completed 1929
EOU Library
Five tiers, 178 steps and 418 balusters, the Grand Staircase on the Eastern Oregon University/EOU campus in La Grande Oregon, was completed in 1929, just after then Eastern Oregon Normal School opened its doors.
The staircase was built to provide pedestrian access to the campus. The steps were low and wide, which made them easy to climb. Renowned Oregon architect John V Bennes designed this architectural treasure, once described as the “most majestic steps in Oregon”.
His chosen architectural style was Italian Renaissance Revival. Bennes found the style a fitting choice for eastern Oregon because the dry climate reminded him of northern Italy. He also chose this style for EOU’s Inlow Hall and Ackerman Hall. The shape of the staircase balusters was repeated in the window detail of both buildings.
The staircase was made of buff-coloured concrete, c17,470 sq ft. The balusters were cast stone with a moulded concrete core. They had a fine grain rosy coloured finish with a light-catching aggregate, giving them a pinkish hue.
At the top of the steps is the View Terrace. From there, you can see an ever-changing view of La Grande and the Grande Ronde Valley.
For 75 years, countless students, university employees, children, townspeople and visitors used the staircase to come and go from campus. The Grand Staircase/aka the College Steps, is one of La Grande’s most cherished land marks. Generations of children remember it as a magical playground. There were stories of a staircase cat and art shows on the landings. Townspeople, high school and college students ran up and down the steps as a fitness routine.
EOU Library
Many remember the staircase as the perfect place for wedding proposals and a favourite backdrop for photos. Faculty members sat on the steps and ate their lunches. People utilised the space for meditation and reflection, akin to the labyrinths that have increased in popularity recently.
Ask people about their favourite Grand Staircase memory, and any number will answer Evensong. This beloved commencement week ceremony began in the early 1930’s and continued until 1971. This evening of song had its roots in Greek Mythology. The event was presided over by the Queen of Knowledge and her court of six courtiers, wearing Grecian gowns. The pageant was symbolic of the graduating seniors going out into the world to spread the light of knowledge.
Evensong was a tremendously popular area event. Ninth Street, at the bottom of the staircase, was closed off. Neighbourhood children helped set up the chairs for the audience. In 1932 close to 20% of La Grande’s population attended.
Architectural historians have compared the Grand Staircase to the Spanish Steps in Rome and ventured that no other place in the country could boast a monumental exterior staircase of this scale, complexity and beauty. The Grand Staircase, Inlow Hall and View Terrace are listed together in the National Register of Historic Places.
Sadly 1920s construction techniques, eastern Oregon’s harsh winters, vandalism and deferred maintenance caused the staircase to deteriorate over the decades. Safety concerns closed it to public use in 2004. Efforts to fund restoration of the staircase have always been daunting, as the price tag was so high. In 2014 a small group of passionate volunteers began working with the university to reenergise efforts to save the College Steps. In 2015 Restore Oregon added the Grand Staircase to their Most Endangered Places List.
The volunteers became Friends of the Grand Staircase. They established a website and social media presence on Face-book, Instagram and Pinterest, honouring and celebrating the College Steps and allowing people to share their own staircase memories.
Ask people about their favourite Grand Staircase memory, and any number will answer Evensong. This beloved commencement week ceremony began in the early 1930’s and continued until 1971. This evening of song had its roots in Greek Mythology. The event was presided over by the Queen of Knowledge and her court of six courtiers, wearing Grecian gowns. The pageant was symbolic of the graduating seniors going out into the world to spread the light of knowledge.
Evensong was a tremendously popular area event. Ninth Street, at the bottom of the staircase, was closed off. Neighbourhood children helped set up the chairs for the audience. In 1932 close to 20% of La Grande’s population attended.
Architectural historians have compared the Grand Staircase to the Spanish Steps in Rome and ventured that no other place in the country could boast a monumental exterior staircase of this scale, complexity and beauty. The Grand Staircase, Inlow Hall and View Terrace are listed together in the National Register of Historic Places.
Sadly 1920s construction techniques, eastern Oregon’s harsh winters, vandalism and deferred maintenance caused the staircase to deteriorate over the decades. Safety concerns closed it to public use in 2004. Efforts to fund restoration of the staircase have always been daunting, as the price tag was so high. In 2014 a small group of passionate volunteers began working with the university to reenergise efforts to save the College Steps. In 2015 Restore Oregon added the Grand Staircase to their Most Endangered Places List.
