In Northeast Portland, the tree-lined Alameda neighborhood is bordered by the Beaumont-Wilshire, Concordia, Grant Park, Irvington, and Sabin neighborhoods.

This historic neighborhood has a friendly, relaxed vibe that families love. Residents take pride in their homes, tree-lined streets, and the close-knit community. Local schools, parks, and businesses have contributed to the neighborhood’s identity, as has its deeply historic character.

The history of the Alameda neighborhood, like much of Portland, is rich and deep. The first homes were built in the early 20^th century, some of which can still be seen today! The Thomas J. Autzen house is undoubtedly the prized historic house of the neighborhood, having been added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1992. The home was built in 1927 for Thomas J. Autzen, who owned the Portland Manufacturing Company. The mansion is Tudor style, with pitched roofs, leaded windows, large chimneys, and beamed ceilings. Other historic buildings of note include Alameda Elementary School, built in 1922, and today’s Regent Center, which was first known as Alameda Park Community Church in the early 1920s.

The neighborhood was first established on a land claim of William and Isabelle Bowering in 1859. This land included orchards, woodlands, and Native trails. (At the time, there was a Chinook village known as Neerchokikoo north of Alameda.)

Later, the Alameda Land Company platted the Alameda Park subdivision in 1909. Like most of the Portland at the time, the development was bigoted, with brochures advertising that no “people of undesirable colors and kinds” would be welcome.

The natural formation of Alameda Ridge has a role in the development of the neighborhood. Created during the last Ice Age when gravel was left behind from the Glacial Lake Missoula floods, Alameda Ridge runs through several Portland neighborhoods. The views from the ridge were attractive to early residents, especially the wealthy families who often built large homes with living quarters for their staff.

As more homes were built, many of the area’s orchards and dairy farms were destroyed. (Today, some homes have remnants of those orchards in their yards!) Development of a streetcar brought residents to inner Portland for work, and this easy commute furthered home development. Residents valued the residential feel of the area and they were active in protests against commercial development. Local women were also instrumental in the construction of the elementary school.

The neighborhood declined in the mid-20^th century due to lack of investment and persistent discrimination, but younger residents began moving in and fixing up the houses. Today, Alameda is a well-maintained and stable neighborhood with homes that have great curb appeal.