O ctober 3, 2012_____________________________
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Page 13
photo by
M ark W ashington /T he P ortland O bserver
Billy Webb Elks Lodge members outside the historic 1926 building. The site at North Tillamook Street and Williams Avenue is a symbol o f African-American history in
one of Portland's most historic black neighborhoods.
Community Treasure
The Billy Webb Elks Lodge remains as
one of the only buildings in inner north and
northeast Portland that still stands as a sym­
bol of Portland’s black history in a traditional
African-American neighborhood.
The story of the building begins with Mrs.
E.S. Collins, who chaired the downtown
YWCA’s Committee of Color, which voted in
1902 to exclude black women from its mem­
bership.
Mrs. Collins was determined to help the
African-American community establish its
own YWCA, and helped to place a portable
structure on the northeast comer of North
Williams Avenue and Tillamook Street in
1921.
In 1926, Mrs. Collins made an “anony­
mous gift” of $ 12,000to enable a black branch
of the YWCA to build a permanent structure
on the site. Eventually the NAACP had an
office in the basement.
During World War II, the building was
turned over to the United Service Organiza­
tions (USO) for the use of “colored” soldiers.
YWCA services were moved back down­
town and the participation of blacks in the
YWCA ceased to exist.
After the war ended in 1947, the YWCA
got its building back but the participation of
blacks in the YWCA never met its pre-war
level. As the participation began to lag, the
downtown YWCA board of directors de­
cided to sell the building.
The new buyers were the Elks. The group
was committed to save the structure while at
the same time members were distraught over
the beginnings of a displacement of black
Portlanders from the nearby community.
What was once a thriving African-Ameri­
can community was changing before their
eyes. The building of the Memorial Coliseum
in what is now the Rose Quarter started a
forced migration of African Americans out of
their traditional community. It was followed
by the construction of 1-5 and the later the
Fremont Bridge. By the early 1970s, the
Emanuel Hospital expansion project, which
was never completed, forced many other
African Americans out of their homes.
The final push of black Portlanders out of
many parts of inner north and northeast has
come in the past two decades with the loss
of low income and affordable housing.
After falling into disrepair from years of
neglect, Portland’s National Association of
Minority Contractors focused their time, ef­
fort and resources to renovate Billy Webb
Elks Lodge #1050, completing their work in
2009.
Most recently, the lodge has been up­
graded with a full air conditioning system
and new plum bing which was funded
through a Community Livability Grant pro­
vided by the Portland Development Com­
mission.
The Billy W ebb Elks Lodge is open for
business, offering useful services to the
com m unity. It provides a low-key envi­
ronm ent for mem bers and friends who are
/
basically 35 and over (or are m ature.) N or­
mally, on Thursdays, Sundays, and M on­
days you can find friendly games o f bid
whist or dom inoes for your entertainm ent.
The lodge has added a deli menu with
great sandwiches.
Activities at the lodge are always evolv­
ing. On Thursday nights there’s line dancing
lessons at 7 p.m. (except the third Thursday
of each month); Shirley Nanette is back for
Sunday night jazz at 6 p.m. on the first and
third Sundays; while karaoke, a new feature,
is on the second and fourth Sundays starting
at 6 p.m.
Depending on the scheduling, the lodge
provides free or low-cost meeting space to
community-based nonprofit organizations.
The lodge also provides free space for fu­
neral repasts (depending on scheduling).
The lodge is available for rental for all
kinds of occasions. You’re encouraged to
call the lodge at 503-284-4853 or drop by the
facility at 6 N. Tillamook St.