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- Alternative Title
- Sylvan Grade School (Portland, Oregon)
- Creator Display
- Rowe Davis Kennedy (architect, 1892-1975)
- John Davis Annand, Sr. (architect, 1907-1994)
- Annand & Kennedy, Architects & Engineers (architecture firm, 1942-1950)
- Creator
- Date
- 1943
- 1933
- Description
- This image is included in Building Oregon: Architecture of Oregon and the Pacific Northwest, a digital collection which provides documentation about the architectural heritage of the Pacific Northwest.
- Oregon Historic Site Form. Prepared by Iris Eschen.
- View Date
- 2009
- MODS Note
- Oregon Historic Site Form East Sylvan School 1849 58th Ave Portland, Multnomah County block nbr: lot nbr: tax lot nbr: township: range: section: 1/ 4: LOCATION AND PROPERTY NAME elig. evaluation: not eligible/ non- contributing primary orig use: School secondary orig use: primary style: Colonial Revival secondary style: primary siding: Standard Brick secondary siding: plan type: School ( General) Portland historic name: East Sylvan School primary constr date: 1933 secondary date: 1943 height (# stories): 2 total # ineligible resources: 1 ( optional-- use for major addns) current/ other names: Sylvan Grade School ( c.) ( c.) orig use comments: prim style comments: Late example with minimal traditional detailing. sec style comments: location descr: assoc addresses: vcnty address: ( remote sites) siding comments: PROPERTY CHARACTERISTICS farmstead/ cluster name: zip: total # eligible resources: 0 apprx. addrs resource type: Building NR status: RLS survey date: 6/ 23/ 2009 external site #: 372 ( ID# used in city/ agency database) survey project name or other grouping name comments/ notes: ILS survey date: 6/ 23/ 2009 Gen File date: SHPO INFO FOR THIS PROPERTY NR date listed: GROUPINGS / ASSOCIATIONS Optional Information 1849 SW 58th Ave Multnomah County ( former addresses, intersections, etc.) architect: Annand and Kennedy ( 1941 addition) builder: NR date listed: ( indiv listed only; see Grouping for hist dist) 106 Project( s) PPS Historic Building Assessment 2009 Survey & Inventory Project East elevation front entry Printed on: 10/ 14/ 2009 Page 1 of 3 Oregon Historic Site Form East Sylvan School 1849 58th Ave Portland, Multnomah County ARCHITECTURAL / PROPERTY DESCRIPTION ( Include expanded description of the building/ property, setting, significant landscape features, outbuildings, and alterations) HISTORY ( Chronological, descriptive history of the property from its construction through at least the historic period [ preferably to the present]) Description Summary Situated near the residential neighborhood of Sylvan Hills in West Portland, the East Sylvan Middle School is located at 1849 SW 58th Avenue. Built in 1933, the Colonial Revival style school building ( 372) rests at the crest of a hill on a mostly grass- covered 7.42- acre campus. The main wing of the school is located in the upper story with additional classrooms located in a daylight basement. On the lower level of the school, a single story attached wing projects to the north. The modified L- shaped mass of the building is covered with cross- hip roofs. Clad with red brick, the wood frame building sits on a poured concrete basement. The school facilities include classrooms, a gymnasium/ cafeteria, a library and computer lab, and an administrative office. Architectural Description Situated near the residential neighborhood of Sylvan Hills, the East Sylvan Middle School is located at 1849 SW 58th Avenue. The entry to the school is from the east on SW 58th Avenue. Recreational facilities on the campus consist of playfields that are situated to the west ( rear) and north of the school. A driveway encircles the north and east sides of the school. An asphalt- covered parking area is located to the south of the school. Built in 1933, the Colonial Revival style school building ( 372) rests at the crest of a hill on a mostly grass- covered 7.42- acre campus. The school is oriented on a north- south axis and sits on a poured concrete foundation. The entry to the school is beneath a projecting front entry portico on the east elevation. The hip roof of the portico is supported by 4 square columns. The main wing of the school is single story with additional classrooms located in a daylight basement. On the lower level of the school, a single story attached wing projects to the north. The main wing of the building is covered with a hip roof that is clad in composition shingles. A cupola caps the ridgeline. Brick veneer is the primary siding, with concrete cladding on the gymnasium and the other lower level sections. Fenestration on the front ( east), north, and northeast elevations consists of original multi- pane symmetrically placed wood frame sash and hinged windows. The remaining elevations have metal frame replacement windows with a horizontal sliding opening at the