Portland Historical Architecture: Downtown, Pearl District, Old Town
()
About this ebook
This edition is a pictorial survey of the Downtown, Old Town and Pearl Districts sectors of Portland. The book concentrates on the period beginning with surviving frontier structures until 1930. The edition identifies construction dates, architects, architectural styles and historic property uses. Historical anecdotes are included about some of the more renowned and infamous buildings.
This profile documents the architectural treasures of over 250 existing properties that survived significant urban renewal and parking lot redevelopment during the late 1960s-1980s. Aesthetically Portland features one of the most concentrated West Coast cores of attractive urban heritage design. The restored and refashioned monoliths are excuse enough to slow and resist demolition and any intrusive replacement by many contemporary banal and characterless redevelopment projects.
The largest concentration of high-rise construction began during the late 1890s following the recovery from two devastating downtown fires in 1872 and the following year. The 1905 Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition acknowledged Portland globally as a major West Coast hub for the shipping industry and as an important urban population center. Population increased from over 90,000 residents in 1900 to over 207,000 in the 1910 census.
The ragged North End district (today’s Old Town) was displaced as the center of commercial retail and activity. The downtown sector, which commences southeast of West Burnside Street, features some of the most iconic and demonstrative high-rise constructions of the early twentieth century.
Leading up until World War II, the era experienced heightened social turbulence. Issues emerged prominently in politically conservative Portland enflamed by the Women’s Rights movement, Prohibition, racial intolerance, rampant law enforcement corruption, unethical political maneuverings, anti-homosexual persecution, union unrest and local crime syndicates. It is difficult to imagine contemporary Portland steadfastly entrenched by the pre-World War I Republican Party spearheaded by The Oregonian publisher and Machiavellian deal broker Henry Lewis Pittock.
Portland’s downtown and Pearl District today have become a growing hybrid of the historic and contemporary. Photographed during 2019 and 2020, “Portland Historical Architecture” celebrates the grandeur and diversity of a city whose name was historically decided upon by a coin flip and has reversed the former derogatively coined Stumptown into a designation of pride.
Marques Vickers
Visual Artist, Writer and Photographer Marques Vickers is a California native presently living in the San Francisco Bay Area and Seattle, Washington regions. He was born in 1957 and raised in Vallejo, California. He is a 1979 Business Administration graduate from Azusa Pacific University in the Los Angeles area. Following graduation, he became the Public Relations and ultimately Executive Director of the Burbank Chamber of Commerce between 1979-84. He subsequently became the Vice President of Sales for AsTRA Tours and Travel in Westwood between 1984-86. Following a one-year residence in Dijon, France where he studied at the University of Bourgogne, he began Marquis Enterprises in 1987. His company operations have included sports apparel exporting, travel and tour operations, wine brokering, publishing, rare book and collectibles reselling. He has established numerous e-commerce, barter exchange and art websites including MarquesV.com, ArtsInAmerica.com, InsiderSeriesBooks.com, DiscountVintages.com and WineScalper.com. Between 2005-2009, he relocated to the Languedoc region of southern France. He concentrated on his painting and sculptural work while restoring two 19th century stone village residences. His figurative painting, photography and sculptural works have been sold and exhibited internationally since 1986. He re-established his Pacific Coast residence in 2009 and has focused his creative productivity on writing and photography. His published works span a diverse variety of subjects including true crime, international travel, California wines, architecture, history, Southern France, Pacific Coast attractions, fiction, auctions, fine art marketing, poetry, fiction and photojournalism. He has two daughters, Charline and Caroline who presently reside in Europe.
