The Salem Substation Historic District is among Oregon’s latest
additions to the National Register of Historic Places. Recommended for
listing by the State Advisory Committee on Historic Preservation (SACHP)
at its February 2025 meeting, the substation is recognized for its
significance as an integral component of the Bonneville Power
Administration’s (BPA) Master Grid Development period (1938-1945).
Furthermore, the substation’s Control House is individually recognized
as an outstanding example of the Streamline Moderne architectural style.
The National Park Service, which maintains the National Register of
Historic Places, listed the substation in spring 2025.
Located on
the Dallas Highway (OR 22) in Salem, Polk County, the district includes
six built resources, three of which are contributing: the Control
House, Switchyard, and Transfer Track. The Control House, completed in
1942, exemplifies the Streamline Moderne architectural style with its
smooth surfaces, rounded edges, and use of aluminum, stucco, and chrome.
It is one of the few remaining examples of this architectural style
that was used by BPA during its Master Grid Development period. As a
unit, the district was pivotal in distributing hydroelectric power from
the Columbia River dams to rural communities and industrial operations
in the Willamette Valley during World War II, fulfilling the increasing
energy demands of the era. To explore historic images of the substation
and its architectural features, visit the Salem Substation photo
collection at river.bpa.gov/portals/Salem-Substation-OR.
The
National Register is maintained by the National Park Service under the
authority of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966. Properties
listed in the National Register are:
- Recognized as significant to the nation, state, or community;
- Considered in the planning of federal or federally-assisted projects;
- Eligible for federal tax benefits;
- Qualify for historic preservation grants when funds are available;
- Eligible for leniency in meeting certain building code requirements;
- Subject to local laws pertaining to the conservation and protection of historic resources.
State
law in Oregon requires local governments to offer a minimal level of
protection for properties listed in the National Register of Historic
Places; the decisions about how to accomplish that goal reside with
local governments, which also have the authority to create and regulate
local historic districts and landmarks.
More information about the National Register and recent Oregon listings are online at oregonheritage.org (under the heading “Designate”).
