| The Bosco-Milligan
Foundation was established in 1987 by Jerry Bosco and Ben Milligan,
men with a passion for vintage buildings. During the decades
they spent as restoration craftsmen and preservationists in
Portland, Bosco and Milligan experienced first hand the terrible
loss of our building heritage. We continue to take for granted
the steady loss of our building heritage.
Over a twenty-five year period, Jerry Bosco and Ben Milligan salvaged and saved countless pieces from historic structures that were being demolished. They collected a truly awe-inspiring treasure trove which includes:
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The National Park Service's 1995 publication Architectural Artifacts in the U.S., documents that the Bosco-Milligan Foundation's collections are the largest in the West and among the most extensive collections in the United States.
The Collection was given to The Bosco-Milligan Foundation by Jerry Bosco and Ben Milligan to offer the city of Portland a unique opportunity to celebrate our building heritage while learning from the mistakes of our past. In addition, other collectors continue to add to the Foundation's holdings.
Bosco and Milligan's bequest to the organization also included the historic West's Block Building (built in 1883) at 701 Southeast Grand Avenue, the oldest commercial building in the Grand Avenue Historic District and Portland's central eastside. West's Block is the home of the Architectural Heritage Center, an education facility. The Center houses significant elements of the Bosco-Milligan Collections, which will be used to foster care and respect for the historic built environment and teach and preserve the skills that created it.
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Selections from our collection:
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