Architectural Heritage Center

10/15/2026

Sixty years ago today, when Congress passed the National Historic Preservation Act, half of the historic places the federal government had documented in the Historic American Buildings Survey were already gone. Section 106 was built on that collective grief about the treasures we had destroyed.
So many sacred and historic places have been saved by National Historic Preservation Act, which turns 60 today. Its future is under dire threat.

A short film on the 60th anniversary of the National Historic Prese...

10/14/2026

Discover this month's walking tours, events, and a spotlight on Hidden Brick Co. -preservation work is timeless.

Email from Architectural Heritage Center/Bosco-Milligan Foundation Fall into October's upcoming heritage walking tours and events.   Become a Member of AHC   AHC NEWSLETTER | October 14, 2026 Crew Pai

10/13/2026

But the three-story castle named after its creator, Charles H. Piggott, is Portland’s “most distinctive home meant to look like a medieval castle,” Norman Gholston, preservation program manager at the Architectural Heritage Center, told OPB. “The other homes don’t take it as far as Piggott. It is the only home that convincingly looks like you might see it on a Scottish Moor.”

Piggott’s Castle, one of Portland’s only surviving castle-style homes, was a conspicuous landmark when it was built in the Southwest Hills in 1892. Its current owners hope to revive its legacy.

10/05/2026

Celebrate our victory in preserving Design Review! Let’s keep advocating!

Email from Architectural Heritage Center/Bosco-Milligan Foundation Three topics we are tracking: Design Review Moratorium, Christ the King Church, Inner Eastside re-Zoning View this email in your brow

09/29/2026

The deadline to comment is 11:59 p.m. ET on Tuesday/Today, September 29.

Suggested subject line: Comments on the Monumental (Triumphal) Arch at Memorial Circle

Write in your own words.

09/23/2026

Thank you, Portland City Planning Commission, for adopting the AHC's recommendations on Design Review!

Last night, AHC Executive Director Claire Long testified on behalf of the organization, urging the Planning Commission to reject the recommendation to suspend Design Review. After hearing testimony from 19 community members, the Planning Commission unanimously voted to reject the suspension of Design Review. This is a win for intelligent, community-driven planning, excellent design, and thoughtful preservation!

09/18/2026

September 18th, 2028 Newsletter.

Email from Architectural Heritage Center/Bosco-Milligan Foundation   AHC NEWSLETTER | September 18, 2026 IN THIS EDITION: In the News: Oregon Casket added to the National Register & Lincoln to Return

09/15/2026

The Oregon Casket Company Building was recently added to the National Register. Designed by the architectural firm of Whidden & Lewis and constructed in 1897, the Oregon Casket Company Building demonstrates the economic stature of the Oregon Casket Company at the turn of the 20th century. The building's construction also coincided with a nationwide economic recovery, and it exemplifies Portland's importance at the time as a base for distributing goods across the Pacific Northwest and beyond.

The Oregon Casket Company Building, once a bustling warehouse, could be converted into housing.

09/15/2026

Saturday a wonderful opportunity for historic preservationists to see a newly restored adaptive reuse of a historic church building. Friendly House