First Addition Lake Oswego: History, Homes & Neighborhood Guide
Explore the history of First Addition in Lake Oswego, from its 1888 roots as an Oregon iron town to one of Lake Oswego's most walkable and desirable neighborhoods.
From Oregon’s Iron Town to One of Its Most Coveted Neighborhoods
Today, First Addition in Lake Oswego, Oregon, is known for tree lined streets, charming older homes, hidden alleys and the ability to walk into downtown Lake Oswego.
But the neighborhood wasn't originally created as an upscale residential enclave.
Its roots are decidedly more blue collar.
First Addition grew alongside an ambitious 19th Century industrial venture that hoped to transform the small community of Oswego into the "Pittsburgh of the West."
More than 135 years later, the neighborhood created for that industrial town has become one of Lake Oswego's most distinctive residential communities.
Before Lake Oswego, There Was Oswego
The community we now know as Lake Oswego began developing along the Willamette River in the middle of the 19th century.
Its future changed dramatically with the discovery of iron ore in the area.
The Oregon Iron Company was incorporated in 1865, and in 1867 its furnace near present day George Rogers Park began producing pig iron. It was the first charcoal iron smelter on the Pacific Coast.
For a region that previously relied heavily on iron transported by ship from thousands of miles away, the possibilities seemed enormous.
Oswego had several ingredients needed for an iron industry: local ore, abundant timber that could be converted into charcoal, water power and access to transportation along the Willamette River.
Investors began dreaming of creating a major industrial center in Oregon.
The Oregon Iron & Steel Company and a New Oswego
In 1882, a group of prominent Northwest investors formed the Oregon Iron & Steel Company.
Among them were some of the region's most influential businessmen, including Simeon Reed and William S. Ladd.
Their ambitions went well beyond the original iron works.
By 1888, Oregon Iron & Steel operated mines, a railroad and canal and controlled thousands of acres of property throughout the region.
That year the company opened a much larger iron works north of the original furnace.
And it needed somewhere for people to live.
First Addition Is Platted in 1888
In 1888, First Addition to Oswego was platted.
The neighborhood was laid out in a remarkably straightforward pattern: relatively small residential lots organized along a connected street grid.
Typical lots were approximately 6,000 square feet.
Alleys roughly 20 feet wide ran behind many of the homes.
The neighborhood developed partly to accommodate workers associated with the growing Oregon Iron & Steel operation, and the expansion helped shift Oswego's residential and commercial center north from the original settlement.
The area became known as "New Town."
That original street pattern remains one of the defining characteristics of First Addition today.
A Working Neighborhood, Not an Estate District
It's easy to look at First Addition through the lens of today's Lake Oswego real estate market.
Historically, however, this wasn't a neighborhood of grand estates.
It was a practical town neighborhood.
Early homes tended to be relatively modest houses occupied by working families, tradespeople and others connected directly or indirectly to Oswego's growing economy.
That history explains why First Addition feels different from many other parts of Lake Oswego.
Instead of large suburban lots and winding residential streets, you'll find smaller blocks, compact lots, narrow streets and houses positioned relatively close to one another.
It resembles a traditional small town because that's essentially what it was designed to be.
The Architecture of First Addition
One of the most interesting aspects of First Addition is that there isn't a single architectural style that defines it.
The neighborhood developed over many decades.
As a result, walking through First Addition can feel like walking through different chapters of Pacific Northwest residential architecture.
Historic and older homes include examples and influences of:
Folk Victorian and Cottage homes
Some of the neighborhood's earliest houses are simple late 19th century structures with restrained Victorian detailing or simple Cottages.
Craftsman homes and bungalows
As First Addition continued developing during the early 20th century, Craftsman architecture and bungalows became part of the neighborhood's character.
Tudor and Period Revival homes
Homes constructed during the 1920s and 1930s introduced additional architectural influences.
Mid-century homes
Later development added ranch homes and other postwar architectural styles like the Mid-Century Modern.
And today, contemporary homes and substantial new construction sit alongside houses more than a century old.
Rather than architectural uniformity, First Addition's character comes from its layers of development.
The Iron Dream Fades
Oswego's industrial ambitions ultimately proved difficult to sustain.
The Oregon Iron & Steel Company's new furnace began operating in 1888, but the national economic depression, Panic of 1893, compounded the company's problems.
The furnace shut down in 1894.
The company's pipe foundry continued operating for decades afterward, but Oswego's dream of becoming a major Western iron-producing center was effectively over.
Something interesting happened next.
The enormous landholdings accumulated by Oregon Iron & Steel became increasingly valuable for another purpose:
Real Estate
During the early 20th century, company owners began developing property around what was then known as Sucker Lake.
The industrial town gradually began transforming into a residential and recreational community.
Eventually, Sucker Lake became Oswego Lake.
And Oswego itself would ultimately become Lake Oswego.
First Addition Helps Create the City of Oswego
First Addition wasn't simply another residential subdivision.
It became an important part of Oswego's civic development.
