The Builders
Thousands of hands have shaped our homes and surroundings here in the neighborhoods of Northeast Portland: designing, digging, building, crafting, selling.
The men and women who imagined and then built our neighborhood in the early 1900s are gone now, and mostly unremembered. But their work is durable enough that today, we take it for granted. Do many of us wonder about how the bones of our houses came together, or the people behind the construction? Probably not. But there are important stories to be told. Remembering them adds context to our own residency here. And tipping our hat to the builders is the right thing to do.
A few things to keep in mind as you read through these pages:
- The research behind these stories is ongoing and based on first-person interviews and information gathered from descendants of the builders and other primary sources. If you have information about any of these people, can offer a referral to someone who might, or have suggestions or tips about other builders, please drop me an e-mail: doug@alamedahistory.org
- Many of these builders were Mom-and-Pop (or brother-and-brother) operations. So when I focus in on Frank Read, for instance, let’s not forget the contributions of his wife Mae, who undoubtedly helped with everything from keeping the books to applying for the building permits. The people who built these houses put their hearts and their hands into it. It was their life’s work.
Click on the builder’s name to see the addresses of his work and a short biography.
Arnt Anderson
Builder of Craftsman homes in Irvington, Alameda, Beaumont and Laurelhurst, and convicted con man. Busy here in Portland from 1912-1915.
Forrest W. Ayers
Builder of eastside Craftsman bungalows in the teens and 1920s.
Ken Birkemeier
Prolific mid-century builder of cottage, ranch and contemporary homes, often in unique and challenging building sites, 1932-1952.
William G. Bohn
A long time “lumberman” who had already had a career in the upper Midwest, Bohn incorporated as a homebuilder and investment company to capitalize on the opportunity of the 1920s.
Willis Chandler
From 1926-1928, Chandler built more than a dozen homes in Beaumont near the intersection of NE 41st and Alameda.
William Donahue
Builder of bungalows in Alameda and Beaumont from 1911-1921.
W.H. Dunn
Former livestock dealer and farm labor came late to homebuilding and operated in Irvington, Alameda and Laurelhurst
Charles W. Ertz
Ertz was a builder’s architect, as comfortable supervising construction as designing commercial and residential buildings. He’s responsible for the Beaumont Market, the former Lloyd Golf Course Clubhouse, the Art-Deco Salvation Army Headquarters on Sandy Boulevard and many others.
A.C. Galbraith
Canadian immigrant, prolific bungalow builder based in St. Johns.
Ernest L. Graves
Part booster, part builder, Graves parlayed his experience as an engineer in World War 1 into an ability to manage large projects, building more than 70 bungalows in Irvington during the height of the building boom 1925-1926. Graves worked with architect H.H. Menges whose motto was “You furnish the lot, and I’ll furnish the plans.”
Hiller Brothers, Inc.
Two brothers whose company built more than 400 homes.
Judson Hubbell
Advertised himself as the “builder of pleasant homes,” later a real estate agent.
Albert Irwin
A flare for Norman and Tudor styles, built in Beaumont, Dolph Park, Alameda, Portland Heights, Overlook and many other neighborhoods from the 1920s-1940s.
Ernie Johnson and Nelson Anderson
Homebuilder and cabinet maker teamed up in the 1920s to build many Alameda-area homes.
Max Kaffesider
Austrian immigrant who started his homebuilding career at age 45, former waiter, brother of owner of Jake’s.
H.R. “Hallie” Kibler
An enterprising young builder form the 19-teens, Kibler returned from his service in World War 1 to become Portland’s “reliable builder,” constructing more than 300 homes on Portland’s eastside.
A.C. Malmquist
One of several Swedish homebuilders active from the 1920s-1940s. Malmquist always built on speculation, using plans from the Universal Plans Service.
Arthur J. “Matt” Matot
One of Portland’s most prolific home builders of the 1920s and former Alameda resident.
Edward R. McLean
Prolific builder in Beaumont, 1922-1970.
Herman Nelson
Brother to Swedish immigrant brothers Emil Nilson and Oscar Nelson who built his own farmhouse near Gladstone then moved to Portland where he concentrated his work during the busy 1920s.
Emil Nilson
Advertising himself as “Master Builder” and Builder of Finer Homes,” this Swedish immigrant built dozens of homes in Alameda, Rose City Park and Eastmoreland.
