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An eight-month rehabilitation of Oregon City’s historic Ermatinger House, the third-oldest in the state, is in its final stages. The house was built in 1845 and hosted the coin toss between Francis Pettygrove and Asa Lovejoy that decided the name of the city of Portland. It served as a museum before being closed more than four years ago due to structural deficiencies including sagging joists, a crumbling foundation, non-plumb walls and dry rot. Restore Oregon placed it on its list of Oregon’s Most Endangered Places in 2011.

General contractor TS Gray Construction began renovations last August, working closely in conjunction with Architectural Resources Group Inc. and WRK Engineers. The structure was jacked up to allow for demolition of the foundation. About 450 cubic yards of dirt were excavated out from underneath the house to allow for construction of a new basement and foundation. The balloon-framed building was re-leveled, and outfitted with new posts, and steel I-beams for seismic support. Beams in the basement support the ground level, and laminated veneer lumber beams were installed along portions of the house.

The house was outfitted with new electrical, plumbing and heating systems, as well as battery backup and aspirating smoke detector systems. A new roof and insulation were installed over the original soldered metal roof, which remains in place. Remaining work on the project is mostly cosmetic, including trim and finish work, landscaping and painting. Floors will be lightly sanded, with patch-in pieces stained to match the original wood. The project is slated for completion next month.