We’ve got big ones, y’all. On NW 10th Avenue, between Davis and Everett streets, there were several buildings, erected between 1917 and 1941. As we watch a new Portland unfold before us, sometimes for better and sometimes for the worse, the demolition of old structures is usually part of the process. We were fortunate to get a selection a beams from these buildings and they are just what you would expect – awesome. Old growth doug fir harvested up to 100 years ago that has the beauty only time can create. If you have a special project that requires some serious wood work – give us a call today to secure one of these beautiful beams. Available dimensions and lengths: 6 x 10 8 x…
Archives
Salvage Stories: The Holman House (Part 2)
The first time we step into salvage site, there is always an uncanny feeling; the people who have passed through the spaces, their memories, celebrations, times of struggle. These sites contain the human experience, both intimate and public. The Holman House was no exception. Over a century of residential and commercial occupation had left their marks in ways that were visible and invisible. As Portland grows, we are regularly faced with the challenge of balancing historic preservation and the evolution of the urban landscape; it’s a story as old as the city itself – preservation versus progress. Just like anything else where viewpoints are in opposition, it comes down to the actors on both sides working together to find harmony in a place that fosters both growth for the future…
Salvage Stories: The Holman House (Part 1)
Recently, we were fortunate enough to have been given the opportunity to salvage some items from a significant 19th century home in downtown Portland. Despite the best efforts of conservationists in the city, the property at 1500 SW Taylor, known as the Frederick V. Holman house, was slated for demolition due to a number of different factors ultimately affecting its eligibility for preservation. Back here at the mill, our stance is preservation of landmarks, first and foremost, above all, and always. Sometimes circumstances prevent the inevitable demise of these pieces of our past, and when that happens we do our best to salvage what we can and make certain that we document things as closely as possible, so that even the things that are gone are never forgotten. When…
3 AMAZING Stories About COLORS!
The history of how we obtain and use color is so very fascinating. Oftentimes, we take for granted the source of a color on a brightly glazed porcelain mug or the rich hue of a painted sunset, our modern exposure to the readily available paints, stains, and glazes leaves us to forget about the journey to this point of convenience. 1. Egyptian Blue The story of Egyptian Blue is the story of what is arguably the world’s first synthetic pigment. Blue was a color most revered by the ancient Egyptians and was widely used in artistic endeavors. The color of the Nile and the sky seemed appropriate to echo shades of divinity in art, which began to appear in the 3rd millennium B.C.E.. Composed of silica, lime, copper,…
Roosevelt High School, An On-Site Salvage
What happens when the world that we built gets too small for the world that we are building now? One word. Demolition. Roosevelt High School We were looking into the belly of a $91 Million beast: the complete architectural reinvention of Roosevelt High School. Buildings that have been standing since the school’s opening in 1921 are, almost a hundred years later, being laid to rest in the wake of newer, more spacious facilities. We are in a today, crafted by yesterday, always thinking of tomorrow. Sometimes, our yesterdays have to make room for our tomorrows, but we are who we are by respecting the past, recording our history,…
Yearbook 2015
We are just one big old happy family down here at the mill. Its the key to our success and customer satisfaction. We reminisce about our friends that have moved on to other workplaces often, but we are always happy to welcome new folks into the fold. We hope you will join us in welcoming Ashton Horner, Britney Land, Lydia Ness, and Drew Overmeier to the AMAS crew. Come and see any of us here or at our SE Portland showroom for friendly faces and awesome stuff.
The Woodworker Next Door
We have so much stock in our warehouses, it can be…intimidating. With all of the incredible projects at your fingertips, you may not know where to start. Luckily, we know how you feel and have a master list of craftspeople, artisans, designers, and artists to make all of your reclaim and salvage dreams a reality. You may have heard us mention once or twice in our social media outlets that we’ve opened a new space in Portland. We are pretty jazzed about it and wanted to share some images and shout outs. The store space is located in the former Pratt and Larson building and its a gem of a spot. We couldn’t dream of a better place to be in Portland than in the…
The one weird thing you don’t know about Brass and Copper.
Here at the Mill, we have a real penchant for things made of brass and copper. It helps that most of the antique hardware we sell is made of brass and of course, we’ve got some really nifty copper things too. For thousands of years people have known that copper, and its alloys like brass, have a unqiue and special property inherent in their molecular structure. An Egyptian medical text, dating to the 3rd century B.C. cites the use of copper to sterilize chest wounds and drinking water. The immunity of French copper workers to the cholera epidemic pf 1832 caused a renewed medical interest in the use of copper for antmicrobal purposes. Copper and its alloys posess the ability to kill bacteria, yeast, and…
Projects!
Summertime is always a great time to get all those creative juices flowing, especially when it comes to projects around the house – and even sometimes projects that get you out of the house! We loved reading this recent story from The Columbian about one of our customers Mick Robins, who used our reclaimed douglas fir barn wood in the restoration of an antique Basque sheepherder’s wagon. You can also follow Mick’s travels on his blog here. We have also received lots of images from other customers with updates on their projects. Like this table built by The Smith family from some of our salvaged 3×8. What are you up to this summer? Have you used any Mill treasures in your projects? Drop us a line – we would love…
Welcome Back!
Spring is the season of renewal and here at the Mill, we are taking that literally. Your eyes aren’t deceiving you – we’re back from a little posting hiatus with news, pictures, and exciting updates. First and foremost, we would like to give a hearty welcome to our new staff additions. Chanel Buehner and Katybeth Jerome – Mannequin Wranglers and E-Commerce Duo Extraordinaire Adam Newberry – Lumber Whisperer Alex Crowder – Visual Merchandiser (aka “Dances with Machine Legs”) Speaking of Alex, during the past few months, a period which shall henceforth be referred to as “The Renaissance” here at the Mill, she has completely transformed our spaces from chaos to symphonic harmony. The before and after shots speak for themselves. Some Upstairs Views Some Downstairs Views Before…