Laurelhurst - Inspired Urban Planning in Southeast Portland
ALL ABOUT
The
Laurelhurst neighborhood is a charming collection of homes in Southeast
Portland where you can’t help but marvel at the serene scenery, tree-lined
streets and unique homes. The area is bordered by the Center,
Hollywood, Kerns, Sullivan’s Gulch and
Sunnyside neighborhoods and is
home to Laurelhurst Park, a historical park that is a popular place
to take a walk, jog, play some soccer or have a picnic.
LAURELHURST
HISTORY
Much of the Laurelhurst area was once owned by prominent Portlander,
William S. Ladd, serving as farm land. When Ladd died in 1893
the land began a transition from a collection of farms to a residential
area. Ladd’s properties and many nearby farms were soon incorporated
into “The Laurelhurst Company” a development organization which hired
the famed architectural firm of the Olmstead
Brothers to design the modern, upper-class neighborhood. The
development included fully paved streets, including luxurious parking
spaces, wide sidewalks and street lamps. Modern utilities such
as water, sewer and gas mains were installed at this time. During
this development over 2000 trees were planted and the 32-acre
Laurelhurst
Park was set aside.
HOME STYLES &
LAURELHURST REAL ESTATE
The first home was built in 1910 and by 1916 five hundred homes
had been built. By 1935 only 10% of the lots
remained vacant. The
style of homes in Laurelhurst range from mansions
to more modest homes, with bungalow homes being
the most prominent style - there are more than
1,000 such homes in the area.
Unlike many
Portland neighborhoods that are interspersed with small
businesses, Laurelhurst is solidly housing. Laurelhurst
thoroughfares flow at a relaxed pace and exude
the same relaxed speed of life as the neighborhood
in general.
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