As the commercial and residential center shifted toward New Town, the community increasingly took on the characteristics of an independent city rather than a company settlement.
Oswego incorporated as a city in 1910.
First Addition was now positioned immediately adjacent to the community's developing downtown.
That location would become increasingly valuable as Lake Oswego evolved during the 20th century.
Why the Alleys Matter
One of my favorite features of First Addition is something you might not immediately notice when driving through it:
The alleys.
Many residential blocks were divided lengthwise by approximately 20-foot alleys.
Historically, they provided practical rear access to properties.
Today, they still allow garages, parking, trash collection and utilities to occur behind many homes rather than dominating the front streetscape.
That seemingly small planning decision made in the 19th century has an enormous impact on how First Addition feels today.
Instead of rows of prominent garage doors facing the street, many homes can maintain porches, gardens, landscaping and traditional front entrances.
It's one reason the neighborhood feels particularly comfortable to explore on foot.
A Neighborhood Designed Before the Automobile
Perhaps the most interesting thing about First Addition is that many of its most desirable characteristics today weren't created for modern lifestyle preferences.
They existed because the neighborhood was built before automobiles dominated American community planning.
First Addition has:
relatively short blocks
interconnected streets
compact residential lots
rear alleys
homes close to the street
nearby commercial services
civic facilities within walking distance
Those characteristics now fall under terms such as walkability and traditional neighborhood design.
In First Addition, they're largely the product of history.
Preserving First Addition's Character
As Lake Oswego grew and property values increased, First Addition faced a familiar challenge.
Its small lots and desirable location also made the neighborhood attractive for redevelopment.
Residents and the City of Lake Oswego have consequently spent decades considering how new development can occur while maintaining the characteristics that distinguish the neighborhood.
The First Addition neighborhood planning process has emphasized features including its housing variety, narrow streets, mature trees, historic structures, walkability and alley system.
The goal hasn't been to freeze the neighborhood in time.
First Addition has always evolved.
Rather, planning efforts have attempted to ensure that new development recognizes the neighborhood's unusual physical character.
One of America's Great Neighborhoods
That character eventually received national recognition.
In 2007, the American Planning Association named First Addition one of its 10 Great Neighborhoods in America.
The organization highlighted the neighborhood's small-town atmosphere, walkability, mixture of housing, mature landscaping, alleys and convenient access to shops and community services.
It's an interesting distinction for a neighborhood that began largely as housing associated with a 19th-century industrial enterprise.
First Addition Today
Today, First Addition occupies an unusual position within Lake Oswego.
It's immediately adjacent to downtown, giving residents convenient access to restaurants, shops, parks, the Lake Oswego Public Library, Farmer's Market and other community amenities.
But walk a few blocks into the neighborhood and the atmosphere changes.
Mature trees arch above narrow streets.
Historic cottages and bungalows sit alongside newer homes.
Alleys disappear behind houses.
Front gardens and porches help define the streetscape.
And the compact street grid makes walking through the neighborhood remarkably easy.
It feels simultaneously connected to downtown and removed from it.
From $50 Lots to Some of Lake Oswego's Most Desirable Real Estate
There's also a remarkable real estate story hidden within First Addition.
When the neighborhood was originally developed, these were relatively modest lots intended to help support a growing industrial community.
The qualities that made the neighborhood practical in the 1880s - small lots, connected streets, alleys and proximity to employment and businesses - are remarkably similar to qualities many homebuyers seek today.
Only the context has changed.
Instead of walking to an iron works, residents can walk into downtown Lake Oswego.
Instead of being a practical feature of an industrial town, the traditional street grid has become a highly desirable lifestyle amenity.
And homes originally built for ordinary working families now occupy some very valuable Lake Oswego real estate.
Within the last 12 months of this articles publishing, 14 residential properties in First Addition have Sold. They ranged in price from a $631,000 Condo to a newly constructed Single Family Home for $3,425,000. The Median Sales Price is $1,399,000.
More Than a Lake Oswego Neighborhood
First Addition is an important reminder that Lake Oswego wasn't always defined by lakefront homes and upscale suburban development.
It was once an industrial town.
Iron ore, furnaces, foundries and workers helped shape the community.
And First Addition is one of the places where that history remains visible, not necessarily through monuments, but through the physical layout of the neighborhood itself.
The streets.
The alleys.
The small lots.
The century old homes.
The relationship with downtown.
More than 135 years after First Addition was platted, the neighborhood designed to support Oregon's ambitious iron industry has become something its original developers probably never imagined:
One of the most distinctive and sought after neighborhoods in Lake Oswego.
Thinking About Buying or Selling a Home in First Addition or Lake Oswego?
Every Lake Oswego neighborhood has its own history, housing styles and real estate dynamics and understanding those differences matters when you're buying or selling a home.
If you're considering a move in First Addition, Lake Oswego or the greater Portland metro area, I'd be happy to help you understand the neighborhood, the market and what your options look like.
Dean Carver | Oregon Real Estate Broker
Serving Portland area home buyers and sellers
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