $29 million seismic retrofit
Seismic retrofit
Seismic retrofitting is the modification of existing structures to make them more resistant to seismic activity, ground motion, or soil failure due to earthquakes. With better understanding of seismic demand on structures and with our recent experiences with large earthquakes near urban centers,...
, replacement of the asbestos
Asbestos
Asbestos is a set of six naturally occurring silicate minerals used commercially for their desirable physical properties. They all have in common their eponymous, asbestiform habit: long, thin fibrous crystals...
roof, and general remodel was begun in the summer of 2008 with designs by Boora Architects
Boora Architects
Boora Architects is an architectural firm based in Portland, Oregon, its name derived from the partners Broome, Oringdulph, Randolph, and Associates.Its projects include:* renovation of the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, Portland, 1983...
and Howard S. Wright Construction
Howard S. Wright Companies
The Howard S. Wright Companies are a group of affiliated companies united through a common heritage.These companies provide preconstruction, construction, CM/GC, and design-build services for a wide range of project types and industries, primarily within the ten Western States...
as the general contractor
General contractor
A general contractor is responsible for the day-to-day oversight of a construction site, management of vendors and trades, and communication of information to involved parties throughout the course of a building project.-Description:...
. Construction was completed in August 2010, and has acquired LEED
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design consists of a suite of rating systems for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings, homes and neighborhoods....
Gold standards.
Lincoln Hall contains a skybridge
Skybridge
Skybridge may refer to:* an alternate term for skyway.* The bridge named Skybridge in Vancouver, Canada.* The bridge named Skye Bridge in Britain.* The bridge named Langkawi Sky Bridge in Malaysia.* The Skybridge Building in Chicago, United States....
and a tunnel to the adjacent Cramer Hall, added in the first phase of Cramer Hall construction, 1955-1958.