History Preserved Pendleton Tours return in May
Saturday's event doubles first open house about Christian Science building's future
Attendees will see inside Christian Science building, Rivoli
The doors will be open at some of Pendleton’s historic buildings May 10-11.
Part of Pendleton Urban Renewal, History Preserved Pendleton features guided tours of Pendleton’s historic buildings multiple times a year, and the next tours will happen May 10-11.
For the May tours, the event will begin at the Heritage Station Museum, 108 SW Frazer Ave, and end at the Christian Science Church building, 11 SW Byers Ave. At the start of the tour, visitors will pick up a “passport” to be stamped after touring each building, and completed passports will earn the owner discounts at downtown businesses.
Guided Tours leave Heritage Station Museum every half hour from 1-4 p.m. The tours will highlight historic buildings that are being restored or renovated and give a glimpse into rarely seen areas. For the first time, the tours will also include a look inside the Rivoli Theater.
The May tours will include:
Bond Building (Sisters Café) 1904
- Bowman Hotel Building 1905
- Christian Science Church 1926
- Frazier Office Supply Building 1889
- Masonic Hall (Great Pacific) 1887
- Milarkey Building 1880
- Oak Hotel 1904
- Odd Fellows Temple 1897
- Rivoli Theater 1900
History Preserved Pendleton began in 2023 under the auspices of Pendleton Urban Renewal and the Pendleton Development Commission. PDC Associate Director Charles Denight said the program was created in response to encouragement from the State Historic Preservation Office to develop programs focusing on public education about historic buildings.
“The simple goal of History Preserved is to help Pendletonians see first-hand the condition of historic buildings, prior to, during and following urban renewal restoration and upgrade projects,” Denight said.
The first History Preserved tour took place at the end of September in 2023. Since then, hundreds of Pendleton residents and visitors have been able to tour historic sites around the downtown area. The May tours will feature many of the same locations as the tours in March, but there is one extra twist: tours will visit the inside of the Rivoli. Once a mainstay of entertainment on Pendleton’s Main Street, the Rivoli is in the midst of a long-term renovation and has previously only been viewed from outside the location.
In addition to guided walking tours, each session of History Preserved Pendleton features a “sit down” tour. The sit-down version allows visitors to see a slideshow of the tour buildings they may not be able to access because of scheduling or mobility issues. In May, the “sit down” tour will take place from 6-8 p.m. May 24 at the Christian Science Church building on the corner of Southwest Byers Avenue and Southwest Main street. Opened in 1926, the building was recently donated to the City of Pendleton by the Bisnett family, and the City is currently seeking feedback from the public on how to move forward with the building.
Surveys will be available in the Christian Science Church during the walking and sit-down tours for the public to express their wishes for the future of the building.
“Filling out the survey is an excellent way for citizens to have their voices heard. We are looking forward to hearing what our community would like to see happen with this building,” History Preserved Pendleton Project Manager Stephanie Huffman said.
Both the History Preserved Tours and the History Preserved Sit Down Tour are free and open to the community.
Other workshops are in the development stages, and History Preserved is coordinating tours for schools and youth groups. Anyone interested in scheduling a trip can contact Huffman at Stephanie.Huffman@ci.pendleton.or.us.
Learn more about the History Preserved efforts and the Pendleton Urban Renewal at https://pendletonurbanrenewal.com/
