Situated where Pioneer Courthouse Square is now (this view is SW 6th Avenue at bottom and Morrison Street to the right), the Portland Hotel commanded center stage from its opening in 1890 until its demolition in 1951. Much of its original stone foundation is reported to be in place under the present-day sidewalks. This photo from 1897 shows potted palm trees lining the courtyard.
(City of Portland Archives)
December 2, 2010 at 9:21 am
It boggles the mind that this building was demolished.
December 2, 2010 at 9:46 am
I like Pioneer Square OK I suppose, but often as I pass it I imagine this instead.
December 2, 2010 at 12:18 pm
This was only one of hundreds of fabulous victorian buildings that were demolished in Portland from the 1920′s until almost the present day. Many of those buidings were considered architecural gems but were still pulled down for parking lots and apartment buildings.
December 2, 2010 at 6:27 pm
I think his picture has more trees and fewer bricks in it than Pioneer Courthouse Square. Just sayin.
December 2, 2010 at 9:19 pm
I imagine if this hotel had been saved it would be to Portland what the Empress Hotel is to Victoria. Gee, we might not have had to build the Tram to OHSU to have ourselves a “Crown Jewel”
December 3, 2010 at 1:11 pm
One other structure that was torn down about the same time as the Portland Hotel that still makes me think “What were they thinking?” was the 1891 Loewenberg-Ledbetter Mansion. This was a fabulous house that rivaled the Pittock Mansion (It was owned by the Pittocks daughter for many years). It was actually left to the Oregon Historical Society by Mrs Ledbetter thinking that would insure its survival but they sold it to an investment company who demolished they house in 1960. This was not an average stick build house, it was a huge three story stone structure that was for many years the largest private residence in Portland.
April 14, 2011 at 4:19 pm
The sad truth was that this hotel was “out of date” with other hotels in that it didn’t have bathrooms in each of the rooms and the ongoing cost was too much to make it a viable investment for rehabilitation. My great-grandfather was one of the owner’s at the time it was sold to Meier & Frank for their parking lot. I still have a set of china from the Hotels dining room…
February 3, 2012 at 6:45 pm
Are there pictures from inside this hotel? There is a family story that my parents bed came from this hotel and I would love to see a picture to see if they match.
February 5, 2012 at 8:13 am
Leah,
This was the only interior shot I was able to find. However, unless your parent’s bed was situated in the kitchen, I doubt it helps much. Still it’s an interesting photo.
http://oregondigital.org/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/archpnw&CISOPTR=17971&CISOBOX=1&REC=2
July 20, 2012 at 2:01 pm
Man, what we lost…