Central Southeast Preservation Project records, 1888-1989

The Central Southeast Preservation Project was an organization that sought historic landmark status for multiple properties in Southeast Portland, Oregon, in the late 1980s. Directed by Karen Zisman (later Karen Perl Fox), the project was sponsored by the Hawthorne Boulevard Business Association, and received a $36,500 grant from the State Historic Preservation Office and the National Park Service. Project employees and volunteers surveyed and inventoried sites, and produced research, photographs, and written descriptions to document Southeast Portland's history. In 1988, the project nominated 44 properties for the National Register of Historic Places. Nominated properties included historic houses, theaters, fire stations, and commercial buildings located in a 600-block area that included the Buckman, Sunnyside, and Hosford-Abernethy neighborhoods.

In 1989, the Central Eastside Industrial Council and the Hawthorne Boulevard Business Association proposed a 39-block National Historic District in Southeast Portland. In 1990, the Portland City Council approved a smaller, 20-block historic district.

Sources: Articles in the Oregonian: "Project developed to preserve Southeast," August 5, 1987; "Landmark status sought for Hawthorne area," October 3, 1988; "Historic designation sought for district," March 21, 1989; "City Council approves Eastside historic district," August 23, 1990.