Sam Olimansky
A Russian immigrant who started his building career as a violin maker, and later worked on Portland’s eastside from the 1920s through the early 1950s.
The Oregon Home Builders
One of Portland’s earliest big builders, this company operated from 1912-1917 before going bankrupt.
Emil G. Peterson
Swedish immigrant, favored Craftsman-styled homes.
Harry Phillips
His work defines the Gile Terrace and NE Ridgewood area.
James L. Quinn
This Scottish immigrant builder started out building bungalows in Montavilla and a four-square on NE Broadway before building Grant High School and multiple large projects in Portland and in the Klamath Falls area.
Frank Read
Colonial revival style in Alameda both above and below the ridge, from 1923-1940.
Charles C. Rich
A practicing architect in Portland and on the faculty at the University of Oregon School of Architecture in 1916-1917, Rich designed public buildings, wrote columns on architecture for The Oregonian, and finished a high profile Alameda home before leaving architecture and Oregon for good in 1918.
Earl A. Roberts | Roberts Construction Company
Rose City Park, Roseburg and Seattle 1908-1939.
Karl F. Ruef
An Alameda florist who moonlighted as a homebuilder.
Max Shimshak
A “builder’s builder,” known for exacting standards and larger homes.
Elwood Wiles
Portland’s busiest concrete sidewalk and curb contractor; Alameda resident.
Alameda Old House History 
I am doing research on the builder on my home, Benjamin B. Brumwell. I am curious to if you found a consolidated resource showing builders per plat or if this was accomplished by a manual process. I live in the Rose City Park neighborhood and have searched deed records showing other homes that Brumwell built. However the majority are in SE. I would love to know of other resources to track down.
Hi Dawn. Thanks for visiting. I’ve had a look back through my database and don’t find any homes by Benjamin B. Brumwell in the Alameda Park subdivision. I’m not aware of any resource that references builders by plat, since the construction period spanned so many years. The database I’ve built comes from examining by hand all of the building permits for this neighborhood. If you haven’t delved into the permits, I’m sure you would find that helpful (if a little tedious). I’m betting you’ve seen the book by the Rose City Park Association which sheds life on the early life of the neighborhood. Lots of history there. Good luck with your research and let me know if you find any higher-level tools like the one you’ve mentioned.
Hi Doug,
I restored a 1930 English Cottage style house in Vancouver and researched the history of its builder, William P. Moore.
Moore was born in Sweden and moved here with his parents to So. Dakota, then relocated to Vancouver as a young adult. He specialized in English Cottage homes, and
I’ve identified about 50 here in the older part of Vancouver that appear to be his. He built from 1907 until his death in 1937.
I’m guessing that he also built in Portland.
I recognize his house design style on your side of the river! What I don’t know is whether he was the designer or perhaps his English Cottages came from a series of stock plans by yet another person.
Any feel for that?
Thanks.
Peter
hi doug, thx for your insightful articles on home history. we’ve been researching off and on for a brief span of time, and appreciate all your tips. haven’t found the builder of our place yet, but the process is fascinating. the oregon historical society was a great 4 hour launching post in our quest. we’ll have to look up the building permits and deed info next. if you have any further tips, feel free to share thx, teresa and nat
Hello –
we’re researching the builder of our 1942 home at 2332 NE Alameda and have been told it’s a Birkemeier. I see on your list of Ken Birkemeier’s homes that there is a Birkemeier home at 2372 NE Alameda – but today, there is no home with that address on Alameda. Can you clarify?
Is there any way for us to verify the builder of our home at 2332 NE Alameda?
Thanks,
Tobin and Danielle
Hello. I am the Editor for the BWNA Newsletter, and I’ve been wanted to include an article on the history of the Beaumont-Wilshire area. Specifically, how was this area named Beaumont-Wilshire? Can you help us? The next issue will be distributed in January, so the middle of December is our deadline. I look forward to hearing from you soon. Dan.
My next door neighbor and I were both told the builder of homes on our block lived in our homes. Do you know who built homes at 2734 and 2744 NE Bryce Street? My home has pocket windows, single panes that drop down into the wall, that I’ve only heard about in one other home on Alameda.
Hi Linda. Thanks for dropping by the website. I’ve done some looking into these two addresses and will send you an e-mail with permit and census information that you’ll find of interest.
I’m interested in learning more about the pocket window…
-Doug
Thanks again for your information about our neighborhood builders.
