PORTLAND WOOD, HOMETOWN STORIES

03/15/2018

By Megan Avila

Big timbers, clean wood, rugged wood—all local! Three iconic buildings in Portland, Oregon have reached the end of their lifecycle and we’re bringing you the salvaged timbers, boards, and more:

After nearly 100 years in business, Fishels Furniture, known best for patio furniture, closed its doors in 2016 as owner Larry Talbott sought a new chapter in life having spent 40 years owning/running the business. Photo: Lynch Sales Co.

The old Fishels Furniture building on Martin Luther King Blvd. at Burnside bridge has yielded Douglas fir timbers fit to go back into use as they are or to be re-sawn into crisp board stock with unlimited uses. In more good news: some of the wood reclaimed from the building is going back into the new construction that’s happening there.

Reclaimed Douglas fir timbers from the Mersman Table Factory found new life in a Portland, OR home. Photo by Loren Nelson.

Hard to miss with its red awnings, the Montes Shelton Jaguar building on West Burnside is giving us some painted Douglas fir. The original paint can be maintained or removed to reveal the warm tones of the natural wood.

In 2016 after 42 years in business, Monte Shelton Jaguar (the Montes Motor Company), a large Jaguar and Rolls-Royce sales/service dealer, was purchased and joined with Land Rover Portland leaving the West Burnside location vacant.

Centennial Mills, perhaps one of the most iconic sites we’ve reclaimed from, had exceptional old Douglas fir which revealed clear vertical grain boards during re-milling. There are timbers and cribbing planks and more ready for any project from this reclamation.

Started in 1910, Centennial Mills along the Willamette River in Portland is ideally situated for Portland’s riverfront preservation as a River District urban renewal area. However, the cost to rehab the many buildings brought a halt to re-construction plans.

In late 2014 the Portland Development Commission (PDC) passed a resolution making an emergency declaration relating to the condition of Centennial Mills. Several of the structures were dangerously close to collapse including wharves. Northwest Demolition & Dismantling was enlisted to selectively demolish and salvage five of the warehouses and three of the grain elevators–we were excited to be selected to reclaim Douglas fir timbers and planks from the deconstruction.

1930’s and 40’s fruit vats in Salem, OR aka “Cherry City”, are slowly being replaced with stainless steel. The Douglas fir planks we reclaimed from the large circular vessels provides distinct Vat Stock grades: A silvery interior patina, a rugged brown exterior from generations of being exposed to nature’s elements, and a clean center cut which features shades of pink and gray staining from years of mingling with cherries.

Over 60,000 board feet were rescued during the demolition of the vintage vats and are available as paneling, flooring, board stock, and more. We’re happy to be able to give new life to these aged planks that tirelessly provided the country with thousands and thousands of “cherries on top”.

Center Cut Vat Stock adorns the walls and tabletops at Next Level Burger in Portland.

Fun history, LEED point eligibility, easy access–keeping it local. Let us know if you’d like to stop by our Portland Studio to see and feel the wood or if you want more information.