First Regiment Armory Annex
Encyclopedia
The First Regiment Armory Annex, commonly known as the Portland Armory, is a historic building in Portland
, Oregon
, United States
. It was built in 1891 by Multnomah County
to house the Oregon National Guard. In 2000, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places
. Following a renovation project that lasted from 2002 to 2006, the building now houses Gerding Theater, used primarily by the theatre group Portland Center Stage
.
, particularly along the West Coast of the United States
, had led to anti-Chinese violence in Oregon
and Washington
. After violence turned to riot in some cases (such as in Seattle
), the State of Oregon authorized construction of armories so that National Guard troops could drill, in an effort to prevent or control potential riots.
The First Regiment Armory in Portland was completed in 1888, but was immediately deemed too small, and so an Annex was commissioned to give troops stationed there more space for maneuvers. Amenities included an underground firing range. Constructed in 1891, the annex was built in the Romanesque Revival
style that was popular from 1880–1890 and is identified by massive stone cladding and semi-circular arcades. McCaw and Martin featured many Northwest quarry materials in the design.
system with no supporting pillars to block views or impede movement, the building was one of the few Portland buildings in the early 20th century that could handle large crowds. As a result, the building hosted exhibitions of early motion picture machines, conventions, reunions, recitals, concerts, and speeches by presidents Theodore Roosevelt
, William Howard Taft
, and Woodrow Wilson
. In 1918, the new Municipal Auditorium
(now called Keller Auditorium), designed with superior acoustics and comfortable seating, supplanted the Armory for concerts and speeches, though amateur boxing events were still held at the Armory.
In 1928, the Portland fire marshal declared the building to be a fire hazard; nonetheless, the building continued to be used. From 1946 to 1948, the Armory was home to the Portland Indians
of the Pacific Coast Professional Basketball League
. In 1948, the building was used to take in refugees of the Vanport Flood
which destroyed the town of Vanport in 1948.
In 1968, the Blitz-Weinhard Brewing Company
purchased the entire complex, demolishing the original Armory for a parking lot and using the Annex as a warehouse.
The Armory Annex, now known as the Portland Armory, was the last piece of property in Portland's Pearl District
Brewery Blocks to be redeveloped. The Portland development firm Gerding Edlen had redeveloped surrounding properties utilizing sustainable building practices and, when they bought the Armory complex in 2000, they pledged to maintain the historical character of the building while redeveloping the property.
The Portland Armory now contains the 600-seat Gerding Theater. The reinvention of the building as an arts center was contemplated as early as 2003. The renovation cost $36.1 million.
The Armory has become a significant case study for historic preservation
and sustainable design. It received a Platinum Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design
(LEED) Certification, becoming the first building on the National Register and the first in Portland to achieve Platinum certification. As of 2007, it was one of only two Portland buildings to attain that status. Some of the green features include a catch system
for rainwater, displacement ventilation
systems, skylights for additional natural lighting and bicycle parking spaces.
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...
, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It was built in 1891 by Multnomah County
Multnomah County, Oregon
Multnomah County is one of 36 counties in the U.S. state of Oregon. Though smallest in area, it is the most populous as its county seat, Portland, is the state's largest city...
to house the Oregon National Guard. In 2000, it was added to 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...
. Following a renovation project that lasted from 2002 to 2006, the building now houses Gerding Theater, used primarily by the theatre group Portland Center Stage
Portland Center Stage
Portland Center Stage is a theater company based in Portland, Oregon, United States. Theater productions are presented at the Gerding Theater at the Armory in Portland's Pearl District. PCS was founded in 1988 as the northern sibling of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland, Oregon...
.
Construction
In the late 19th century, anti-Chinese sentimentSinophobia
Sinophobia or anti-Chinese sentiment is the fear of or dislike of China, its people, overseas Chinese, or Chinese Culture...
, particularly along the West Coast of the United States
West Coast of the United States
West Coast or Pacific Coast are terms for the westernmost coastal states of the United States. The term most often refers to the states of California, Oregon, and Washington. Although not part of the contiguous United States, Alaska and Hawaii do border the Pacific Ocean but can't be included in...
, had led to anti-Chinese violence in Oregon
Anti-Chinese violence in Oregon
Anti-Chinese violence in Oregon began while the present-day U.S. state was still the Oregon Territory .In Oregon mobs drove Chinese workers out of small towns and workplaces territory-wide in the winter of 1885 and summer of 1886. Many of the Chinese expelled across Oregon made their way to...
and Washington
Anti-Chinese violence in Washington
There were at least several incidents of anti-Chinese violence in Washington, a United States territory and later, a U.S. state, which occurred during the 19th Century. Following the Rock Springs Massacre, in Wyoming, in September 1885 a wave of anti-Chinese riots and incidents occurred in Washington...
. After violence turned to riot in some cases (such as in Seattle
Seattle riot of 1886
The Seattle riot of 1886 resulted from anti-Chinese sentiment, which was prevalent in the Western United States during the 19th century. The events culminated in March 1886 but the build-up to the violence began in late summer 1885 as a result of a concerted effort by regional Knights of Labor...
