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Between settlements in the late 19th century and downtown revitalization efforts nowadays, Oregon City has built a history. Now the city is planning to identify it.

Oregon City this month will begin a survey of its historic properties, and update a list unchanged for nearly 30 years, according to Christina Robertson-Gardiner, preservation planner for the city. Presently, Oregon City recognizes 86 city structures and several districts as historic. This year, at least 1,500 properties over 50 years old will be documented.

“Like a lot of cities, we don’t have deep information about our city’s growth between the 1930s and 1970s,” Robertson-Gardiner said. “That’s an important aspect of our history. Some of these structures may have already lost their significance because of alterations. As planners, we need to understand our recent past before we severely alter it.”

The work is being paid for with city money and a $13,915 matching grant from the Oregon State Historic Preservation Office. Oregon City qualified for the grant because it is a certified local government – one recognized by the state for its commitment to historic preservation. The city hired Painter Preservation & Planning of Petaluma, Calif., to assist the survey process.

Old surveys will be updated, alterations to historic properties will be documented, and significant architectural details of other mid-20th century properties will be gathered, according to Diana Painter, owner of Painter Preservation & Planning. Also, she will work with the city’s historic commission to identify at least three Oregon City neighborhoods that could be nominated as historic districts.

“Oregon City is a fascinating place,” Painter said. “You can still see the history of development of power and transportation along the river and how the city was built up onto a plateau. Its topography is very dramatic.”

Survey work of this kind can help cities receive federal funding for renovation projects, Robertson-Gardiner said. Properties listed on the National Register of Historic Places are eligible to receive grants and tax credits from the U.S. Department of the Interior for rehabilitation. And properties listed on the national register are more likely to receive Federal Emergency Management Agency money for rebuilding after a natural disaster.

For Oregon City’s survey, which will glean only bare details, 160 properties a day will need to be evaluated for work to be completed between January and April. Most cities don’t have either the staff or the money to survey on a regular basis, so Oregon City and others rely on grant funding to keep historic building inventories up to date.

“We have 37 certified local governments in Oregon,” said Kuri Gill of the state preservation office. “More and more, surveying efforts in these communities rely on grant funding. It takes the city caring about (its) local history first, then applying for grants, to keep these lists current.”

After the Oregon City survey is completed, construction dates, addresses and photographs can then be plugged into the city’s geographic information system program to identify development patterns and places with high concentrations of historic properties. Planners can then decide whether any properties or neighborhoods warrant listing on the national register. An open house on the survey process will take place Jan. 25 from 6 to 7 p.m. at City Hall, 625 Center St. in Oregon City.

“There has been a lot of attention paid to our history as we relate to the Oregon Trail,” Robertson-Gardiner said. “But people continued to live and use the environment here long after that. It’s time to see if there’s an even greater story to tell.”