This Saturday, May 9, the annual Laurelhurst Art Walk kicks off at 10 a.m., running through 5 p.m. The Art Walk provides an opportunity to walk, bike or ride your llama down the lovely tree-lined streets of Portland’s historic Laurelhurst neighborhood and gawk without the fear of being labeled a voyeur.
laurelhurst boundaries (click to enlarge)
The concept behind the Art Walk is simple: neighborhood residents who fancy themselves craftspeople and artists take one day out of the year to open up their front yards, garages and homes to display their wares, offering up the opportunity for you to take a little hand-made gem home. Our family has taken advantage of the Art Walk for several years –it’s an enjoyable excursion.
While nearly all the work comes from the residents of the neighborhood, some houses also feature hand-crafted goods from other artists. Whatever the case, there’s plenty of great stuff to see and you simply cannot find a more enjoyable environment in the city to shop. While cash might be tight these days, it’s always nice to have an opportunity to get up close to the work of a talented group of people.
- View a list of artists based on their location in the neighborhood, or…
- View a list of artists by name, or…
- Download an Art Walk map, enabling you to plan your trip.
I highly recommend downloading the map, because it features a handy coupon for a free cup of coffee at the Bakery Bar, which just gets better and better the longer they put their roots down on NE Glisan.
The Backstory
Featuring one of Portland’s most beautiful urban canopies, the Laurelhurst residential neighborhood was created in 1909 when the Ladd Investment Company sold its 462-acre Hazelfern Farm to the Laurelhurst Company for $2 million. The Laurelhurst Company platted a residential development of 144 acres, which was the start of the neighborhood that we know today.
1909 plat map of the first (NW) quadrant of Laurelhurst (click to enlarge)
The roots of the Laurelhurst neighborhood started in 1869, when William S. Ladd began buying up land that would eventually include the Laurelhurst neighborhood. The largest parcel (320 acres) came from the purchase of Thomas Frazer’s Hazelwood Farm in 1869. Additional surrounding parcels were purchased in 1873 and 1876. This collection of properties became the Hazel Fern Farm, one of three farms owned by Ladd, who also co-owned five other farms.
When Ladd passed away in 1893, the winds of change rolled in. Ladd’s estate was finally settled some 15 years after his death (on May 26, 1908). The Ladd Estate Company was formed soon thereafter to manage the family’s real estate holdings. In 1909 the Hazel Fern Farm land was deeded to William S. Ladd’s son William M. Ladd, who then formed the Ladd Investment Company. On April 24th, 1909, William M. sold the land to the newly formed Laurelhurst Company for $2 million.
The Laurelhurst Company was incorporated for the express purpose of developing the Hazel Fern Farm property. The name “Laurelhurst” was given to the new residential development by one of the founders of the Laurelhurst Company who was intricately involved in the development of the Laurelhurst neighborhood in Washington, and wanted to bring a similar vision to Portland. As the first houses were erected, the City of Portland purchased 31 acres within the development for $92,000 to construct Laurelhurst Park.
For the history buffs among you, check out this excellent, general historical overview of the neighborhood.
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Wow, Jeremy, thanks for the great history of my neighborhood! I enjoy Joan of Arc each time I go around Coe Circle.
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