Read more from Marques Vickers
From One Artist To Another: Online Marketing Advice For Artists Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMurder in California: Rage and Revenge Murders Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsParis: Famous Historical Residences Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFamous West Coast Suicides and Shocking Celebrity Deaths Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Twisted Tour Guide Los Angeles Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsTwisted Tour Guide San Francisco Bay Area Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Architect John D. Parkinson: Eternally Elevating the Los Angeles Skyline Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsUnsolved Western American Murders and Extended Cold Case Resolutions Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMurder in Washington: Notorious Crime Sites Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsOregon Coast Guide: Beauty, Novelty and Curiosity Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsTwisted Tour Guide: Baltimore Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsTwisted Tour Guide San Diego Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMurder in California: Serial Killers and Unsolved Murders Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Murder in Oregon: Notorious Crime Sites Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsArchitectural Flourishes: Seattle Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsTwisted Tour Guide: Vancouver British Columbia Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Reflective Powers of Water as Visual Alchemy Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsTexas Wine Guide (2020-2021) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsVladimir Putin’s Time in Dresden, Germany Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsShadowlands Photography Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsArchitectural Flourishes: Paris, France Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLove, Wine and Real Estate in Southern France Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsRed Light District: Butte, Montana Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsPacific Coast Wines (2021-2022): An Insider's Guide to West Coast Winemaking Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWashington Coast Guide: Beauty, Novelty and Curiosity Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFreebie Travel Guide to Western Oregon: Historical, Cultural and Sometimes Macabre on the Cheap Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsTwisted Tour Guide: Seattle and Puget Sound Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsToxic Silicon Valley Groundwater Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsZen By Default: The Poetry of Marques Vickers Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Related to Portland Historical Architecture
Related ebooks
Sixth Street Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLook Up, Portland, Oregon! A Walking Tour East of Broadway Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsPittsburgh's Mansions Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Lost Little Rock Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSouthwest Georgia in Vintage Postcards Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsPortland’s Historic Eastern Cemetery: A Field of Ancient Graves Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHamtramck: Soul of a City Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Portland Area:: 1869-1939 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAlien Neighbors, Foreign Friends: Asian Americans, Housing, and the Transformation of Urban California Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Royal Oak Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Beverly Shores: A Suburban Dunes Resort Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBohemian San Francisco Its restaurants and their most famous recipes—The elegant art of dining. Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsGrowing Up in San Francisco: More Boomer Memories from Playland to Candlestick Park Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsDetroit: 1900-1930 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsPortland's Streetcars Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Grand Haven Area: 1860-1960 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsGreater Portland: Urban Life and Landscape in the Pacific Northwest Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/520th-Century Retailing in Downtown Grand Rapids Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSan Francisco State University Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMaking the Mission: Planning and Ethnicity in San Francisco Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsStowe Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsGrand Rapids in Vintage Postcards: 1890-1940 Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Bronx: The Ultimate Guide to New York City's Beautiful Borough Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsDetroit: A Postcard History Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Grand Haven Area 1905-1975 in Vintage Postcards Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsVanished Houston Landmarks Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsGale Researcher Guide for: Mid-Century Modern Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsGrowing Up in San Francisco's Western Neighborhoods: Boomer Memories from Kezar Stadium to Zim's Hamburgers Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsDead on Arrival in Manhattan: Stories of Unnatural Demise from the Past Century Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsGrand Lake and Presque Isle Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Architecture For You
Shinto the Kami Way Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The New Bohemians Handbook: Come Home to Good Vibes Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Cozy Minimalist Home: More Style, Less Stuff Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Flatland Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5How to Fix Absolutely Anything: A Homeowner's Guide Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Lies Across America: What Our Historic Sites Get Wrong Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Become An Exceptional Designer: Effective Colour Selection For You And Your Client Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Little Book of Living Small Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Architecture 101: From Frank Gehry to Ziggurats, an Essential Guide to Building Styles and Materials Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Building Natural Ponds: Create a Clean, Algae-free Pond without Pumps, Filters, or Chemicals Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Walkable City: How Downtown Can Save America, One Step at a Time Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Frommer's Athens and the Greek Islands Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHow to Build Shipping Container Homes With Plans Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Martha Stewart's Organizing: The Manual for Bringing Order to Your Life, Home & Routines Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Welcome Home: A Cozy Minimalist Guide to Decorating and Hosting All Year Round Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Nesting Place: It Doesn't Have to Be Perfect to Be Beautiful Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5How Paris Became Paris: The Invention of the Modern City Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The New Bohemians: Cool & Collected Homes Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Architectural Digest at 100: A Century of Style Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Brunelleschi's Dome: How a Renaissance Genius Reinvented Architecture Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5House Beautiful: Colors for Your Home: The Ultimate Guide to Choosing Paint Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsJulia Morgan: An Intimate Portrait of the Trailblazing Architect Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsDown to Earth: Laid-back Interiors for Modern Living Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Live Beautiful Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Feng Shui Modern Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Home Sweet Maison: The French Art of Making a Home Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Growing Weeders Into Leaders: Leadership Lessons from the Ground Level Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Year-Round Solar Greenhouse: How to Design and Build a Net-Zero Energy Greenhouse Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Reviews for Portland Historical Architecture
0 ratings0 reviews
Book preview
Portland Historical Architecture - Marques Vickers
WEST BURNSIDE STREET
111 West Burnside Street
Constructed 1940
Twentieth Century Classical Style
Uses: Warehouse, Ramsey Sign Company, Portland Rescue Mission
123 West Burnside Street
Streetcar Era Commercial Style
Uses: Offices
Salvation Army Building
134 West Burnside Street
Constructed 1904
Twentieth Century Classical Style
Uses: Offices, Retail, Rooming House, Saloon, Brothel
Fritz Saloon
214 West Burnside Street
Constructed 1900
Streetcar Era Commercial Style
Uses: Saloon, Brothel, Nightclubs, Apartments
The legacies of the surnames Erickson and Fritz seemed intertwined in turn of the twentieth century Portland history. They would later conjoined into a twenty-first century reincarnation of their former saloon establishments.
