Contact: Sue.Jakabosky@eugenesustainability.org or Katherine.Lieberknecht@eugenesustainability.org
Fairmount Neighborhood’s eastern boundary lies along a ridgeline terminating at Judkins Point, with the Willamette River forming the northern edge, the University of Oregon bordering on the west, and 30th Avenue at its southern-most terminus.
The stability and friendliness people experience in our neighborhood give residents a shared sense of pride in our corner of Eugene. In particular, Fairmount’s shared places—parks, streetscapes, and commercial areas—lend a special character to our neighborhood.
Within our neighborhood lie four city parks: Hendricks, Washburne, Mission and Fairmount. These parks provide a variety of recreational uses, including play areas for children, gathering spaces for neighborhood events and concerts, and places to walk and hike. Hendricks Park has an active volunteer group, which often works to remove invasive plants from the park grounds.
Fairmount’s streetscapes offer clues to our neighborhood’s past. The only remaining tracks from Eugene’s street railway line peek out through a corner of a neighborhood street. Walk down our alleys and see old apple trees, evidence of the orchard that used to be here.
In its earlier days, Fairmount boasted numerous commercial and industrial enterprises, including a mill and furniture factory, a dairy, and several corner grocers. Today, our vibrant commercial areas include local businesses, favorite restaurants and places to enjoy a local beer, bakery good, or ice cream cone.
Our neighborhood association has a Sustainability Committee, which has hosted events such as guest speakers and seed and plant exchanges in the past.
Fairmount residents are working on the Neighbors History Project, funded in part by a grant from the City of Eugene Neighborhood Matching Grant Program. For this project, neighborhood volunteers are researching and producing a booklet about Fairmount Neighborhood’s history and unique characteristics. Our plan is to use archival research, interview long-time residents, and link history to the current potential for sustainable neighborhood practices. After we’ve printed and distributed the booklet, we’ll have a walking tour and celebration in the early summer of 2011. Contact FairmountProject@gmail.com for more information.
Fairmount has a neighborhood website: Fna411.googlepages.com/home.
