With two Eliot Neighborhood cleanup events this month May is unofficially “Clean up Eliot Neighborhood Month.”
Thomas Lamb Eliot
The former Eliot school, now the Matt Dishman Center , was named after Thomas Lamb Eliot. Like many Portland neighborhoods, Eliot neighborhood was named after the school.
The following is a history of Thomas Lamb Eliot from the The Harvard Square Library website.
Historic Hibernian Hall
Today’s Wonder Ballroom was built by The Ancient Order of Hibernians, a group committed to immigration reform, civil rights for those of Irish descent and the preservation of the old Irish culture. Designed by the architecture firm of Jacobberger & Smith, the hall was completed on schedule and the first meeting was held in the new building on September 10, 1914.
The City of Albina and the Eliot Neighborhood
The following is an excerpt from Portland’s Adopted Eliot Neighborhood Plan 1993 pages 9 – 11.
The following discussion is from several sources. “History of the Albina Community,” a document produced by the 1990 Comprehensive Planning Workshop graduate students at Portland State University (PSU) formed the basis for this discussion. The workshop is a core requirement in PSU’s Master of Urban Planning Program. The students have graciously allowed the Albina Community Plan staff to use their work product in this planning effort. The Portland Bureau of Planning published the entire history report in 1990. It is available to those interested by contacting the Bureau. An article on Thomas Lamb Eliot by Stew Rogers that appeared in the November 1991 issue of the newsletter of the Eliot Neighborhood Association provided another source. In addition, a paper by Susan G. Hartnett “From Albina to Eliot: The Transformation of a 1887 City to 1991 Inner City Neighborhood” provided additional valuable information incorporated here.
Continue reading The City of Albina and the Eliot Neighborhood
The History of the Church at Ivy and Rodney
Like the Eliot Neighborhood in general the church at the corner of Ivy Street and Rodney Avenue has a long and rich history.
In 1890 the Trinity German Evangelical Lutheran Church of Albina was founded by the German missionary Reverend Edward Doering. The first church building, including a school in the daylight basement, was on the corner of Williams and San Antonio (now NE Graham St) in 1892.
Continue reading The History of the Church at Ivy and Rodney
New Trees in Eliot
On February 16 Friends of Trees held a neighborhood planting event for Boise, Humbolt, King, Piedmont, Overlook as well as Eliot neighborhood. In all 280 trees were planted in the 6 neighborhoods – 28 of those in Eliot.
Eliot Loses Historic Church
Near midnight on Monday February 5th, the Morning Star Baptist Church caught fire. Flames could be seen over homes and treetops throughout the neighborhood. By 1:30 am many residents were still gathered in disbelief sharing stories of the historic church.
Eliot Neighborhood 