Hugo Fritz was a manager and bartender at Erickson’s iconic saloon following his arrival from San Francisco in 1905. In 1906, Gus Erickson reportedly transferred the saloon license for unspecified reasons to him operating the establishment under the legal title of the Hugo Fritz Company. Fritz died in April 1908 at the age of 49.
Another Frtiz, Fred Jr. (apparently no relation) operated a saloon and theatre across the street from Erickson’s on West Burnside. He would eventually acquired Erickson’s saloon. In 1912, he opened the Fritz Hotel directly behind the Erickson building.
The entire neighborhood proliferated with saloons, gambling parlors, and brothels elevating Fred Fritz, Jr. into prominence as a vice lord. Wisely Fritz preserved the Erickson name and promoted his distinctive legacy. He oversaw both operations until his death at 58 in October 1921. His son, Fred A. and wife, Clara would sustain the two Portland institutions for nearly three decades afterwards. She died in 1955 and he in 1989 at the age of 94.
Aside from entertainment outlets, Fritz prudently diversified his investment base. He constructed the Villa St. Clara (named after his wife) and the Panama Building. Real estate became his secure foundation and he compounded his portfolio by acquiring numerous downtown lots and farm properties in outlying counties.
Portland’s Old Town district deteriorated following World War II and the neighborhood became a magnet for an indigent street population and crime.
In 2015, the former Erickson and Fritz Saloon buildings were joined in a year-long project funded by the Portland Housing Bureau using Federal Low-Income Housing tax credits and Historic Tax credits.
During the reconstruction, salvaged materials were utilized. The original brick walls, wood staircases and railings were incorporated along with exposed charred structural beams that survived a 1975 fire. Affordable housing remains a local challenge. The Fritz and Erickson buildings with their market-rate and subsidized rents offer a welcomed alternative to a chronic housing shortage plaguing the North End.
215-219 West Burnside Street
Constructed 1926
Architect Harold Marsh
Streetcar Era Commercial Style
Uses: Offices, Retail, Alexis Greek Restaurant
222-236 West Burnside Street
Constructed 1926
Architects Ruedy Brothers
Streetcar Era Commercial Style
Uses: Restaurants, Barber Shop, Retail
350 West Burnside Street
Streetcar Era Commercial Style
Uses: Dante’s Nightclub
Grove Hotel
433 West Burnside Street
Streetcar Era Commercial Style
Constructed 1907
Uses: The Hoxton
NW FIRST AVENUE
Blagen Block
30-34 NW First Avenue
Constructed 1888
Architect Warren Williams
High Victorian Italianate Style, Restored after 1990 Fire
Uses: NJ Blagen Sail Manufacturers, Warehouse, Retail, Offices
Norton House
33-53 NW First Avenue
Constructed 1875
Italianate Style, Third floor destroyed by fire
Uses: Overland Hotel, Restaurant, Retail
Elizabeth Liverpool Lil Smith, in the grandest and most scandalous fashion of frontier Portland, operated the Senate Saloon in the North End. There was little pretense regarding the operations of her building the Norton House, constructed in 1875 featuring Italianate architecture. Downstairs was reserved for alcohol consumption and gambling. Upstairs was dedicated towards prostitution and lodgings.
Lil obtained her nickname because she was British and her predominantly sailor clientele originated from the port city of Liverpool. Her brothel became their Portland bank and port. She was reputed to be the sole individual within the North End that could be trusted with an envelop of cash. Her establishment featured an enormous safe behind the bar protecting incoming sailors and loggers from getting rolled and robbed by unscrupulous thieves, gamblers and whores.
Although many would ultimately blow their earnings at Lil’s establishment, there existed an ethics to the larceny. At least they knew where their funds had evaporated.
Lil’s character would never be mistaken for piety. Her reputation for lightening wallets originated from slow days when only four or five customers appeared to be patronizing her saloon. An occasional sucker would enter the bar and order a round of drinks for everyone. Lil would alert her girls upstairs via a hidden bell chord and all of them would flock downstairs ordering champagne on the visitor’s tab. Instead of getting off cheap for his generosity, he would be stuck with an exorbitant bill.
Lil incurred the unrestrained wrath and condemnation of N. J. Blagen, a Danish immigrant, who constructed his distinctive four-story Blagen Block across the street from her in 1897. The building is the last remaining example of rhythmic rows, columns and arches that formerly united block fronts in downtown Portland. His architectural gem was leased to W.C. Noon for sail manufacturing employing up to eighty-three seamstresses. The view below inside the Senate Saloon proved distracting to his employees. Many were harassed by bar patrons as they daily entered the company headquarters for work. The Blagen Block today operates as a customer experience center for the San Francisco-based Airbnb online hospitality