Since the entire pocket window single pane goes down into the wall, I have great ventilation. There are four of them in my bedroom. Unfortunately, it’s a real pain when the sash cords break. I had to remove the casing and the window sill just to get the pane out to replace the sash cords. I’d gone to window and door places, hardware stores and Rejuvenation looking for advice after finding none online. No one had ever encountered that type of window before. Of course, the window and door places felt I should replace them, but I love the uniqueness and ventilation…let alone the history. Again, thank-you for all the info you provide…love the website.
Linda, My mom has these kind of windows and I am looking for information on them. Do you have any history on these windows? I love them.
No, Ann, I don’t. I do know that my home was built by its first owner, a man from Scandinavia, so perhaps he brought the idea with him when he immigrated. When I was researching them online in 2010, I did not find any windows like mine. Nor did any of the hardware or home rejuvenation store workers know about them. I love them too.
Doug,
Hi there. We recently purchased a home at 2935 Hancock. You verified earlier for me that the house is a Birkemier. We are going to do some renovations and I’m wondering if you know how we might find the original architectural drawings for the house. Any ideas? Thanks for your help!
Hi Erin. I’ve responded via e-mail. Good luck with the remodel.
Hello Doug. I would love to find the architectural drawings for my Birkemeier house in Cedar Hills. Any ideas about how I might find them?
Anne
Hi Anne. It would be quite unusual if the City had copies of the drawings. The only repository I know of is at the Architectural Heritage Center in southeast Portland. Call and ask for Val…he can tell you which of the Birkemeier drawings they have in the AHC collection.
Hi. I’ve recently purchased a home on Siskiyou at the base of the ridge that was built in 1925. In two weeks of researching I’ve found a wealth of information including a complete ownership history, all of the deeds, renovation details and permits, and a line drawing and floor plan (it was a Universal Plan Service home) – but I have found only a few scraps of information about the builder, J. C. Meyers. Multnomah County tax records show that he purchased many lots, built homes, and then sold them. Have you come across any information about J. C. Meyers?
Hi, grew up in the Beaumont neighborhood from 1956 through 1982ish on 43rd between Siskyou and Alameda. Grandparents lived on 32nd and Fremont. My brothers and I have so many fond memories of the area. This is a great website! As always I have lots of questions about houses and buildings in the neighborhood. For example the Manison at the top of Stuart hill.
Hi Doug!! Would you have any information on the builders of my home on NE 47th and Alameda build in 1911?? I show Crow Builders and E.A.W. Peake and True-Crew Brothers. Have you ever published your articles in a book etc?? Have you ever been a presenter at The Architectural Heritage Center?? Thank-You, John Cameron
I would like to suggest an addition to your list of builders in the early days of the Portland NE. He is Max Lorenz who with his brother Walter were the principals of Lorenz Bros. construction. I know he built the property then known as the “Albertina Kerr Nursery” at 424 NE 22nd. He also built a house for Emery Olmstead at 1700 NE Knott and another for Wm. T. Werner (Woerner) at 4206 NE Alameda, all of which still stand. My information says he built a concrete office and warehouse for Albina Fuel and did some work for “Doernbecher” although I am unsure whether the latter was work on the factory or on a privare home. Lorenz Brothers were active from the 19 teens to about 1950. (Max began building shortly after his arrival in Portland in 1910, but I am not sure when, exactly, he formed Lorenz Bros. with his brother Walter.) Max died in 1952 and so the firm was dissolved. Max was my grandfather and I am busy trying to collect information on and photographs of the various buildings he constructed around the area. Much of his work was outside NE Portland: His most famous claim to fame was as the general contractor on Timberline Lodge. He also built Menucha (on the gorge) for Julius Meier; the house for HA Green at 3316 SE Ankenny, and the now destroyed house for Mona Bell Hill (also on the gorge); and quite a few homes in SW and NW. Downtown, he built the Neighbors of Woodcraft Bldg (now the Tiffany Center) at 1410 SW Morrison.
Thanks for the suggestion, Thomas. I do bump into the Lorenz Brothers work from time to time and would like to learn more. I’ve sent you an e-mail with a few more details, including addresses of home in Alameda they built.
