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A crowd gathered this afternoon to decry the demolition of a 106-year-old house on Southeast Hawthorne Boulevard, cheering on a squatter who tied himself to the roof.
Portland police said the man and his friends had been partying for several months in the house, continuing even after a woman died in one of the rooms.
The white 1909 four-plex between Hawthorne Ink and Cha! Cha! Cha! was purchased by developers last year and slated for demolition to make way for an apartment complex with more than 30 units.
While the developer was embroiled in a battle with residents like Kari Shawen over whether the apartment building should include onsite parking, squatters started spending time in the house.
One of those squatters, a man who has given multiple names to police in the months he has been there, is now sitting on the roof protesting the demolition, which was supposed to begin today.
The protester has been on the roof since late this morning. He tied himself to a dead tree, and has sporadically screamed that he wants the house turned into a community center.
A Portland police officer at the scene, who declined to give his name, tells WW the man and his friends ruined the house.
The windows are covered in graffiti, and according to the officer, the house has been destroyed inside.
A woman overdosed in one of the rooms upstairs about two months ago. Her body was recovered after being left for a "substantial" amount of time. The smell, the officer says, is overwhelming.
The protester and his friends allegedly continued partying next to leftover hair and an outline of her body.
Throughout the day, the crowd on Hawthorne swelled substantially, nearing 200 people. "Don't tear down the historic Hawthorne mansion!" people chanted. A rumor circulated through the crowd that the house was built by the street's namesake, James C. Hawthorne.
(It wasn't. Hawthorne died in 1881, and the house was built in 1909.)
Several people watching the protest said they agree with what the squatter is doing.
A woman who gave her name as Brie Larson said that developers are ruining Portland. "Even if it only slows them down," she said, "it's better than nothing."
Around 3 pm, workers started demolishing the front porch and lower roof. The crowd increased considerably and started to yell.
One group of people started a "go home, fascist pigs" chant. One man crossed the police tape and said he wanted to get arrested. "I'm sick of this," he said.
As of this hour, the man remains on the roof, even as demolition continues. Police say they plan to shut down Southeast Hawthorne Boulevard's north sidewalk between 34th and 35th avenues.
Willamette Week