Portland Hotel
Encyclopedia
The Portland Hotel was a late-19th-century hotel in Portland
, Oregon
, United States
that once occupied the city block on which Pioneer Courthouse Square
now stands. It closed in 1951 after 61 years of operation.
The building was designed by William M. Whidden
, later of the prominent Portland architectural firm Whidden & Lewis, and Charles Follen McKim
of McKim, Mead, & White
.
Railroad magnate
Henry Villard
financed the Portland Hotel and construction began in 1882, but his finances collapsed—in part because of the Panic of 1884
—and the construction stopped for five years. With only the foundation completed, the site became known as "Villard's Ruins" and the bodies of two murder victims were found there before construction resumed. George B. Markle, Jr. began a campaign to raise local money to complete the hotel. He generated enough interest and subscribers to his plan, among them Henry W. Corbett
, Henry Failing
, Simeon Reed
and William S. Ladd
, to get construction started again. Later investors included labor leader Ed Boyce
.
The Queen Anne
, Châteauesque
hotel finally opened in 1890 and had eight floors and 326 bedrooms. It had cost well over a million dollars and eight years to complete.
Portland Hotel stood between Southwest Morrison and Yamhill, on 6th Street (now called 6th Avenue), facing the Pioneer Courthouse
. Purchased in 1944 by Julius Meier
and Aaron Frank, the deteriorating structure was demolished in 1951 and replaced by a parking structure for the Meier & Frank Building
. The final day of operation was August 15, 1951. All of the hotel's furnishings and fixtures were disposed of at a public auction
on August 28–29, 1951, the iron scrollwork
gates being sold to Eric Ladd, a local contractor and historic preservation
ist (no relation to William Ladd
).
When Pioneer Courthouse Square was built on the site in 1984, the iron scrollwork
gate of the hotel was incorporated into the design. Much of the hotel's original stone foundation remains under the square's sidewalks.
Eleven U.S. presidents stayed at the Hotel Portland—each time, a new set of Haviland China was purchased for the occasion.
A. E. Doyle
was approached about designing an addition to the hotel, but this never got past the planning stages.
. The KQP studios were located on the 5th floor in room 544. On April 12, 1926, KQP's call letters were changed to KOIN
. On June 21, 1926 KOIN moved its studios to the Heathman Hotel
.
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...
that once occupied the city block on which Pioneer Courthouse Square
Pioneer Courthouse Square
Pioneer Courthouse Square, affectionately known as Portland's living room, is a public space occupying a full 40,000 ft² city block in the center of downtown Portland, Oregon, United States...
now stands. It closed in 1951 after 61 years of operation.
History
William M. Whidden
William Marcy Whidden was a founding member of Whidden & Lewis, a prominent architectural firm in Portland, Oregon, United States.-Early life:...
, later of the prominent Portland architectural firm Whidden & Lewis, and Charles Follen McKim
Charles Follen McKim
Charles Follen McKim FAIA was an American Beaux-Arts architect of the late 19th century. Along with Stanford White, he provided the architectural expertise as a member of the partnership McKim, Mead, and White....
of McKim, Mead, & White
McKim, Mead, and White
McKim, Mead & White was a prominent American architectural firm at the turn of the twentieth century and in the history of American architecture. The firm's founding partners were Charles Follen McKim , William Rutherford Mead and Stanford White...
.
Railroad magnate
Business magnate
A business magnate, sometimes referred to as a capitalist, czar, mogul, tycoon, baron, oligarch, or industrialist, is an informal term used to refer to an entrepreneur who has reached prominence and derived a notable amount of wealth from a particular industry .-Etymology:The word magnate itself...
Henry Villard
Henry Villard
Henry Villard was an American journalist and financier who was an early president of the Northern Pacific Railway....
financed the Portland Hotel and construction began in 1882, but his finances collapsed—in part because of the Panic of 1884
Panic of 1884
The Panic of 1884 was a panic during the Recession of 1882-85. Gold reserves of Europe were depleted and the New York City national banks, with tacit approval of the United States Treasury Department, halted investments in the rest of the United States and called in outstanding loans. A larger...
—and the construction stopped for five years. With only the foundation completed, the site became known as "Villard's Ruins" and the bodies of two murder victims were found there before construction resumed. George B. Markle, Jr. began a campaign to raise local money to complete the hotel. He generated enough interest and subscribers to his plan, among them Henry W. Corbett
Henry W. Corbett
Henry Winslow Corbett was an American businessman and politician in the state of Oregon. A native of Massachusetts, he spend much of his early life in the state of New York before moving to the Oregon Territory where he continued his business interests in retail, and later transportation and banking...
, Henry Failing
Henry Failing
Henry Failing was a banker, and one of the leading businessmen of the Pacific Northwest of the United States. He was one of Portland, Oregon's earliest residents, and served as that city's mayor for three two-year terms...