bottom of each window. Divided into three horizontal sections, the upper section has been blocked off with an occasional hinged opening. The gymnasium/ cafeteria has glass block windows on its south elevation. Double leaf metal doors have replaced most of the original entry doors. The interior layout of the original section of the school consists of a single- loaded corridor on the 1st floor. The L- shaped hallway retains its original configuration, height, and plaster veneer walls. Tubular fluorescent lights are suspended from acoustic tile ceilings. Finishes include a linoleum tile floor and wood molding. The hallways on the lower levels are narrow with low ceilings and minimal woodwork. The stairwells are open and intact with concrete walls, tiled stairs, and wood railings. The computer/ media center is located directly opposite the front entry in the space that originally served as the school’s auditorium. The space retains its high ceilings, wood flooring, ceiling lights, and tall multipane wood windows. However, the stage has been converted into a storage area and the original seating has been removed. The classrooms are primarily rectangular. The placement of built- ins on the interior wall creates a small entry alcove. The majority of the classrooms retain their original height, linoleum and tile floors, plaster veneer walls, and woodwork. Standard features include wooden book cases, cabinets and closets, door frames, and molding. Tubular fluorescent light fixtures are suspended from acoustic tile clad ceilings. The double height gymnasium is located on the lower level of the school. The room is illuminated by glass block windows and energy efficient coil lights. Concrete walls provide a durable play surface. Wall panels and ceiling tiles were added to improve the acoustics. The boiler room, located in the original section of the building on the lower level, has two steam boilers that provide heat to the radiators in the classrooms and hallways. The room is illuminated by glass block windows. A compressor- powered fan provides cool air through vents in the wall. Alterations/ Integrity The first major alteration to the 1933 school was the addition of 2 classrooms and a cafeteria in 1939. In response to growing enrollment, classrooms were added again in 1941 and 1947. A new staircase was added in 1983. The windows were replaced in 1988 and the auditorium was extensively remodeled for use as a media center ( Portland Chronology Binder, Facility Profile). Although compatible with the original building, the extensive use of concrete on the 1947 wing introduced a new vocabulary that is slightly out of character with the original building. Metal frame replacement windows with horizontal sliding openings are incompatible with the original design and materials. The interior alterations have significantly changed the character and major architectural features of the building. The auditorium has been extensively modified to facilitate its use as a library and computer lab. The gymnasium, corridors, and most of the classrooms and hallways, have had significant modifications made to their original features including new floors, light fixtures, and doors. Due to the accumulation of additions and interior alterations, East Sylvan Middle School no longer retains its integrity. Printed on: 10/ 14/ 2009 Page 2 of 3 Oregon Historic Site Form East Sylvan School 1849 58th Ave Portland, Multnomah County RESEARCH INFORMATION Title Records Sanborn Maps Obituaries City Directories Census Records Biographical Sources Newspapers Building Permits Property Tax Records SHPO Files State Archives State Library Local Histories Interviews Historic Photographs Local Library: Multnomah County Library University Library: Portland State University Library Historical Society: Oregon Historical Society Other Repository: PPS Archives Bibliography: Bibliography Betelle, James O. “ Architectural Styles as Applied to School Buildings.” American School Board Journal. Vol. 58 ( April 1919). Cubberley, Ellwood Patterson. The Portland Survey: A Textbook on City School Administration Based on a Concrete Study. Yonkers- on- Hudson, NY: World Book Co., 1915. Oregonian. “ Change Favored in School Buildings.” 3- 31- 1914. Oregonian. “ Mayor Lane and the Schools.” 10- 31- 1906. Oregonian. “ School Buildings are Called Unfit.” 