We know it as Keller Fountain Park today but it was originally named Forecourt Fountain when built in 1970. The fountain and park are directly across 3rd Avenue from the Keller Auditorium between SW Market and Clay. Looming in the background is the old c1890 St. Mary’s Academy building. It was demolished about the time of this photo although the stone wall you see surrounding it here lasted until 2010.
(University of Oregon Libraries)
July 26, 2012 at 6:08 am
Ever been behind the waterfall?? Cool spot, nice place to partake!
July 26, 2012 at 7:54 am
…Lasted until 2010 when the contractor who was revamping the parking lot tore into it, not realizing it was tagged as historic. At least that’s the story I heard. They put a lot of work into restoring it into something not as nice looking.
July 26, 2012 at 7:57 am
This was the site of Bud Clark’s original tavern ” The Spatenhaus ” . It consisted of two storefronts in an old brick building and the two were ” connected ” by a ” doorway ” broken through the brick wall separating the two stores . A great place for food, drink and deep intellectual conversation, of a sort !! The ” Last Night ” of business was a social affair to remember as the party extended into 3rd Street and ran up to and beyond when the ” beverage ” supply was exhausted ; no fights, no riots nor a PPD officer in sight all with the looming hulk of the gutted Civic Auditorium as a backdrop.
The motto then became ” On to the Goose Hollow ” for the old “Spatenhaus ” denizens.
July 26, 2012 at 8:24 am
54 Merc Monterey 2 door hard top.
July 26, 2012 at 8:41 am
I heard the wall was unstable. I remember big cracks. I think they they had to tear it out for safety concerns.
July 26, 2012 at 8:50 am
A flickr user who goes by the name of Thrift Store Cowboy documented the destruction of the retaiing wall. The photostream starts here
July 26, 2012 at 8:52 am
Borked the a href tag. Try the long-hand version:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/9807122@N08/2303287062/in/photostream/
July 26, 2012 at 10:34 am
@Bud: Here’s a photo of the Spatenhaus from an earlier VP post, along with an Oregonian article from the time of its demise.
July 26, 2012 at 12:40 pm
Dave Johnson…my gut tells me it’s a ’53 Mercury because of the chrome housing around the taillights…but I won’t split hairs here…I’d take it in an instant!
July 26, 2012 at 7:42 pm
There was a stairwell hidden beneath the Ivy, we used to drink and smoke wacky tabacky in their in the old days, people would walk by, totally oblivious to this hidden cavern.
July 30, 2012 at 6:33 pm
I’m a little disoriented by the angle of this photo. Are we looking northwest? If so, was the wall surrounding what is now an elevated parking lot?
July 31, 2012 at 8:14 am
@ Ian: The photo is looking southwest at the intersection of SW 4th and Market. Yes, there is a parking lot there (and a new smaller stone wall surrounding the lot meant, I presume, to be evocative of the original).
July 31, 2012 at 9:31 am
Here is a clip from a 1974 TV pilot that has shots of Forecourt Fountain and other spots around Portland. http://www.tvobscurities.com/2009/08/the-karen-valentine-program-opening-closing-credits/