), the State of Oregon authorized construction of armories so that National Guard troops could drill, in an effort to prevent or control potential riots.
The First Regiment Armory in Portland was completed in 1888, but was immediately deemed too small, and so an Annex was commissioned to give troops stationed there more space for maneuvers. Amenities included an underground firing range. Constructed in 1891, the annex was built in the Romanesque Revival
Romanesque Revival architecture
Romanesque Revival is a style of building employed beginning in the mid 19th century inspired by the 11th and 12th century Romanesque architecture...
style that was popular from 1880–1890 and is identified by massive stone cladding and semi-circular arcades. McCaw and Martin featured many Northwest quarry materials in the design.
Uses
Constructed with a trussTruss
In architecture and structural engineering, a truss is a structure comprising one or more triangular units constructed with straight members whose ends are connected at joints referred to as nodes. External forces and reactions to those forces are considered to act only at the nodes and result in...
system with no supporting pillars to block views or impede movement, the building was one of the few Portland buildings in the early 20th century that could handle large crowds. As a result, the building hosted exhibitions of early motion picture machines, conventions, reunions, recitals, concerts, and speeches by presidents Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity...
, William Howard Taft
William Howard Taft
William Howard Taft was the 27th President of the United States and later the tenth Chief Justice of the United States...
, and Woodrow Wilson
Woodrow Wilson
Thomas Woodrow Wilson was the 28th President of the United States, from 1913 to 1921. A leader of the Progressive Movement, he served as President of Princeton University from 1902 to 1910, and then as the Governor of New Jersey from 1911 to 1913...
. In 1918, the new Municipal Auditorium
Keller Auditorium
Keller Auditorium, formerly known as the Portland Municipal Auditorium, the Portland Public Auditorium, and the Portland Civic Auditorium, is a performing arts center located on Clay Street in Portland, Oregon, United States. It is part of the Portland Center for the Performing Arts...
(now called Keller Auditorium), designed with superior acoustics and comfortable seating, supplanted the Armory for concerts and speeches, though amateur boxing events were still held at the Armory.
In 1928, the Portland fire marshal declared the building to be a fire hazard; nonetheless, the building continued to be used. From 1946 to 1948, the Armory was home to the Portland Indians
Portland Indians
The Portland Indians were a professional basketball team in Portland, Oregon. They were a member of the Pacific Coast Professional Basketball League for the duration of the league, which only lasted two seasons: 1946–47 and 1947–48...
of the Pacific Coast Professional Basketball League
Pacific Coast Professional Basketball League
The Pacific Coast Professional Basketball League was a professional basketball league with teams from the Pacific Northwest in the United States and Canada...
. In 1948, the building was used to take in refugees of the Vanport Flood
Vanport, Oregon
Vanport City was a hastily constructed city of public housing located in Multnomah County, Oregon, United States, between the contemporary Portland city boundary and the Columbia River. It is currently the site of Delta Park and the Portland International Raceway.It was constructed in 1943 to house...
which destroyed the town of Vanport in 1948.
In 1968, the Blitz-Weinhard Brewing Company
Henry Weinhard's
Henry Weinhard's Private Reserve and Blitz-Weinhard are brands of beer first brewed in 1856 in Portland, Oregon, United States. The brewery was owned by the brewer Henry Weinhard of the Weinhard family, who also made a line of soft drinks which survives to this day.The Blitz-Weinhard brand was...
purchased the entire complex, demolishing the original Armory for a parking lot and using the Annex as a warehouse.
Present use
Pearl District, Portland, Oregon
The Pearl District is an area of Portland, Oregon, formerly occupied by warehouses, light industry and railroad classification yards and now noted for its art galleries, upscale businesses and residences. The area has been undergoing significant urban renewal since the late 1990s, including the...
Brewery Blocks to be redeveloped. The Portland development firm Gerding Edlen had redeveloped surrounding properties utilizing sustainable building practices and, when they bought the Armory complex in 2000, they pledged to maintain the historical character of the building while redeveloping the property.
The Portland Armory now contains the 600-seat Gerding Theater. The reinvention of the building as an arts center was contemplated as early as 2003. The renovation cost $36.1 million.
The Armory has become a significant case study for historic preservation
Historic preservation
Historic preservation is an endeavor that seeks to preserve, conserve and protect buildings, objects, landscapes or other artifacts of historical significance...
and sustainable design. It received a Platinum Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design consists of a suite of rating systems for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings, homes and neighborhoods....
(LEED) Certification, becoming the first building on the National Register and the first in Portland to achieve Platinum certification. As of 2007, it was one of only two Portland buildings to attain that status. Some of the green features include a catch system
Rainwater harvesting
Rainwater harvesting is the accumulating and storing of rainwater for reuse before it reaches the aquifer. It has been used to provide drinking water, water for livestock, water for irrigation, as well as other typical uses. Rainwater collected from the roofs of houses and local institutions can...
for rainwater, displacement ventilation
Room air distribution
Characterizing how air is introduced to, flows through, and is removed from spaces is called room air distribution. HVAC airflow in spaces generally can be classified by two different types: mixing and displacement.-Mixing systems:...
systems, skylights for additional natural lighting and bicycle parking spaces.