Masonry Magazine October 1977 Page. 18
Oregon Museum Recalls Massive Masonry Project of 20 Years Before
On the evening of August 17, the Oregon Museum of Science & Industry in Portland celebrated the 20th anniversary of its famous "barn-raising" with a party and open house for the people who literally built the museum in one day back in 1957. Laborers, contractors, suppliers and all others who took part in the OMSI barn-raising were invited back for a nostalgic look at "the house that labor built."
Twenty years ago on the morning of August 17, 205 bricklayers, 60 mason tenders and 50 mason contractors reported for work at no pay on the site of what is now OMSI. All labor, machinery, supervisory personnel and materials were provided by union members of the Unit Masonry Association. Other unions pitched in to offer services, and several firms provided food for picnic lunches and a huge barbecue dinner at the end of the day.
By evening, more than 100,000 bricks were in place, and OMSI's 14-foot walls were raised. It was the biggest one-day volunteer project ever staged in the Pacific Northwest.
To mark the 20th anniversary of this special occasion, OMSI played host to all trades people and others who participated in the 1975 barn-raising with a party beginning at 7 p.m. on the evening of August 17, 1977. A time-lapse film of the day-long construction was shown and speakers recalled the events of the day 20 years before.
One MCAA member, Leonard C. Pardue, devoted a week at the OMSI site in preparation for the bricklaying project laying out leads, establishing the mortar board location, and placing brick and block in strategic areas. In appreciation for this voluntary contribution, Pardue was honored as "Contractor of the Year" by the Oregon Building Congress at its annual banquet.
Scores of bricklayers and mason tenders converged early Saturday morning on August 17, 1957 to build the walls of the new Oregon Museum of Science & Industry in Portland. In one of the largest volunteer projects of its type, the workers laid more than 100,000 brick before sundown.
MCAA Northwest field representative Ray F. Wimer had the responsibility for press relations and acted as master of ceremonies. For this he was honored by the Oregon Building Congress as "Congressman of the Year."
A GEM FROM THE INTERNAL REVENUE CODE
For purposes of paragraph (3), an organization described in paragraph (2) shall be deemed to include an organization described in section 501(c), (4), (5), or (6) which should be described in paragraph (2) if it were an organization described in section 501(c) (3).
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77 East Floyd Ave.
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303-761-6683