UPDATE – Demolition crews are finished deconstructing the 1910 era house at 524 NE 74th Ave. All that remains is filling in the basement and leveling the lot. No active building permits exist for this property.

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Original article posted June 22nd, 2021

The owners of 524 NE 74th Ave plan to clear the property of all structures. Permits 21-054340 and 21-054334 seek to remove the hundred-year-old house and detached garage from the site. As of yet, there are no public plans to replace the building.

Located behind the Hour Glass Pub & Eatery, the single-story building is near the corner of NE 74th Ave and Glisan Street. Although still habitable, the house looks neglected and needing substantial repairs. Blue tarps are covering holes in the sagging roof. Chipped paint has given way to rot in the siding.

The building completed construction in 1910 with an address of 142 E 74th Street North. In the early 1930s, Portland renumbered its streets, changing most addresses in the area. This house still displays the city-provided black text on white tiles given out during that program. The house appears in the 1924 Sanborn map with a smaller garage positioned closer to NE 74th Ave. Around this time, an advertisement in The Oregon daily journal listed this property for sale at a value of $2600. “SALE — Furnished 5-room house near carline, $2600: terms. 142 E. 74th st. N.”

The house has seen only minor changes in its hundred years. Previous owners filled in the cutout front porch at some point. Otherwise, its form is close to what the builders created in 1910. It is an example of a midrange home for its time. Its hipped roof with a gabled dormer adds craftsman detail to the house. However, the front windows feature an architectural cheat. The large center window flanked by two skinny windows imitates the look of a bay window without the complicated framing to create the threedimensional characteristic. Although historic by age, it does not feature unique architectural elements and is not a great candidate for restoration.

After demolition crews raze the above-ground buildings, they will fill in the basement and cap water and sewer lines. The property is not subject to the 35-day demolition delay, allowing removal of both structures as soon as the permits are approved. Redevelopment of the site should begin sometime after the lot is free of buildings.