| Description Summary
Benson High School is located at 546 NE 12th Avenue in the Kerns neighborhood of northeast Portland, Oregon. The 8.7 acre campus includes the original main classroom building (1916, 115A), north shop wing (1917, 115C), south shop wing (1918, 115D), old gymnasium (1925, 115E), auditorium (1930, 115F), aeronautics/automotive shops (1953, 115G), library science addition (1953, part of 115A), new gymnasium (1964, 115H), new library addition (1991, 115J), and the KPBS building (1992, 115K). The Classical Revival style school complex features a distinctive three part plan consisting of the main building, gymnasium wing, and auditorium wing that form the west part of the campus. These three buildings form a core group of two story brick-faced and concrete buildings that feature a balanced and symmetrical fenestration, classical revival style porticos and entryways of terra cotta, dentil cornice, brick panels, as well as bas relief panels and latticed transoms. The interior entrance of the school is also noteworthy for the survival of distinctively Georgian-Revival wood paneling and pilasters.
Architectural Description
Benson High School is situated in the Kerns neighborhood of northeast Portland. The campus occupies a densely developed 8.7 acre rectangular-shaped parcel that is positioned between NE Irving Street to the north, NE 12th Avenue to the west, NE 15th Avenue to the east, and Buckman Field which is owned by Portland Parks and Recreation. Development in the surrounding area consists primarily of offices and commercial buildings built between 1930 and 1980 (www.portlandmaps.com; Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps 1924-1928, 1908-1950 updated). The property does not include the playing fields, track, and tennis courts to the south of the school complex. The main school building is situated at the top of terraced front courtyard that is framed to the north and south by opposing wings.
Approached from the west, the main school building is a concrete structure with a brick veneer laid in an all stretcher bond. The main school building, auditorium, and old gymnasium retain character defining features of the Classical Revival style. The exteriors of the these three buildings exhibit Classical Revival porticos and entryways decorated with terra cotta surrounds, dentil cornice, brick panels, as well as bas relief panels.
The visual focus of the principal elevation is the Doric order portico consisting of four fluted Doric order columns with plain block bases and an egg-and-dart echinus. The plain frieze features a series of four panels that depict an open book, cog, and two torches. The most impressive decoration found on the portico is found immediately above the three sets of double doors. Each terra cotta panel depicts two bas relief student workers involved in various industrial arts activities. In the plain frieze of the portico reads “Benson Polytechnic School Erected ANNO Domini MCMXVI. The west elevation of the auditorium is nearly entirely sheathed with terra cotta embellished by a front balustrade with flanking staircases, four unfluted pilasters, and three double door entries with latticed transoms. The frieze features four terra cotta bas relief heads. The west elevation (front) of the original gymnasium wing did not receive as much architectural detailing as the auditorium wing; no entrances appear on the west side of the gymnasium wing.
The windows on the main classroom building consist of the original twelve-over-twelve wood sash with lambs tongue stops, while the semicircular arched windows of the gymnasium and auditorium exhibit metal casement-type windows. The rear of these three buildings was originally connected to the two shops by long enclosed brick-faced hallways. These hallways have since been integrated into more modern infill buildings that were developed in the areas between the three front units and the shops. A lightwell/courtyard still exists east of the main classroom building and the more recent infill. All of the windows on the east elevation of the main building have been replaced by metal glazed windows.
The two shops are located near the north and south property lines. To accommodate the industrial shops, the buildings are one story but with high ceilings. The exteriors of the shops consist of a regular rhythm of recessed bays between each structural column. Each of the bays exhibits a glazed fanlight. Entrances into the shops exhibit a terra cotta drip cornice, but most of the original entrances have been bricked up. A terra cotta cornice and coping are also evident on the shops. Notably, on the south elevation of the south shop wing, most of the original window openings have been bricked up and replaced by small metal windows. The wood windows on the north side of the north shop survive largely intact. Within the rear courtyard of the school, a one story, masonry, automotive shop was constructed. The fenestration generally consists of several garage doors interspersed with metal windows. At the southeast corner of the campus is an additional brick-faced building that houses channel KPBS. Attached to the rear of the old gymnasium is the new gymnasium. The new one story, double-height gymnasium lacks a fenestration and is constructed of concrete slabs and concrete columns.
The main building, auditorium, old gymnasium, and two shops originally formed an H-shaped plan. This original corridor plan has been altered when the hallways leading to the two shops were reconfigured in 1960 to accommodate more centrally located double-loaded hallways.
The interior decorative detailing of Benson High School is located in the main front entranceway. Here, Georgian Revival style woodwork consisting of wood paneling and door surrounds create a formal entry. Opposing doorways located on the north and south sides of the entry are decorated with a pedimented doorway supported by consoles. The door surrounds consist of modestly crossetted heads. The entry also features paired sets of fluted pilasters with plain bases, fleur-de-lis necks and an egg-and-dart echinus. Each of the wood paneled doors also exhibited latticed openings. A dentil cornice and a boxed beam ceiling complete the entry’s composition.
The main (west) entrance into the auditorium received a similar level of decorative attention as the entry features darkly colored wood paneling, wood panel doors leading directly into the auditorium, brass grated ticket booth openings, and fluted pilasters. The auditorium itself retains its original seating and U-shaped balcony. The old gymnasium interior is also largely intact as it retains its unfinished brick walls, open trusses, and cantilevered balcony. Several of the classrooms still retain their original built-ins and some woodwork. Also, several parts of the original bare-brick wall hallways leading to the shops still survive. Although most of the shop rooms have been subdivided to accommodate new forms of industrial art instruction, these spaces remain large and full of specialized industrial arts equipment. Generally, most of the corridors and classrooms feature 12” by 12” floor tiles with the exception of shop rooms that typically have concrete floors. Most of the classroom spaces are illuminated by tubular fluorescent lighting. Most classroom ceilings also have acoustic tiles.
Alterations
A moderate level of alterations to the campus and school buildings is evident on the first five units of the school between 1916 and 1930. In 1953, a new aeronautics/automotive shop and a new library science addition were added. A new gymnasium was added in 1964 and a new library addition was constructed in 1991. The last major addition occurred in 1992 when the station building for KPBS was erected. Interior modifications since the first units were built included the removal of the main building’s east facing windows, the modifications of the shop hallways and classrooms in 1960, and the removal of the sawtooth roof over the north shop (nd). Most of the post-1930 modifications and additions to Benson High School have occurred on ancillary elevations or secondary interior spaces and do not significantly diminish the historical integrity of the building. The building therefore retains its integrity of materials, design, workmanship, association, feeling, association, and setting. |
