This house might be a companion of the as-yet unidentified house featured last week. Again, an odd fire-escape is prominently featured but there’s very little else to go on other than the circa date of 1930. Perhaps the biggest clue might be that large, distinctive building in the distance on the right. Good hunting!
Found: Southwest corner of NW 21st & Lovejoy (looking north).
(City of Portland Archives)
Tags: Historic Photo, Oregon, Portland
February 19, 2013 at 6:36 am
Is that a row of rose bushes in the yard of the house next door? They certainly look like they could use a drink of water.
February 19, 2013 at 7:19 am
It looks like the guy used an old door to make that landing for the fire escape. Imagine your next door neighbor building that rickety monstrosity right off your front porch.
February 19, 2013 at 7:24 am
Is that a lightning rod at the top of the house?
February 19, 2013 at 8:03 am
Faintly on the right, there is a very tall building with slatted arched windows on the top floor. Is that a downtown building?
February 19, 2013 at 8:13 am
That looks like the bell tower at St Marks
1025 NW 21st Ave
February 19, 2013 at 8:32 am
Bill – maybe it’s an aerial for radio reception? I wouldn’t think lightning would be much of an issue in this soggy part of the world.
February 19, 2013 at 8:50 am
Justin is right, it’s definitely the tower from St. Marks.
February 19, 2013 at 8:54 am
I think Justin is right on the money. The background building is identical to the bell tower at St. Mark’s.
February 19, 2013 at 9:04 am
The house must be at NW 21st and Lovejoy, facing Lovejoy. The house whose porch is visible on the right is across Lovejoy, in the same block as the church, facing 21st.
February 19, 2013 at 9:11 am
To me, the building Justin is guessing seems too short. In the old photo, it towers over the houses, but in the GoogleMaps photo, it’s quite short: http://goo.gl/maps/DUA9c
February 19, 2013 at 9:15 am
From the view of the bell tower of St. Mark’s, assuming that is what it is, my guess is this house is at NW 22nd and Lovejoy, where Good Sam is now. The view in the photo would be looking east on Lovejoy.
February 19, 2013 at 9:23 am
Carter Kennedy is right, this would be looking north along 21st, across Lovejoy. The house is right where the Chevron station is today. It can’t be on 22nd and Lovejoy because the tower would be behind the house diagonally across the block in that perspective. The tower is clearly aligned on the same side of the block as the house. The only perspective that works is looking north along 21st.
February 19, 2013 at 9:28 am
Chris, here’s a better view of the tower. It’s not the same perspective because that view is hidden by trees, but in this view you can see the detail and that the tower is clearly not too short. Look at the brickwork along the top, the detail around the arches, and lower windows, everything is an exact match.
February 19, 2013 at 9:32 am
Brian, I see it now…thanks! I think Justin hit it.
February 19, 2013 at 9:41 am
Brian, you may be right, but I think the tower looks too far away for this to be 21st and Lovejoy. The blocks are longer from east to west, and if this were 22nd and Lovejoy, the angle of the photo, with the photographer standing just off the curb on Lovejoy, would show the tower diagonally across the long block just where it is in the photo.
February 19, 2013 at 1:59 pm
Copyright on photo. Go to historicphotoarchive.com and type consolidated — it will bring up a great 1953 aerial photo. Supports the great detective work above.
February 19, 2013 at 6:10 pm
hmmmm….1930′s? Lovejoy? Looks like a “Cathouse” with an escape route.
February 19, 2013 at 7:28 pm
“BEAUTIFUL furn. rms., all newly papered. Nice home for nice people. 680 Lovejoy at 21st”
Sunday Oregonian, 11-13-1927, page 38
February 19, 2013 at 10:01 pm
Very similar tone and subject to that last fire escape photo. Bet these were shot while verifying fire code compliance for boarding houses.
February 20, 2013 at 7:43 pm
What a strange coincidence after seeing this photo yesterday. I recently acquired some old letters and books that belonged to Fred and Martha Monk. Tonight, I was doing a little research and it turns out they lived at 209 21st St N in 1930 when this photo was taken. That is the house on the left side of this photo (you can just see the porch).
February 25, 2013 at 10:51 am
I hope you find some good memories or photos hidden in those books. Was this a random conincidence, a relative or a friend?
February 27, 2013 at 1:06 pm
This was a random coincidence. I collect local ephemera. Most of the books and letters were in German and belonged to Martha Monk – who was born in Germany and raised in Minnesota. All interesting – some from as far back as the 1890′s.