Jump to content

File:Oldtown.jpg

Page contents not supported in other languages.
This is a file from the Wikimedia Commons
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Original file (3,454 × 2,468 pixels, file size: 3.64 MB, MIME type: image/jpeg)

Summary

Description

Oldtown -

The Merchants Hotel (1880) (1884) is located at 123 NW Second Avenue. The property site address is 121 - 139 NW Second Avenue. The Merchants Hotel is my token Historic Landmark in the Portland Skidmore/Old Town Historic District (added 1975 - Multnomah County); Also known as Skidmore Fountain/Old Town Historic District roughly bounded by Harbor Drive, Everett, Third Avenue, and Oak Street, Portland (440 acres, 30 buildings, 1 object).

In 1880, natives of Saxony, German brothers Louis, Adolph, and Theodore Nicolai began construction of the Merchants Hotel. This building took four years to build. Completed in 1885, the hotel provided first class accommodations for its guests. One of Portland's first hydraulic elevators attracted visitors, as did the ornate lobby and a dancing and assembly room, reported to be the most popular in the city.

The hotel grew to encompass the entire north one-half of the block by 1889. The hotel was equipped with hydraulic Passenger and Baggage Elevators, Electric Call Bells, and every appliance for the comfort and convenience of guests. The large hotel was only a few (three) blocks from the railroad depot and steamer landings.

Except for the removal of the sheet-metal cornice, the building appears much as it did originally. The lower floor cast-iron columns, and doorway arches, show the Willamette Iron Works mark. This pattern was used considerably by architect, Warren Williams, who was likely the building architect. With the wide glass areas afforded by the iron columns, this building was typical of many in this part of the city before the turn of the century.

Between the two World Wars, the Merchants evolved into a center for Japanese-American community life. It provided office space for prominent doctors and dentists and for the Japanese-Oregon daily newspaper. The owners renamed the hotel "Imperial Hotel" during this era.
Date
Source

Portland, OR

Author Herb Neufeld

Licensing

w:en:Creative Commons
attribution
This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.
You are free:
  • to share – to copy, distribute and transmit the work
  • to remix – to adapt the work
Under the following conditions:
  • attribution – You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use.
This image, originally posted to Flickr, was reviewed on December 25, 2011 by the administrator or reviewer File Upload Bot (Magnus Manske), who confirmed that it was available on Flickr under the stated license on that date.

Captions

Add a one-line explanation of what this file represents

Items portrayed in this file

depicts

18 November 2010

0.00625 second

4.7 millimetre

image/jpeg

File history

Click on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time.

Date/TimeThumbnailDimensionsUserComment
current12:15, 25 December 2011Thumbnail for version as of 12:15, 25 December 20113,454 × 2,468 (3.64 MB)File Upload Bot (Magnus Manske){{Information |Description=Oldtown - The Merchants Hotel (1880) (1884) is located at 123 NW Second Avenue. The property site address is 121 - 139 NW Second Avenue. The Merchants Hotel is my token Historic Landmark in the Portland Skidmore/Old Town Histo

The following page uses this file:

Metadata