Oregon is home to many archives, most rich with collections documenting Oregon’s history. In order to highlight some of these collections containing Portland-area images, Vintage Portland has invited photo submissions from other archives within the region. Today’s post is provided by the Architecture, Engineering & Construction Archives at Portland State University.
This image captures Portland State’s early campus expansion period during the mid-1960s. Closest to us is the College Center building (now Smith Memorial Student Union) in the process of acquiring its next few levels and a library. The mansion across the street is the Jennings House sitting next to the Counseling and Testing Center and State Hall (later Cramer Hall). The Jennings House is where students registered for classes and rather than demolish it when Cramer Hall was expanded in 1969-1970, it was preserved and relocated a few blocks south to the corner of Broadway and Jackson where it burned down shortly thereafter. Also pictured is Old Main (now Lincoln Hall).
SW Park – SMSU, BA, CH, and LH, ca. 1964, Campus Photographic Inventory Records, Box 364, Architecture, Engineering & Construction Archives, Portland State University
Access the PSU Architecture, Engineering, and Construction Archives by clicking here.
Copyright: This image is owned or held by the State of Oregon, acting by and through the State Board of Higher Education, on behalf of Portland State University, Capital Projects and Construction. It is made available to the public for educational and research use as defined within the parameters of “fair use” under U.S. Copyright law. By accessing, copying or downloading this file, you agree that your use falls within this definition of fair use. Any other use, including commercial reuse, mounting on other systems, or other forms of redistribution requires written permission from Capital Projects and Construction, display of the preferred citation, and the payment of any applicable fees.
Vintage Portland 
The view today (well, from 2011 according to Google).
Interesting to see how Cramer Hall was built in sections. You can see this by looking from above today on Google Earth. Somewhere I recall seeing a photo showing only the opposite quarters (NW, as seen above, and SE) of the building complete.
When did they vacate the streets to make the campus walkways?
Elliott, according to this PSU web page, the Park Blocks around campus were closed to traffic in 1973.
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_lnbYoAP–7k/RzJ2L6o-NtI/AAAAAAAAA90/VBMZEuUqdZg/s1600-h/PSU+1972.JPG The mall was started in the fall of 1971 when I started at PSU and you had to cross campus on planks until the concrete was put down. This hopefully is a link to a picture I took in late winter or early spring 1972.
Tom – That’s a great picture. Thanks for sharing and you’re absolutely correct about the date – phase 1 of the Park Mall Development project was in 1971 (the as-built drawings are dated July 1971). Phase 2 finished up around Fall 1974 and seems mainly to have added additional hardscaping, benches, signage, bollards, sculpture, etc.