Big Red: The Crane Shed, Community Identity, and Historic Preservation in Bend

Abstract

Kelly Cannon-Miller, Executive Director of the Deschutes County Historical Society, examines the fate of “Big Red,” or the Brooks-Scanlon Crane Shed building (demolished in 2004), and historic preservation in Bend, Oregon. Constructed in 1937, the crane shed stood prominently in Bend's mill district, representing the city's origins as a lumber town. Beginning in 1993, a confluence of events jeopardized Big Red's existence — the mill closed, Bend became a popular destination for retirement and outdoor enthusiasts, and the district was rezoned and purchased for redevelopment. Even though the crane shed was a significant remnant of Bend's past, denying a demolition permit was seen by some as a government intrusion on private property rights. As Cannon-Miller describes, “the story of how the community debated the shed's value reveals the complexities and pitfalls that exist in balancing the goals of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) with owners' rights and with local and state land-use regulations.”