Portland's original hipster, the 37-foot-tall bearded man standing guard with an ax over the Kenton neighborhood, is in dire need of a makeover.

Moss, carbon, dirt, crumbling plaster and peeling paint have made the giant Paul Bunyan statue at North Interstate and Denver avenues more of an eyesore than an icon, according to the neighborhood association.

In order to pay for $50,000 to $70,000 in paint and restoration work, Kenton neighbors have started a "Paint Paul" fund-raising campaign.

Yes, the statue, which was built for the Oregon Centennial in 1959 and is on the National Register of Historic Places, has been repainted several times.

In fact, it was just seven years ago that the Portland Development Commission awarded a community livability grant to Kenton for repainting Paul Bunyan.

However, according to the Paint Paul website, the statue is experiencing "parting (or separation) of the paint that was applied in 2009 from the previous paint treatment due to a chemical incompatibility."

The statue is also experiencing:

* Parting of all paint layers (new and old) from the stucco surface likely due to moisture trapped in the stucco.

* Crazing and cracking of paint applied over previous stucco repairs.

* Degradation of the paint surface due to moisture and UV exposure.

A reporter's phone call and an email sent to the neighborhood association were not returned. However, as of the beginning of April, the fundraising campaign hadn't even reached $2,000, according to a post on the group's Facebook page.

The neighborhood said the money will go to a complete restoration of the statue, including repairs, an anti-graffiti coating and repainting. "Any additional funds will go toward beautification of the plaza where Paul stands," according to the website.

You can make a tax-deductible contribution for the restoration at the Paint Paul website.

-- Joseph Rose

503-221-8029

jrose@oregonian.com

@josephjrose