The Eugene Cultural Resource Inventory Program

Cultural resource surveys are a valuable tool to identify and evaluate historic resources. Since the mid-1980s, in cooperation with the Oregon State Historic Preservation Office and the University of Oregon Historic Preservation Program, the City has conducted an ongoing survey of cultural resources within the city limits. This partnership has led to the completion of cultural resource inventories for the following neighborhoods, shown below:

• College Hill Neighborhood (1985-1987)
• Fairmount Neighborhood (1985-1987 portion)
• South University Neighborhood (1985-1987, 1999)
• West University Neighborhood (1986-1987)
• Eugene Downtown (1989-1992)
• Chase Gardens/Old Coburg Road (1991-1992)
• Whiteaker Neighborhood (1993-1995)
• Jefferson Neighborhood (1996-97)
• Westside Neighborhood (1997-98)

These surveys have inventoried over 5,000 historic properties, and resulted in protection of over three hundred historic resources, including two historic districts listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Use the link on the right to view a map of neighborhoods surveyed to date.

There are large areas within the Eugene Urban Growth Boundary that remain unsurveyed. The Eugene Area Historic Context Statement helps indicate the potential types and number of historic resources, including agricultural land and open space, being impacted by growth. One of these areas, for example, is the River Road area located northwest of the core area of Eugene. First settled in the 1850s, River Road was initially established as a distinct agrarian community and contains numerous historic resources. Now within Eugene's Urban Growth boundary, this area has experienced extensive growth and development in recent years. The Historic Review Board has identified the River Road Area as a high priority for historic preservation work in 2005-2006.

The architecturally rich Fairmount and College Hill neighborhoods contain a number of buildings that have reached the fifty year threshold since the completion of the initial survey in 1987. In addition, the evaluation process used to rank properties for historic significance has been revised since the surveys were conducted. The Historic Review Board has identified these two neighborhoods as medium priorities for future survey work.

In addition to the neighborhood surveys, the city also undertakes thematic surveys. Thematic surveys are conducted to address resources that are not necessarily within a particular neighborhood area, but are related by a common theme such as building type (like barns) or architect. An example is the 1989 survey of resources designed by the architect Ellis Lawrence, who designed much of the University of Oregon campus as well as other buildings around Eugene. 

Copies of completed neighborhood Cultural Resource Inventories are available at the Architecture & Allied Arts Library, University of Oregon, or from the City of Eugene, Planning Division, 99 West 10th Avenue, Eugene, OR, 97401. In the future, we anticipate having a full set of the cultural resource surveys at the City of Eugene Library.