Gresham Historical Society

Our project is simple: There is a crack in the foundation, and we need to fix it.

How your donation will be used
The project will cost approximately $9,000. We have requested a grant from Oregon's Heritage Commission for an amount of $4,500. The grant requires we match funds 1:1. 

Currently, we have $2,500 of the match in donated services and staff time. We need to raise $2,000 to meet our match amount, which will pay for supplies and professional contractors.

We have set our fundraising goal to $4,500 because if we don't receive the grant, we will still need to complete this project! If we receive the grant, any amount raised over $2,000 will go towards current and future building repairs, maintenance, and improvements. If we don't receive the grant, all funds will go towards fixing the foundation crack.

Cash and check donations can be mailed to the Gresham Historical Society at 410 N. Main Avenue, Gresham, Oregon, 97030.

About the Preservation Project
The project will repair the foundation crack located on the east exterior wall of the historic Gresham Carnegie Library building. The crack, which was first documented in 2012, is due to outside water pressure and leaks water year-round, slowly worsening the crack.

In 2017, the crack was patched temporarily from the inside by well-intentioned volunteers to limit water leakage, however, it did not solve the problem.

The patch in this photograph is approximately 4 feet wide and 2 feet tall.

The leak has worsened during 2018, creating larger pools of water in the basement. The Gresham Historical Society hopes to repair the foundation crack before it creates larger foundation issues for the property.

How we plan to fix it
Using local contractors, we plan to excavate along the wall, repair the crack from the outside, and apply a waterproof coating. We will also install a french drain to redirect water.

Who supports our project 
Mayor Shane Bemis and the City of Gresham Historic Resources Sub-Committee have authored formal letters of support for our grant project. The Gresham Historical Society Board of Directors approves this project, and the project will be overseen by museum staff and the society's Facilities Maintenance and Risk Management Committee.

Our History
“The most important event, from a social or educational standpoint that ever occurred in Gresham, was the formal opening of the new Carnegie library building.” –The Gresham Outlook, 1913

Built in 1913, the Gresham Carnegie Library building served as the first library in Gresham, Oregon. By matching funds with the Carnegie Foundation, the Gresham Library Association was able to choose the architect for the project, Folger Johnson. This autonomous choice in architect is the reason why Gresham's Carnegie Library is so unique when compared to other Carnegie libraries.

Acclaimed as one of the finest examples of Tudor architecture in the Portland Metropolitan area, the Gresham Carnegie Library housed the Gresham Branch Library from 1913 to 1989, when the library began to relocate to its current home on NW Miller Avenue in Historic Downtown Gresham.

In 1990, the Gresham Historical Society purchased the building and with community support raised over $70,000 to fund the most extensive restoration project in the building's history, placing it on the National Register of Historic Places in 2000. The building now serves as the Gresham Historical Museum, housing exhibitions, research archives, and the organization's artifact collection.

The Gresham Historical Society is a 503(c) private, non-profit. We do not receive city, state, or federal funding for operational and maintenance costs. We receive a portion of the Multnomah County Tax Levy, which pays for us to have a full-time staff member, who made the creation of our grant application possible.

If you would like to learn more details about the project, please email [email redacted] 

You may have heard that an arsonist set fire to the Gresham History Museum in Historic Downtown Gresham on July 2, 2021. While the fire was quickly extinguished, the water damage was significant and well over the amount of $41,000 that our insurance inspector first determined.

The Gresham Historical Society is hoping the community will rally together with contributions to help restore our building and artifacts and help us make some badly needed upgrades to our 108 year old and gorgeous former Carnegie Library. Please believe that every dollar counts and if you are able, please make a donation today.

We are the caretakers of our history, YOUR history, and one of the last historic buildings in the Gresham community. Won't you help us reopen our doors?