Kennedy School at NE 33rd Ave. and Killingsworth
Built in 1915; Renovated in 1980

Original architect is Floyd A. Naramore. The school shut down in 1975. Vacant until 1997 when purchased by McMenamins Pubs and Breweries.

Renovation architects are Fletcher Farr Ayotte. Today, the Kennedy School has a restaurant, movie theater, bar, bed & breakfast and community meeting place.

1915 photo

1980 photo

Barber Block at 532-538 SE Grand Ave.
Built in 1890: Restored in 1977 and placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

One of the earliest commercial buildings in the town of East Portland. The 15,000 sf building housed various businesses over the years on the ground floor including a drug store, banking house, “nickel theater,” restaurant, laundry, furniture store, hardware store and junk store. The upper floors had 36 sleeping rooms.

Lavier Enterprises handled the conversion of the Victorian brick building with a restaurant designed for the ground floor and the upper floors converted into 12 apartments. For many years, Digger O’Dell’s Restaurant was located in the ground floor space. Now, the space is occupied by The Rose and Raindrop.

Before restoring the building, thorough research was done into original building colors, with the help of the Oregon Historical Society, and original exterior details were also restored resulting in this classic look today. (right photo).

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1950s photo

Current photo

Public Services Building at 920 SW 6th Ave.
Built in 1928; Renovated in 1947, 1957 & 1999

Architect and building designer was Charles Green of Doyle, Paterson & Beach. The 16-story Italianante building with an arched granite base was originally designed for offices with retail on the ground floor. The two wings of the building were just two stories until 1957 when they were raised to their present 12 stories.

The 1999 renovation cost $20 million for current owners Pacific Services Bldg.

1928 photo

1999 photo

Blagen Building at 78 NW Couch
Built in 1888; Renovation completed in 1983

The original architect was Warren H. Williams. The building's original use was for a boat sails manufacturing and sales company. Each floor has a different window design. On the roof and 4th floor, there are carvings of women with spiked crowns, below the women, two thirds of the way up the 2nd floor are gaping lion heads. Decoration also includes arrows, scrolls, laurel and acanthus leaves, as well as stars and stripes on the side corners.

The current owner, Fountain Village Development, had the architecture restored making this building one of the surviving examples of cast iron columns and arches that once dominated this neighborhood.

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1888 photo

1983 photo

Montgomery Park in Northwest Portland
Built in 1922 (1936 final wing); Renovated in 1986

Montgomery Ward built this building (Portland's largest for decades) for their West Coast distribution warehouse. The original architect was Montgomery Ward employee, W.H. McCaully.

Renovation was done by current owner, Naito Properties and includes an atrium, convention/event area as well as office space.

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1922 photo

1986 photos

Seward (Governor) Hotel
at SW 10th & Alder
Built in 1909; Renovated in 1986

The Seward Hotel was one of Portland's finest hotels when built after the prosperous days following the Lewis & Clark Expo in 1905. Renamed the Governor Hotel in 1932. The old hotel was connected to the newer Princeton Bldg., built in 1923. The Princeton was originally the Portland Elk's Lodge for the local chapter.

Renovation on the hotel began in 1986 when purchased by current owner. Architect was Stastny Architects with the design team of Candra Scott and Associates. Princeton Bldg. began major renovation in 1984, restoring and upgrading ceremonial rooms and public spaces. Princeton and Governor joined in 1991.

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1909 photo

1986 photo

Northwestern Ice & Cold Storage
at NW 12th & Davis
Built in 1905; Renovated in 2000

This building, also known as the WP Fuller Co. Building, originally housed Fuller Co., a paint manufacturer from 1910-1918. Northwestern Cold Storage purchased it in 1949 and converted the building in 1950. When originally built, the structure was brick and had multi-paned steel sash windows. When NW Cold Storage converted it to meet their needs, they added stucco to the interior and boarded up the windows except for the loading entrances.

It was renovated by current owner, Weiden+ Kennedy, Inc, an ad agency.

1990s photo

2000 photo

New Market Theater in Old Town Portland
Built in 1870s; Renovated in 1983 and 2002

The building was financed by Capt. Alexander Ankeny. The south wing of the block was built in 1871, the theater in 1875. Originally, the ground floor was a marketplace with 28 marble produce stalls. Upstairs was a 1,200 seat opera house. The building is a long, narrow Victorian style which includes arch carriage entrance portals on the ground floor. In 1882, the Portland Symphony was launched here.

In the 1950s, the north wing's cast iron columns were torn down. In 1968 the newly formed Portland Historic Landmarks Commission thwarted the demolition of the site to build a proposed business tower.

The 2002 renovation included 20,000 sq ft of office space on the first two floors with restaurant and retail continuing on Ash and Ankeny streets. Entrances on 1st and 2nd avenues are entries for the current tenant--Oregon Dept of Human Services.

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Before renovation photo

1983 photo