National Register of Historic Places listings in Oregon facts for kids

Click on a county to go to a list of National Register sites there.

Have you ever seen an old building or a special place and wondered about its history? In Oregon, many important places are officially recognized to help protect them for the future. This is a list of these amazing spots, called historic places, that are on the National Register of Historic Places. You can find these special listings in all 36 of Oregon's counties.

The National Register of Historic Places is a big list in the United States. It helps recognize buildings, structures, objects, sites, and even whole neighborhoods that are important to history. These places can be important for the whole country, the state, or just their local area. Across the U.S., there are over 90,000 places on this list! Oregon is home to more than 2,000 of these historic sites.

Did you know that over one-fourth of all the historic places in Oregon are found in Multnomah County? Most of these (more than 90%) are right in the city of Portland.

What is the National Register of Historic Places?

The National Register of Historic Places is like a special "hall of fame" for historic sites. It's the official list of places in the U.S. that are worth saving. These places tell us stories about the past. They could be old homes, schools, bridges, or even natural sites where important events happened.

When a place is added to the Register, it means it's recognized for its historical, architectural, or archaeological importance. This recognition helps protect these places. It also encourages people to learn about and preserve them. It's a way to make sure future generations can also enjoy and learn from these important parts of history.

Exploring Oregon's Historic Counties

Oregon is full of amazing historic places, spread out across all its counties. Some counties have many more listings than others. For example, Multnomah County has the most, with hundreds of sites. This is because Portland, a very old and large city, is located there.

Other counties, like Jackson County and Lane County, also have many historic listings. These places include everything from old pioneer homes to important natural landmarks. Each listing helps tell a part of Oregon's unique story.

The table below shows how many historic places are listed in each county. It's a great way to see which parts of Oregon are especially rich in history!

Mount Hood Railroad in Hood River County Herschell–Spillman Noah's Ark Carousel in Multnomah County Al Thompson & Son's Feed & Seed Co. in Malheur County Greaser Petroglyph Site in Lake County James Cant Ranch in Grant County Oregon State University Historic District in Benton County

County # of Listings 1 Baker 14 2 Benton 57 3 Clackamas 87 4 Clatsop 61 5 Columbia 13 6 Coos 53 7 Crook 6 8 Curry 46 9 Deschutes 42 10 Douglas 50 11 Gilliam 3 12 Grant 10 13 Harney 7 14 Hood River 38 15 Jackson 151 16 Jefferson 9 17 Josephine 59 18 Klamath 29 19 Lake 18 20 Lane 134 21 Lincoln 35 22 Linn 72 23 Malheur 18 24 Marion 115 25 Morrow 5 26.1 Multnomah: Portland North 32 26.2 Multnomah: Portland Northeast 82 26.3 Multnomah: Portland Northwest 128 26.4 Multnomah: Portland Southeast 101 26.5 Multnomah: Portland Southwest 218 26.6 Multnomah: Other 38 26.7 Multnomah: Duplicates (7) 26.8 Multnomah: Total 592 27 Polk 29 28 Sherman 5 29 Tillamook 29 30 Umatilla 42 31 Union 19 32 Wallowa 22 33 Wasco 34 34 Washington 47 35 Wheeler 2 36 Yamhill 82 (duplicates) (13) Total: 2,022

This map shows where historic places are found in Oregon, as of September 2014. Old Scotch Church in Washington County Lithia Springs Hotel in Jackson County Fort Klamath Site in Klamath County Yaquina Head Lighthouse in Lincoln County