By Sandy Miller
The City of Portland has announced plans for the reopening of the historic Laurelhurst Studio. This small but significant building, nestled in the heart of Portland Parks & Recreation’s (PP&R) Laurelhurst Park, dates from the mid-1920s. The Tudor style, half-timbered and stucco structure was used for community activities including dance, drama and art classes for nearly a century before budget cuts forced its closure in 2019. Now a local group is partnering with the city to restore the building and bring it back into use.
Sellwood Community House (SCH), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, is undertaking the project and will provide the programming. According to Ashley Murray, SCH’s executive director, the City of Portland has offered the group the use of the studio building through a 10-year lease. No City funds (including zero tax dollars) will be required for the nonprofit to renovate, operate and maintain it.
Murray, who has led SCH for seven years and has a background both in public education and social work, envisions a multitude of activities rolling out by this September. Programming will be driven by the results of community outreach, she explains, with a mix of physical activities like dance, tumbling and tai chi offered along with meeting space for local discussion groups, language lessons and arts and crafts classes. People of all ages will find tempting selections. The cost of activities will vary, with a mix of free, sliding scale and full price programs.
“The Laurelhurst Dance Studio partnership leverages Sellwood Community House’s demonstrated success and trusted relationship to keep recreation affordable and accessible for families,” says Kellie Torres, External Affairs & Partnerships Manager with PP&R. “It will revive a historic public asset, expand opportunities in arts and recreation and tap nonprofit resources to increase services at no additional cost to taxpayers.”
Phase 1 of the building renovation process is almost complete, with interior floors redone and walls painted. In Phase 2 an ADA-compliant restroom will be added along with an HVAC system. The third phase will include a new roof and stucco repair at some future date.
Beginning this month some drop-in activities will be offered, and a full slate will roll out as the 2026-27 school year begins. To learn the latest or to volunteer, sign up for SCH’s online Laurelhurst Studio newsletter: sellwoodcommunityhouse.org/laurelhurst-studio.
Laurelhurst Park was opened in the early 1910s and is considered the jewel of the neighborhood. The 27-acre park’s creation was championed by then city Parks Director Emanuel T. Mische, who persuaded the city to acquire several parcels of land based on the recommendations in a plan submitted by the firm of Frederick Law Olmsted. Mische had been a horticulturist for Olmsted, who designed Central Park in New York City and other urban parks along similar flowing and naturalistic lines.
The City of Portland purchased the land for Laurelhurst Park in 1909 for $92,482 from the estate of William S. Ladd, the former Portland mayor who developed Ladd’s Addition. The tract of land was part of a larger parcel Ladd used as a dairy farm.
Mische established seven distinct areas in the park: the concert grove, Firwood Lake, children’s lawn, plateau and broad meadows, picnic grove and Rhododendron Hill. Three-acre Firwood Lake was created from a spring-fed pond once used as a watering hole for cattle. A playground was established between SE Oak and Stark streets, with separate areas for boys and girls.
In 1915 electric lighting was added to a series of paths and sidewalks. The Pacific Coast Parks Association named Laurelhurst Park the “most beautiful park” on the West Coast in 1919.
Marked by a pond, winding paths, wildlife and many mature trees, Laurelhurst became the first park ever to receive National Historic Place designation in 2001. With the revival of Laurelhurst Studio, Portlanders and out-of-town visitors have yet another reason to frequent the historic park.
Laurelhurst Studio sits ready to welcome people back. Photo by Sandy Miller.
