Grief, questions and community outrage have erupted following the demolition of one of the oldest homes in Washington County.
An informal survey conducted by Your Oregon News revealed disapproval over the loss of the Wilkes House in Banks, with many readers lamenting the destruction of the historic site and raising concerns about city accountability.
The 150-year-old home, built by the first permanent Euro-American settlers in the area, crumbled to the ground on July 5 amid a battle to preserve the past.
City plans slated the house on Northwest Cedar Canyon Road to be replaced with a new water treatment facility for its proposed “westside development,” which would annex 30 acres for commercial and residential use.
The local historical society launched a campaign to restore the home, but property owners Wolverine Financial and Lone Oak Land and Investment Company moved forward with demolition a week after community organizers announced the initiative.
While under contract to acquire the property, the city was not in possession of the home as of demolition day, and Mayor Stephanie Jones said the property owners did not coordinate with local leaders.
To assess the aftermath, Your Oregon News asked readers about their knowledge of the Wilkes House and their thoughts on the destruction of the site.
Responses
A little over half, 51%, of respondents said they had not visited the house before it was razed, which is not surprising considering the conditions. The home was located on private property and shrouded by trees before the owners moved forward with demolition.
Readers expressed mixed levels of awareness about the Wilkes House and its historical significance, with equal numbers of people saying they did and did not know about the home.
However, disapproval of the demolition was loud and clear, with over 73% of respondents expressing that they disagree or strongly disagree with the building being torn down to make room for a water treatment plant.
For many, the destruction symbolizes the erasure of history in the face of the city’s emerging development.
Reader: “We are who we were. All we really have is our story. They took that away from our community.”
Reader: “Preserving our history is important to our sense of community and understanding of what it took to get us to today's community.”
Other readers raised issues with the city’s involvement, calling out local leaders for insufficient efforts.
Reader: “This historic home and land should have been preserved for the community. The City of Banks should have done a survey of historic properties when they expanded the urban growth boundary in 2017 and should do so now.”
Reader: “Long-time city administrators should have known about these plans years ago and implemented them.”
One common question was why the city couldn't build the water plant in a different location, especially since it won't be constructed for several years.
Despite the majority of responses showing dismay, some challenged the community outcries as a pushback against city growth.
Reader: “It's not our decision. It's the owner's decision. The people that are fighting about the demolition are actually fighting against the new development that it is paving the way for. They are using the Wilkes House as an excuse to try to stop the housing development.”
During the city's most recent council meeting , Banks City Attorney Dan Kearns said there was little that local leaders could do to prevent the demise of the home and that it was incumbent on the historical society to move the needle.
“It’s usually on local advocacy groups to move these processes forward, to accumulate enough information about a property to nominate it through the federal system and the state system…. Government certainly has a role, but it’s the people who nominate these properties,” Kearns said during the meeting.
In response to whether or not cities should have a role in what someone does with their private property when it is a historical landmark, 53% of respondents said governing bodies should be able to have influence.
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