The Richmond neighborhood, on the west side of Mt Tabor, is located near Division, Hawthorne and Clinton st. Many of the neighborhoods in Portland have been named more recently, but the Richmond neighborhood, including the name, have been around for a long time. It’s home to very bikeable routes and older bungalow style homes.
Clinton St & The Old Streetcar
Richmond’s residential character was shaped by Portland’s streetcar era. In the early 1900s, a streetcar line ran along Clinton Street, connecting the neighborhood to downtown and making it an attractive, walkable place to build a home. Development followed the line, and many of Richmond’s houses date back to that period; bungalows with front porches, built-in bookcases, leaded glass, and original fir or oak floors.
Architectural historians have pointed out that a lot of Portland’s bungalow stock, including homes in Richmond, follows a distinctive symmetrical style with a centered front porch and matching windows on either side — a design that’s fairly rare nationally but common enough here that it’s sometimes nicknamed the “Portland Bungalow.”
Today, Division and Clinton Streets, the commercial center of Richmond, are known for restaurants, bars, vintage and resale shops, and the Clinton Street Theater, a movie house that’s been open since 1915 and is famous for its decades-long weekly run of the Rocky Horror Picture Show.
Old Homes Have Different Needs Than New Homes
Old homes have maintenance realities that newer construction doesn’t have. If you own or rent a Richmond area home, a few things are probably familiar:
Original hardwood floors
Build in shelving and glass
Older window frames and sills
Narrower, older floor plans
Older tile
These homes require a gentler cleaning approach by a company that has experience in restoration and gentle cleaning methods. Contact Essential Cleaning at 503-676-4656 or visit us at https://essentialcleaningpdx.com