I used to live just a few minutes south from here on the Troutdale Road and drove by this all the time for years. Clearly, it was an old school, but only recently was I able to learn anything about it. It has been a private residence and photography studio since 2000, and now run it as a wedding / event venue.

Katy Sword, "Cedar School owner seeks code change, allow zone exemptions for historic buildings"

Gresham Outlook. April 24, 2015.

Founded in 1857, the school was part of the Cedar District until 1940, when it was consolidated with Troutdale Schools. Cedar was then used as an overflow space until the 1950s, and intermittently by the city of Gresham and Mt. Hood Community College until 1971, when it was abandoned and returned to the heirs of William Jones.

The building has been privately owned since its sale in 1976.

...

Sixteen years ago, Colleen Cahill purchased the Cedar School in Troutdale.

“It was in a horrific state of disrepair. Windows falling out, no heat in the building, just basically a barn,” Cahill said of the 1857-vintage school on Troutdale Road. “Someone could have demolished it at that point when I purchased it. It might have been easier for me to tear it down.”

So she spent the last 16 years fixing up the building, “one window at a time,” as she said.

“It’s been definitely a labor of love.”

The school has been Cahill’s home, as well as her photography studio. But with her last child out of high school, Cahill started taking a hard look at her finances — and if she can afford to keep Cedar School.

“I said I would hold onto the building and keep everything the way it was until she graduated, then I would make some life changes for myself,” she said. “Even though it’s a labor of love, it’s been a burden.”

Cahill considered selling, but that wouldn’t ensure the school would remain intact.

“If I put it on the market, whoever purchased this building could do anything they wanted to and level it,” she said. “That scared the living daylights out of me that someone could take a historic home like this and demolish it.”

...

That led Cahill to seek out alternative options to selling, such as renting out the space for events.

“The county said, ‘Sure, that would be awesome, but you’re not coded for that,” she said.

But there’s the possibility that with the review of land-use laws, Cahill could be given an exception to host events in her space.

“The biggest problem with Cedar School is it’s within an exclusive farm-use zone,” said Rich Faith, Multnomah County senior planner. “The EFU zone under state land-use laws is the most protected zone. The school, which is currently occupied as a residence ... is simply functioning as a non-farm dwelling. That presents a conflict with the state law in terms of what other activities you’re permitted to have there.”

Clearly, they were able to work out the zoning issues with Multnomah County.

Links

CLICK HERE to continue exploring the highway