Hi John. I’ve just taken a deep dive into the early story of your house and would like to send you a few files. Drop me a line at doug(at)alamedahistory.org and I’ll send you what I’ve found. Short answer: It’s likely your house was built by Stephen E. True. Long answer is fascinating.
hi doug,
i contacted you decades ago about my 1920 duplex at 3344-3346 ne 15th portland, or 97212, and you offered many tips for research on the builders….diring those yrs, we made several trips to the or. hist society, and looked up the sanborn maps, the old ph directories, and donned the white gloves for old photos….we found the original resident after many hrs of research, but still couldn’t find the builder of this unique duplex……do you have any more info or tips for us….it would be greatly appreciated….i have a special file for this project and am so stoked to find the builder…sorry, it’s not in alameda, but in both irvington/sabin……….thx so much…..
Hmm. I see that the owner (who might also be the builder) named on the 1920 plumbing inspection card is William Smythe. Looks like construction happened between September of 1923 and February of 1924. Also, a quick look through the Oregon Journal suggests a Mr. and Mrs. D.W. Byrd were living in the north unit not long after construction (and they welcomed a new baby at that time). You might already know these things. Smythe could be the builder. You might do some genealogy to find him and see what he was all about.
Some other strategies: I’m assuming you have already requested the permit history from the Bureau of Development Services. This is free for you the homeowner and it could contain the original construction inspection card with the owner’s name (often, but not always, the builder). That file might also contain original permit documents, which could show the builder’s name as well as whoever was responsible for drawing the plans. Wouldn’t that be nice.
Another strategy would be to search past newspapers by your lot and block: the house is on lots 15 & 16 of Block 57 in the Irvington Addition. Sometimes a newspaper search using these terms might find mention of new construction, particularly if an address had not yet been assigned to a new construction project. I searched both the Oregon Journal and The Oregonian using the pre-address change addresses (712-714 East 15th Street North) and found a bunch of ads, but nothing about construction. You’ve probably already done this.
A tedious and lower percentage strategy would be to read through the vital statistics in both papers for several days after the initial permit filing date (vital statistics also used to include building permits issued). This has worked for me in the past.
You might also do some permit history research into nearby houses on the chance that your builder had other nearby projects underway. Again, tedious and lower percentage, but I’d be looking for contemporaneous construction projects or permit filing dates as a clue.
My scope of interest runs much wider than Alameda, so I’m interested in hearing about your findings. Drop me a line if you like: doug(at)alamedahistory.org
Happy researching to you!
hi doug,
thx again for the tips…
we were able to find wm smythe at the ohs in the old phone directory too, besides the historical plumbing permit on portland maps, and weren’t sure if he was the builder….. this helps a lot….we didn’t find the info on the byrd family with the new baby, in the north unit, so thx so much!….we live in the south unit, and the tenant lives in the north unit…we will share this fascinating info with them…..additionally we’ll request that thru bds, as we hadn’t done that yet…….good ideas with the newspapers, both oregonian/oregon journal, irvington lot/block, and geneology/vital statistics …….we’ll continue to research per your instructions and see what unfolds….again, thx so much doug, you have been most helpful……take care……
hey doug, thx again for all your tips, we were able to secure the files with your guidance on my 1920 duplex, and its fascinating…we look forward to viewing more of them soon, and continuing our research….this is much appreciated….
Glad to assist, and you seem well on your way to piecing together the story of your duplex.
One of the builders I’m following built the duplex on 15th between Knott and Brazee in 1930 and had to ask the City Council for a zone change to do it. Wondering if there was a similar process / request related to your duplex. Might add an interesting element to the story of your place…
-Doug
Hi Doug,
I really enjoy your reading about your research and posts. I have researched the life and work of architect William C. Knighton. I am curious if you have ever come across him or his builders/carpenters. Most of his projects were Downtown, Northwest Portland, Mt. Tabor, and Irvington.
On the topic of windows. Mr. Knighton occasionally used a technique of having the window casement set inside the wall cavity from which it could be raised, lowered and opened. Finger holds allowed the operator to lift the window frame up to clear the sill and then open by swinging the frame towards the interior. This method provided the ability to clean and repair windows easily. It also provided extra strength and protection from wind, rain and snow. They are what I call an early day form of storm window. I had a set in my house at the 3rd floor landing and 3rd floor dormers. – Bob C.
Hi Bob, thanks for the comment. I have not come across William C. Knighton, but am interested in learning more. Have you published or e-published anything about his work? His window innovation sounds fascinating and practical.