Kennedy School: From School To Inn

Here's a look at some moments in the history of Kennedy Elementary School:

-- 1913: John Daniel Kennedy, who emigrated to the U.S. from Ireland in 1866 at age 15, sells 4.2 acres to the Portland School District for $18,000.

-- Fall 1915: Kennedy School opens. Its Italian Renaissance design is featured in a 1916 article in Ladies Home Journal.

-- 1946: The school hires the first man to teach an academic course. Until then, most of the teachers are older, unmarried women.

-- June 1975: Kennedy School closes because of declining enrollment and the building's deterioration. For the next five years it's used as a temporary facility for other Portland schools undergoing renovation.

-- 1980: The school closes completely.

-- 1981: Alumni and neighbors begin waging a battle to prevent its demolition. Helping to spearhead the effort is Agnes Kennedy White, daughter of the school's namesake.

-- 1992: The Portland School District transfers the property to the city of Portland.

-- McMenamins submits its proposal. The building is assessed at $617,000, and McMenamins agrees to pay it off over 15 years through donation of community usage of the facility - an agreement called the first of its kind in the country.

-- October 1997: McMenamins Kennedy School opens for business.