Bank of California Building
Encyclopedia
The Bank of California Building or also The Bidwell & Company Building, is a historic two-story building in downtown
Portland, Oregon
. Since 1978, it has been on the National Register of Historic Places
. The building is currently vacant.
This location was the site of the first Portland Central Library, which moved to its present site in the early 1920s. The Bank of California
saw the lot as fit to build a Portland branch and hired local notable architect A. E. Doyle
to design it. Doyle's chief designer Charles K. Greene had traveled abroad to study Greco-roman architectural forms in the 1910s. The result of his research resulted in three Italianate buildings, of which the Bank of California Building was the first. The others were the Chicago/Italianate Pacific Building
and the Public Service Building, an early skyscraper. The exterior lights on the Public Services Building are of the same design of those on the Bank of California Building.
The Bank of California remained at this site for 50 years until moving a couple of blocks west to the Union Bank of California Tower
. The building underwent an intensive renovation in 2000.
Downtown Portland
Downtown Portland, the city center of Portland, Oregon, United States, is located on the west bank of the Willamette River. It is in the northeastern corner of the southwest section of the city and is where most of the city's high-rise buildings are found....
Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
. Since 1978, it has been on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
. The building is currently vacant.
This location was the site of the first Portland Central Library, which moved to its present site in the early 1920s. The Bank of California
Bank of California
The Bank of California was opened in San Francisco, California, on July 4, 1864, by William Chapman Ralston. It was the first commercial bank in the Western United States, the second-richest bank in the nation, and considered instrumental in developing the American Old West.-History:The ancestor of...
saw the lot as fit to build a Portland branch and hired local notable architect A. E. Doyle
A. E. Doyle
Albert Ernest Doyle was a prolific architect in the U.S. states of Oregon and Washington. He is most often credited for his works as A.E. Doyle....
to design it. Doyle's chief designer Charles K. Greene had traveled abroad to study Greco-roman architectural forms in the 1910s. The result of his research resulted in three Italianate buildings, of which the Bank of California Building was the first. The others were the Chicago/Italianate Pacific Building
Pacific Building
The Pacific Building is a historic office building in downtown Portland, Oregon, United States. It has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since March 5, 1992....
and the Public Service Building, an early skyscraper. The exterior lights on the Public Services Building are of the same design of those on the Bank of California Building.
The Bank of California remained at this site for 50 years until moving a couple of blocks west to the Union Bank of California Tower
Union Bank of California Tower
The Union Bank of California Tower is an , 15 story office building in Portland, Oregon completed in 1969, and designed by the firm of Anshen and Allen of San Francisco. It is an International-style building, with a strong presence on Broadway. The most prominent feature of the Union Bank of...
. The building underwent an intensive renovation in 2000.
See also
- Architecture of Portland, Oregon
- List of Registered Historic Places in Multnomah County, Oregon