, Simeon Reed
Simeon Gannett Reed
Simeon Gannett Reed was an American businessman and entrepreneur in Oregon. A native of Massachusetts, he made a fortune primarily in the transportation sector in association with William S. Ladd...
and William S. Ladd
William S. Ladd
William Sargent Ladd was an American politician and businessman in Oregon. He twice served as Portland, Oregon’s mayor in the 1850s. A native of Vermont, he was a prominent figure in the early development of Portland, and co-founded the first bank in the state in 1859...
, to get construction started again. Later investors included labor leader Ed Boyce
Ed Boyce
Ed Boyce was president of the Western Federation of Miners, a radical American labor organizer, socialist and hard rock mine owner.-Early life:...
.
The Queen Anne
Queen Anne Style architecture
The Queen Anne Style in Britain means either the English Baroque architectural style roughly of the reign of Queen Anne , or a revived form that was popular in the last quarter of the 19th century and the early decades of the 20th century...
, Châteauesque
Châteauesque
Châteauesque is one of several terms, including Francis I style, and, in Canada, the Château Style, that refer to a revival architectural style based on the French Renaissance architecture of the monumental French country homes built in the Loire Valley from the late fifteenth century to the...
hotel finally opened in 1890 and had eight floors and 326 bedrooms. It had cost well over a million dollars and eight years to complete.
Portland Hotel stood between Southwest Morrison and Yamhill, on 6th Street (now called 6th Avenue), facing the Pioneer Courthouse
Pioneer Courthouse
The Pioneer Courthouse is a federal courthouse in Portland, Oregon, United States. Built beginning in 1869, the structure is the oldest federal building in the Pacific Northwest, and the second oldest west of the Mississippi River. Along with Pioneer Courthouse Square, it serves as the center of...
. Purchased in 1944 by Julius Meier
Julius Meier
Julius L. Meier was an American businessman and politician in the state of Oregon. The son of the Meier & Frank department store founder, he would become a lawyer before entering the family business in Portland...
and Aaron Frank, the deteriorating structure was demolished in 1951 and replaced by a parking structure for the Meier & Frank Building
Meier & Frank Building
The Meier & Frank Building is a fifteen story, glazed terra cotta building located in downtown Portland, Oregon, across from the northeast corner of Pioneer Courthouse Square. The building is the former flagship store and headquarters building for the Meier & Frank department store chain and has...
. The final day of operation was August 15, 1951. All of the hotel's furnishings and fixtures were disposed of at a public auction
Auction
An auction is a process of buying and selling goods or services by offering them up for bid, taking bids, and then selling the item to the highest bidder...
on August 28–29, 1951, the iron scrollwork
Ironwork
Ironwork is any weapon, artwork, utensil or architectural feature made of iron especially used for decoration. There are two main types of ironwork wrought iron and cast iron. While the use of iron dates as far back as 4000BC, it was the Hittites who first knew how to extract it and develop weapons...
gates being sold to Eric Ladd, a local contractor and 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...
ist (no relation to William Ladd
William S. Ladd
William Sargent Ladd was an American politician and businessman in Oregon. He twice served as Portland, Oregon’s mayor in the 1850s. A native of Vermont, he was a prominent figure in the early development of Portland, and co-founded the first bank in the state in 1859...
).
When Pioneer Courthouse Square was built on the site in 1984, the iron scrollwork
Ironwork
Ironwork is any weapon, artwork, utensil or architectural feature made of iron especially used for decoration. There are two main types of ironwork wrought iron and cast iron. While the use of iron dates as far back as 4000BC, it was the Hittites who first knew how to extract it and develop weapons...
gate of the hotel was incorporated into the design. Much of the hotel's original stone foundation remains under the square's sidewalks.
Eleven U.S. presidents stayed at the Hotel Portland—each time, a new set of Haviland China was purchased for the occasion.
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....
was approached about designing an addition to the hotel, but this never got past the planning stages.
Radio stations
The Portland Hotel became the home of KQP radio beginning on November 9, 1925 when the station moved from Hood River, OregonHood River, Oregon
The city of Hood River is the seat of Hood River County, Oregon, United States. It is a port on the Columbia River, and is named for the nearby Hood River. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 5,831...
. The KQP studios were located on the 5th floor in room 544. On April 12, 1926, KQP's call letters were changed to KOIN
KOIN
KOIN is the CBS affiliate television station serving the Portland metropolitan area. Its transmitter is located in Portland, Oregon, United States; it broadcasts its digital signal on UHF channel 40...
. On June 21, 1926 KOIN moved its studios to the Heathman Hotel
Heathman Hotel
The Heathman Hotel, in Portland, Oregon, United States, was built in the late 1920s. It stands out among the last remaining historical Portland hotels such as The Benson Hotel , Commodore Hotel , Imperial Hotel , and Governor Hotel .-History:The Heathman was built in response to the needs of rich...
.
