Gems of Portland

Another gorgeous creation from the mind of Elmer Feig, constructed in western Portland, the Barcelona Apartments are aptly named with their very bright and Hispanic-themed appearance. 

Built on the heels of the Great Depression, the striking Zenabe Court Apartments stand in a stretch of western Portland packed with apartment complexes. One of many astonishing apartment complexes in the area constructed by Elmer Feig, the Zenabe has a multi-colored brick structure with beautiful outlining window work. The building was damaged in 2014 after a major storm rolled through Portland leading to the ceiling collapsing and a portion of the brick facade collapsing.

Built for Abbot L. Mills this extravagant house today serves as a realty business. Abby himself was from New York and travelled west to Portland where he got involved in the farming and banking industries and made it big. He established the Security Savings and Trust Company and he ultimately became the head of the First National Bank. He would also serve as the speaker of the Oregon House of Representatives in the early 1900s.

One of the most iconic movie theaters in Portland, the Bagdad Theater is located on 37th Avenue and Hawthorne Boulevard. The location is particularly known for playing the premiere of the 1975 feature ‘One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest’. The theater remains as popular now as it ever has been, having been transformed into a part of the McMenamins pub chain. 

Built in the late 20s the Santa Barbara Apartments located on Hawthorne Boulevard in southeast Portland are a gorgeous example of an L-shaped apartment complex formation. The building was the brain child of a somewhat obscure architect named Elmer Feig who actually is responsible for outlining some of the most beautiful buildings in Portland.

And next we have what happens to be the building that stands up against the IOOF Orient Lodge, and a building of equal prominence and beauty. This building once housed Portland’s water office. But of even further historical intrigue is that from the 1930s into the 1970s the building served as a police precinct and when the building was gone through the remains of an old shooting range within and a temporary cell were discovered inside, no doubt relics from that period. This is hardly a surprise seeing as during this time the Portland Police also ran the upstairs of the Orient Lodge next door. Recently the building has been renovated to a degree and functions as a law office.  

Nestled in Portland’s east side Grand Historical District, one of the most gripping building in these parts is the old Orient Lodge building. Built in 1908 the building was the primary gathering place for the International Organization of Odd Fellows (IOOF). In later years the upper floor would be used as a private gathering place for members of the Portland Police force while the bottom floor was a paper supply shop. Today the ground floor has been transformed into a beer hall. The beautiful structure of this building all around makes it a standout landmark in a city and neighborhood packed with them. 

Like many buildings of its type this location has been the home to several business as well as apartment tenants. Having gone through many transitions over the years the building today is known as the Union Manor Building.

More stunning in appearance than many high schools, Irvington Elementary was built in 1932 to stand as a beautiful example of building precision in this calm and quiet neighborhood. We even made a fluffy little friend during our visit there.

Known today simply as the Portland White House (where it functions mainly as a bed and breakfast), the building is aptly named as from the front the building very much resembles a smaller version of the White House. It’s the most expensive house located in the already well-to-do Irvington district. The home was built in 1911 for Robert F. Lytle, who had been incredibly successful in the logging industry that was booming a hundred years ago.

Located in the Belmont neighborhood at the western base of Mt. Tabor the aptly named apartment complex stands as a beautiful brick and stone structure that stands on its own in Portland in terms of appearance (despite the high volume of brick made apartment complexes in the city). 

Another building on the edge of old town Portland that was built in the 19th Century, this building like many around it has a lot of its history left to mystery. Like many around it the building likely had many residents or businesses made up of Chinese settlers in the city. I noticed two poles sticking out of the building that once held a sign of some kind. Today the building currently has an eatery on its ground floor.

While the Campbell Court Apartments stand across the I-405 freeway in Nob Hill, the Campbell Court Hotel stands on the western end of downtown, having been built almost a decade later. One thing they have in common is that they once functioned as hotels and are now apartment complexes. In its heyday from the 20s into the early 60s it was one of the most extravagant hotels in all of Portland. The Portland Women’s Union purchases the building in the late 60s and renamed it the Martha Washington Hotel which it remained until 1983 when, as a cruel twist of historical fate, the hotel was purchased by Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh’s religious cult during their controversial period in Oregon during the mid 80s. The hotel was renamed the Hotel Rajneesh which it remained until 1986 when the Rajneesh fled the state.

Today this house serves as a multi-unit apartment building and at one time was believed to serve as an apartment house with much larger units when it was first built. It’s a beautiful complex located just a short distance from the Portland State neighborhood with pearly white columns.

A remarkable and towering structure in Portland’s western Nob Hill neighborhood, the now titled ‘Campbell Court Apartments’ once stood as a hotel. It’s central courtyard is one of the most beautiful you can find among Portland’s many u-shaped apartment/hotel complexes.

Built at the height of apartment construction in the area, the Biltmore structure is a beautiful u-shaped complex (as is a common structure type in the western Portland neighborhoods). Meshed between Temple Beth Israel and the old Couch School the building also compliments the historical district for which it stands. It is also another building that is reportedly haunted.

One of the most beautiful churches in all of Portland (which is saying a lot, as there are a lot) the Calvary is also one of it’s oldest at over 130 years in age. Despite this, and it’s nickname as “The Old Church” this building is gorgeous and seemingly without a flaw. It served as a presbyterian church until 1948 before being transformed into a Baptist church. After that the building stood unused for a while before being saved by the nonprofit group ‘Old Church’ and has been serving under that umbrella ever since.