Just a block east of the Congress Hotel photo from last week was this scene at SW 5th Avenue looking north from Madison. The Congress would have abutted the 5th Avenue Hotel seen here, and the Trailways/Airways Rent-a-Car building can be seen in both images. The Portland Building is now on the parking lot to our immediate right here with Multnomah County Courthouse just beyond that.
(City of Portland Archives)
While the tower of the First Congregational Church featured in yesterday’s post dominates this photo, what really caught my eye was the graceful Second Empire-style Madison Park Apartments on the right. It was completed in 1908 on the southeast corner of SW Park at Madison Street. A fire in December 1972 killed two people and extensively damaged the building. It was demolished in 1974.
(University of Oregon Libraries)
The First Congregational Church, at SW Park & Madison Street, is shown here seven years after its completion in 1895. It was designed to look similar to the Old South Church in Boston and for many years was the tallest building in Portland. The 175-foot bell tower still stands but the smaller towers and cuppola were removed in 1951 due to extensive damage.
(City of Portland Archives)
Buildings on SW 4th Avenue facing City Hall were being readied for demolition in this 1973 image. The entire block between 3rd and 4th, Jefferson (on the right) and Madison would become Terry Shrunk Plaza. The Oregon Polytechnic building housed the Rome Cafe in this earlier Vintage Portland post.
(City of Portland Archives)
City Hall was over 10 years old when this image was taken. 100+ years later it looks remarkably the same. This view is southwest from SW 4th and Madison.
(City of Portland Archives)
Directly north of the Henry L. Corbett property from yesterday’s post was the Elliot R. Corbett house at 243 W. Park (now 1119 SW Park). The two brothers’ properties shared the block bounded by SW Park and 10th, Main and Madison Streets. Both would build homes in the Dunthorpe area around 1915 and the Masonic Temple building would replace these two homes.
Henry Ladd Corbett built this fine house at 253 W. Park (old address numbering system). The property covered the entire south half of the block between SW Park and 10th, Main and Madison Streets (this view looks west from Park). The 1925 Mark Building (formerly Masonic Temple) now covers the site. This home was just a few blocks from grandfather Henry Winslow Corbett’s home (see yesterday’s post).
