NEWBERG, Ore. — A walkable tour of six historic Newberg properties next Saturday will give residents a rare look inside some of the city’s oldest buildings — and raise money for a local child advocacy organization in the process.
Yamhill County Court Appointed Special Advocates is hosting its second annual Solid Foundations Tour on April 18, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The self-guided tour covers 1.9 miles through central Newberg, connecting six properties within close walking distance of one another.
“I was surprised at how tightly centered everything seems to be in Newberg,” said Daniel Ruiz, CASA’s community engagement specialist.
Ruiz, who joined the organization six months ago and is organizing the tour for the first time, said the compact layout of Newberg’s historic district stood out to him immediately. Unlike the McMinnville tour held last year, where about 300 people participated, the Newberg properties carry what Ruiz describes as a more traceable local memory.
“The homes and properties in Newberg have very specific history,” he said. “There’s so much information out there. Hearing from different community members that have experienced time in those homes as they were growing up — we were hearing from some people like, ‘I remember coming here for tea at this house.'”
One property he pointed to specifically was Pulp & Circumstance, the gift boutique operating out of a 1896 Queen Anne-style building in downtown Newberg.
“For what people see now as just a store, it’s easy to forget that that was once a historic home,” Ruiz said. “It’s cool to be able to pull that history and actually see those highlights.”
The tour begins at the Chehalem Cultural Center, where participants check in, receive a wristband, and pick up a map with a suggested walking route and distances between properties. A silent auction and community partner tables will also be set up at check-in. Ruiz noted that participants can tour the properties in any order they choose and can also start at any of the properties directly, making their way to the cultural center to officially check in.
The event is timed to coincide with Child Abuse Prevention Month. CASA recruits, trains, and supports volunteer advocates for children who have experienced abuse or neglect and are navigating Yamhill County’s court system.
The tour concept was created by Lee McCollins, a former Visit McMinnville staff member who now serves as CASA’s board chair. The name carries a deliberate double meaning — a tour of properties with foundations, and an organization working to provide foster children with stable ones.
CASA plans to rotate the tour to different Yamhill County communities each year. After Newberg, the organization expects to return to McMinnville before eventually bringing the tour to smaller communities like Carlton.
General admission tickets are $30, with a group rate of $25 per person for parties of three or more. Tickets can be purchased through Eventbrite or at the door. More information is available at solidfoundationstour.org.