7- 31- 1910. Portland Public Schools Chronology Binder. _______. East Sylvan Elementary School. Facility Plan. _______. East Sylvan Elementary School. Facility Profile. Powers, Alfred and Howard McKinley Corning, History of Education in Portland. [ Portland]: Work Projects Administration, 1937. Rippa, Alexander. Education in a Free Society: An American History. New York: Longman, 1997. Sibley, Ernest. “ Why I Prefer the Colonial Style.” School Board Journal: Vol. 66 ( January 1923). ( Check all of the basic sources consulted and cite specific important sources) Statement of Significance Constructed for $ 15,000 in 1933, the Sylvan Grade School ( now East Sylvan School) was originally part of school district # 42. The new school replaced an 1893 two room schoolhouse. Archival research does not indicate who designed the original portion of the school. The 1941 addition was designed by the firm of Annand & Kennedy ( Portland Chronology Binder). Founded in 1941, the architectural firm of Annand and Kennedy designed numerous high schools and secondary schools in Oregon. A native of Michigan, Annand began to practice architecture in Portland in 1934. Originally from California, Rowe Davis Kennedy obtained a degree in Engineering from Oregon State University and a Masters of Architecture from the University of Pennsylvania. After Kennedy left the firm in 1953, Annand continued to practice in Portland with a variety of partners. Over the course of his career, Annand designed many major educational facilities in Oregon. At the University of Oregon, the Annand firm worked on the Theater building and portions of the School of Architecture. He also designed the Student Center, Humanities Building, and the Social Science Building at Western Oregon State University ( Ritz 2002 13 225). The wood frame building with brick veneer was an unusual design for the time. Most of the schools in the Portland were built with a concrete “ fireproof” frame. The need for “ fireproof” schools was recognized after several well- publicized school fires elsewhere in the United States ( Powers and Corning 1937: 183). East Sylvan school more closely resembles Capitol Hill and other one story plan schools developed by Floyd Naramore during his tenure as superintendent of building from 1912- 1919. The Colonial Revival style details utilized on East Sylvan School were commensurate with the stature of education buildings of the time. The style is characterized by the use of projecting porches, symmetrical plan, and hipped roofs capped by cupolas. The style, like the Classical Revival, Tudor Revival, and Collegiate Gothic styles employed on other schools in Portland during this period, was viewed as inspirational and appropriate for educational settings ( Betelle 1919: 28; Sibley 1923: 66; Patton 1967: 1- 8). While the building is associated with a prominent architect and features some characteristic elements of schools designed in the early twentieth century, several alterations have diminished the building’s integrity of materials, design, and feeling. These alterations include the replacement of many of the windows, the construction of an addition, conversion of the auditorium to a library/ computer lab and the modifications to the classrooms and hallways on the lower level. Due to this loss of integrity, East Sylvan Middle School is not eligible under either NRHP Criteria A, B, or C. Printed on: 10/ 14/ 2009 Page 3 of 3 East elevation front entry East elevation front entry West ( rear) and south elevations Gymnasium west and south elevations East Sylvan School Exterior Photos ENTRIX, 2009 South ( gymnasium) and east ( front) elevations Main floor classroom facing east Main floor classroom facing east Library/ Media Center Corridor facing north Main floor classroom facing east East Sylvan School Interior Photos ENTRIX, 2009 East Sylvan School 1849 SW 58th Ave, Portland OR, 97221 Building Periods 1. Main Building ( 372A), 1933 2. Classroom Addition ( 372A), 1946 Aerial photo © 2009 Metro, Portland OR Imagery Date: July 12, 2007 SW Canyon Ct SW Skyline Blvd SW 58th Ave East Sylvan School, looking west, 2009 View Site in Google Maps Historical Significance and Building Integrity Contrib: High Significance Contrib: Moderate Signif. Non- Contributing 0’ 50’ 100’ 200’ N sandy Blvd Lombard st powell Blvd 82nd ave MLK jr b lvd 1 2
- Subject
- Work Type
- Style / Period
- Location
- Street Address
- 1849 SW 58th Ave
- GPS Latitude
- 45.510247
- GPS Longitude
- -122.736687
- Material
- Brick
- Identifier
- OR_Multnomah_Portland_
- Provenance
- University of Oregon Libraries
- Citation
- PPS Historic Building Assessment 2009
- Institution
- Submission Date
- 05/04/2015
- Modified
- 07/29/2022
- Collections
- Building Oregon (open)
APA
Building Oregon, University of Oregon. (25 Apr 2024). East Sylvan School (Portland, Oregon) Retrieved from https://oregondigital.org/concern/documents/df67rn53n
MLA
Building Oregon, University of Oregon. "East Sylvan School (Portland, Oregon)" Oregon Digital. 25 Apr 2024. https://oregondigital.org/concern/documents/df67rn53n
Chicago
Building Oregon, University of Oregon. "East Sylvan School (Portland, Oregon)" Oregon Digital. Accessed 2024-04-25. https://oregondigital.org/concern/documents/df67rn53n
Wiki
{{cite web | url= https://oregondigital.org/concern/documents/df67rn53n | title= East Sylvan School (Portland, Oregon) |author= |accessdate= 2024-04-25 |publisher= }}
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