First Look: Lone Fir Cemetery Cultural Heritage and Healing Garden
Nov 7, 2023
Last week, The Oregonian reported that Portland’s regional agency, Metro, released preliminary design concepts for a Cultural Heritage and Healing Garden at Lone Fir Cemetery, designed by Allied Works in collaboration with landscape architects Knot Studio and community engagement consultants MultiCultural Collaborative.
Slated for completion in 2026, the project transforms a vacant site in the cemetery’s southwest corner into a place of healing and reflection, honoring more than 2,800 Chinese and Chinese American people who were interred there, as well as 183 patients from the Oregon Hospital for the Insane who were buried at various areas around the site.
Metro has been working with community groups and The Lone Fir Cemetery Foundation for more than 15 years to realize this project, which will illuminate the site’s history as a significant ceremonial space and final resting place for many Chinese immigrants throughout the late 1800s and early 1900s.
Hannah Erickson, a spokesperson for Metro, said the final product will be a place for both education and reverence.
“What we really want to do is create a space where people can reflect on history and their role in it, learn about the history of the site, and to create space for healing and participation in ritual and other cultural practices,” Erickson said.
Now, after a robust community engagement process, there are two design concepts being considered for the memorial. Jump to article >>
Last week, The Oregonian reported that Portland’s regional agency, Metro, released preliminary design concepts for a Cultural Heritage and Healing Garden at Lone Fir Cemetery, designed by Allied Works in collaboration with landscape architects Knot Studio and community engagement consultants MultiCultural Collaborative.
Slated for completion in 2026, the project transforms a vacant site in the cemetery’s southwest corner into a place of healing and reflection, honoring more than 2,800 Chinese and Chinese American people who were interred there, as well as 183 patients from the Oregon Hospital for the Insane who were buried at various areas around the site.
Metro has been working with community groups and The Lone Fir Cemetery Foundation for more than 15 years to realize this project, which will illuminate the site’s history as a significant ceremonial space and final resting place for many Chinese immigrants throughout the late 1800s and early 1900s.
Hannah Erickson, a spokesperson for Metro, said the final product will be a place for both education and reverence.
“What we really want to do is create a space where people can reflect on history and their role in it, learn about the history of the site, and to create space for healing and participation in ritual and other cultural practices,” Erickson said.
Now, after a robust community engagement process, there are two design concepts being considered for the memorial. Jump to article >>