Next time you are walking through Portland State University in downtown Portland, keep an eye out for the gorgeous Queen Anne-style home that sits in the middle of the campus, near the Starbucks.
It's hard to miss. Beautifully restored, it's a bit of pastoral oasis in the middle of what is often a bustling university.
But it's more than that. It's a reminder of a couple of things: It brings to mind the memory of one of the most important people in Portland history, Simon Benson. And it also speaks to the benefit of preserving pieces of our past.
Benson had the home built in 1900 at the corner of Southwest Clay Street and 11th. That was a time when most of Portland's grand homes were along or near the South Park Blocks.
But by the mid-1990s, it had become a derelict, needing just about everything a house could need. There were holes in its walls, the paint was peeled and the roof was ragged. It had become a neighborhood eyesore. There was talk about simply tearing it down.
But a group called The Friends of the Simon Benson House were not about to let that happen. They raised money and support and 15 years ago this month – Jan. 16, 2000 to be exact – the old house began its new life. It was jacked up, placed on a trailer, moved to its current location near the center of the PSU campus, and carefully restored.
It now serves as the school's alumni house, and more.
In addition to providing an eye-catching centerpiece to the campus, it's a reminder of Benson, who was the classic American success story, and not just because he became rich. He also became one of Oregon's most generous philanthropists and before he died in 1942, his donations of money and land helped make Portland and Oregon the places they are now.
Originally from Norway, he came to the United States with his family as a 16-year-old. He had lived in Wisconsin and worked in the woods before heading west, arriving in about 1880.
Once he got here, he began to build a business empire based on lumber. Before long, he was one of Oregon's first millionaires. But instead of simply making money, he began giving back.
He donated money to help build Portland's system of "Benson Bubbler" water fountains; he donated to help build Benson Polytechnic High School; he gave land that eventually became Benson State Recreation Area and other parks in the Columbia River Gorge; and he bought up bonds that needed to be sold in order to build the original Columbia Gorge Highway, now the scenic highway.
In other words, he lived a life that reflected a comment often attributed to him: "No one has the right to die and not leave something to the public and for the public good."
Now, when you visit the home, Benson – well, actually a lifesized cardboard cutout of Benson – is in the living room, greeting visitors and reminding them that one way to prepare for a better future is to preserve reminders of what has passed.
-- John Killen
503-221-8538; @johnkillen