A potential legal threat landed on the desk of Portland Mayor Keith Wilson just days before the city attempts to justify its proposed demotion of the Abraham Lincoln statue from its historic pedestal in the South Park Blocks.
A letter from Portland attorney Carrie Richter, a land-use and historic preservation specialist, says moving Lincoln to ground level could violate state and city regulations concerning protection of historic properties.
“Installing the restored Lincoln statue separate from, and below, its original base will directly violate its statutory obligation to ‘conserve the property’ and ‘assure that such property shall not substantially altered.’
“Whether these actions are intentional or based on willful ignorance, the fact remains that the city’s practice with respect to monuments going back to the Thompson Elk Fountain, has been nothing short of a disgrace. The city’s clear conservation obligation is to restore the sculpture atop its historic base, where it has peacefully kept watch over Lincoln Square in the Portland South Park Blocks for nearly 100 years.”
Richter’s clients are preservation advocates William J. and Kit Hawkins and Aubrey Russell. All three played key roles in convincing the city to restore and return the David P. Thompson elk statue and fountain to its historic location earlier this year.
Richter wrote, “Both state and local regulations require the city to prioritize conservation of its historic properties over unsupported claims of public preference. The public, including numerous historic architects, preservationists and stakeholders, has tried tirelessly to engage with city staff and have been stonewalled in those efforts.
“The public is desperate for a forum where alternatives to demolition can be discussed and where public opinion can be made known. Please instruct your respective bureaus not only to comply with state law and local preservation program requirements, but also to be transparent and forthcoming about their intentions with respect to the protection of historic resources.
The city Office of Arts and Culture has scheduled a public meeting from 6-8 p.m. on Sept. 8 at the Mark Building, 1119 SW Park Ave., to discuss the statue’s placement. It is not clear how much time will be available for public comment.
Richter noted that returning the statue to its pedestal does not eliminate potential changes. “For example, additional interpretive signage could provide greater historic context, offering a more complete picture of Abraham Lincoln’s life and of the social protests that led to Lincoln’s toppling in 2020.”
The letter does not include any legal threat, but invocation of the city and state preservation rules suggests that judicial review could be possible if the city persists in making a mistake.
No AI is used in creation of this blog. You can join Building on History’s email list by writing “add me” to faroverpar463@gmail.com.
Thanks. Contributing to the problem is that city staff made secret decisions to put Lincoln on the ground, and then compounded this error by not disclosing when they later met to discuss the return of Lincoln with people who have been closely following this issue, such as Concerned Citizens.
Hurrah for causing this event. Mayor Wilson and his co- conspirators deserve as much criticism as can be delivered.