The volunteers became Friends of the Grand Staircase. They established a website and social media presence on Face-book, Instagram and Pinterest, honouring and celebrating the College Steps and allowing people to share their own staircase memories.
A Staircase workgroup met nearly monthly. It expanded over the years, growing to include not only EOU, the EOU Foundation and Friends of the Grand Staircase, but also additional community volunteers, architectural advisors, Restore Oregon, Oregon’s State Historic Preservation Office, the City of La Grande, La Grande Main Street Downtown, the Eastern Oregon Visitors Association, the La Grande Landmarks Commission and the Union County Chamber of Commerce. The dedication and tenacity of the group was undeniable and their work kept the project moving forward.
Evensong 1970
Oregon Heritage Exchange
Oregon Heritage Exchange
Then, in March 2022, came the very good news that the Oregon Legislature had voted to give the university $4 million in Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds to rebuild the Grand Staircase.
EOU shares that the current goal is to reconstruct the staircase during summer 2023, re-establishing a significant connection between the university and the community, and enabling future generations to once again experience the beauty of this architectural treasure.
Guest author - Marcia Loney
14 comments:
Marcia how wise EOU was. My alma mater, Sydney University, was the first in Australia to open in 1850. Unfortunately our Heritage Minister did not announce that Sydney would be listed on the State Heritage Register until 2018.
Hello Marcie
Where do the parents and friends sit, to watch the graduates with excitement? Can photos be taken of the important day? It was a bigger day for my parents than just about any other :)
Hello Marcia and Hels, It is quite a praiseworthy project to restore these stairs. Sometimes buildings are saved but outside environments disregarded. College campuses in particular require large and memorable outdoor gathering spaces. The original steps lasted for seventy or so years. I wonder if the steps are to be reproduced in the same type of material. I have noticed that old concrete seems to last longer than new concrete, but I suppose that there have been some improvements known to specialty contractors, if not the low-bid ones.
--Jim
Hi Parnassus - I absolutely agree. When pursuing historic preservation grants for funding restoration of the staircase, we often found that money was available for buildings, but not for something like this. I know that the university hopes to use the best concrete they can, so the steps can last well into the future. They also plan to do a composite analysis of the aggregate that was used to coat the balusters, so the pinkish hue can be recreated.
Also, interesting that you note that old concrete seems to last longer. In doing research about the Grand Staircase, I ran across an organization called the Society for the Preservation of Historic Cements. It seems they agree with you!
Hi Joe - I Googled Sydney University and it is beautiful! I'm glad it finally has it's well deserved place on the State Heritage Register!
Hi Deb - They would block off the street at the bottom of the staircase and set up chairs for parents, friends, townspeople. And yes, lots of people took photos! I should mention that the actual graduation ceremony (where students received their diplomas) was held another day elsewhere on campus. It was all such a grand celebration!
You can only admire the tenacity of the Friends of the staircase. I am always delighted to hear that buildings of note are being given a new life.
Thanks Marcia. I didn't initially think a post about steps would be interesting, but it was with a history full of colour and it will be great to see the restored stairs.
Marcia
many many thanks, yes. I thought the view of the Valley from the top of the staircase was a very lucky pleasure. But Bennes was a clever architect, wasn't he. He must have worked hard to find the perfect position from which to view the stunning Grande Ronde Valley.
Hi Fun60 - Thank you, Our motto was "slow and steady wins the race", and it was a race worth winning!
Hi Andrew, Thank you. There is, indeed, magic in those steps!
Hi Hels, And thanks to you. Yes, Bennes was inspired by the project in La Grande, saying that it was the most beautiful site for a campus in the state.
Hello again, your comments about researching the secret of the pinkish hue of the concrete reminded me of the article/short piece "Farewell, My Lovely Appetizer" by S.J. Perelman, available in various collections and some places on the internet, which also revolves around discovering a secret pink hue of a different type. It is very funny, and if you get a volume of Perelman's stories be sure to read the others--he is one of my top favorite writers.
--Jim
Hi Parnassus - Just read "Farewell, My Lovely Appetizer" - what an absolute delight! And to think, if the balusters didn't have a rosy hue, I might never have know about it. Thank you! I'll be looking for more Perelman stories to read.
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