Blackstone Hall (Portland State University)

Last updated
Blackstone Hall
PSU-LKS.jpg
Blackstone Hall in 2014
Downtown Portland.png
Red pog.svg
Location within Portland, Oregon
Former namesBlackstone Apartments
General information
TypeResidence hall
Architectural styleExotic
Address1831 SW Park Avenue
Town or cityPortland, Oregon
Coordinates 45°30′43″N122°41′07″W / 45.5119°N 122.6854°W / 45.5119; -122.6854
Construction startedApril, 1930
CompletedAugust, 1930
Cost$300,000
Landlord Portland State University
Technical details
Floor count5
Design and construction
Architect(s) Elmer Feig

Blackstone Hall is a five-story student residence hall at Portland State University in Portland, Oregon, a city in the United States. The building contains five two-bedroom units, 19 one-bedroom units, 14 studios, and 13 sleepers that share a bath, shower, and kitchen. [1]

Contents

History

The Blackstone Apartment building was designed by architect Elmer Feig in 1930 for owner and real estate developer Harry Mittleman and is considered an outstanding example of Feig's work. [2] Mittleman was known for employing large numbers of workers and finishing construction within months after beginning. In late March, 1930, Mittleman applied for an exemption to Portland's building code that would allow him to place a backyard on the side of the 100-foot square lot that would become Blackstone Apartments at 395 West Park Street. [3] The address was later changed to 1831 SW Park Avenue according to the 1933 street renumbering system. [4] In early April, Mittleman estimated construction costs at $120,000 and began excavation soon thereafter. [5] By summer the building was completed at a cost of $300,000. [6] The new apartment building offered a "gorgeously furnished," five-room suite and choice, smaller units. [7]

Mittleman's office was on the ground floor of the Blackstone, and from there he managed construction of other apartment buildings on SW Park Avenue, including Parkway Manor and Jeanne Manor. On March 1, 1931, a bomb exploded outside Mittleman's office. No injuries were reported, and the case was never solved. [8]

Portland State University acquired the property in 1969.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Willow Creek/Southwest 185th Avenue Transit Center</span> Light rail station and transit center on the MAX Blue Line in Hillsboro, Oregon, United States

Willow Creek/Southwest 185th Avenue Transit Center is a multimodal transport hub in Hillsboro, Oregon, United States. Owned and operated by TriMet, it is served by bus and light rail. The transit center is the ninth station eastbound on the Blue Line and a hub for bus routes mostly serving Washington County in the Portland metropolitan area. It is located by the intersection of Southwest Baseline Road and 185th Avenue near the city's boundary with Beaverton.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Waterfront, Portland, Oregon</span>

The South Waterfront is a high-rise district under construction on former brownfield industrial land in the South Portland neighborhood south of downtown Portland, Oregon, U.S. It is one of the largest urban redevelopment projects in the United States. It is connected to downtown Portland by the Portland Streetcar and MAX Orange Line, and to the Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) main campus atop Marquam Hill by the Portland Aerial Tram, as well as roads to Interstate 5 and Oregon Route 43.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sovereign Hotel (Portland, Oregon)</span> Historic building in Portland, Oregon, U.S.

The Sovereign Hotel was a Portland, Oregon, hotel built in 1923. The nine-story building was added to the United States' National Register of Historic Places on December 2, 1981. Part of the building houses a portion of the Oregon Historical Society's Oregon History Center.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seward Hotel</span> Historic building in Portland, Oregon, U.S.

The Seward Hotel, also known as the Governor Hotel, is a historic hotel building in downtown Portland, Oregon, United States, that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). Built in 1909, it is one of two NRHP-listed buildings that make up the Sentinel Hotel, the other being the 1923-built Elks Temple. The Seward was renamed the Governor Hotel in 1931, closed in the mid-1980s, and reopened in 1992 joined with the former Elks building, and thereafter formed the east wing of a two-building hotel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Park Avenue West Tower</span> Mixed-use high-rise tower in Portland Oregon

Park Avenue West Tower is a high-rise in downtown Portland, Oregon, United States. The 30-floor tower consists of commercial office space, ground floor retail, and apartments. It is the fourth tallest building in Portland behind the Wells Fargo Center, KOIN Center and the US Bancorp Tower. Developed by TMT Development and designed by TVA Architects. The building is taller than allowed by the zoning code at the time. A deal was made with the city for a variance in exchange for employing union workers—fulfillment is still under dispute.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Virginius Bennes</span> American architect

John Virginius Bennes was an American architect who designed numerous buildings throughout the state of Oregon, particularly in Baker City and Portland. In Baker City he did an extensive redesign of the Geiser Grand Hotel, designed several homes, and a now-demolished Elks building. He moved to Portland in 1907 and continued practicing there until 1942.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Admiral Apartments</span> Historic building in Portland, Oregon, U.S.

The Admiral Apartments, originally the Wheeldon Apartments and also known as the Admiral Hotel Apartments, is a five-story brick Tudor Revival apartment building in downtown Portland, Oregon, United States, that was built in 1909. It has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1990.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emil Schacht</span> Architect in Portland, Oregon (1854–1926)

Emil Schacht was an architect in Portland, Oregon. Schacht's work was prolific from the 1890s until World War I and he produced commercial buildings including factories and warehouses as well as residential projects, hotels and theatres. He is known for his craftsman architecture style homes and was a founding member of the 1902 Portland Association of architects.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Morris H. Whitehouse</span> American architect

Morris Homans Whitehouse was an American architect whose work included the design of the Gus Solomon United States Courthouse in Portland, Oregon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jacob Kamm House</span> Historic building in Portland, Oregon, U.S.

The Jacob Kamm House, also called the Jacob Kamm Mansion, is a French Second Empire style mansion in Portland, Oregon, built in 1871. It was moved from its original location on SW 14th and Main to its current location in Goose Hollow in 1950 to make room for Lincoln High School's campus. It was purchased by preservationist Eric Ladd for $1,000 at auction and moved to its present location, along with two other houses Ladd was interested in preserving, at SW 20th and Jefferson, which was called "the colony."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeanne Manor Apartment Building</span> Historic building in Portland, Oregon, U.S.

The Jeanne Manor Apartment Building is a seven-story apartment hi-rise located in downtown Portland, Oregon, in the United States, listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Architects Bennes and Herzog finished the Art Deco structure in 1931. The Jeanne Manor faces the South Park Blocks at the corner of Southwest Park Avenue and Clay Street.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marquam Manor</span> Historic building in Portland, Oregon, U.S.

The Marquam Manor is a historic residential building located at 3211 SW 10th Avenue in Southwest Portland, Oregon. It was constructed in 1930 by Elmer E. Feig and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on May 27, 1993.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Jacob Astor Hotel</span> United States historic place

The John Jacob Astor Hotel, originally known as the Hotel Astoria, is a historic former hotel building located in Astoria, Oregon, United States, and listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). It is one of the tallest buildings on the Oregon Coast and is a "prominent landmark" in Astoria. Constructed in 1922–23, the hotel opened in 1924 and initially was the city's social and business hub, but soon was beset with a variety of problems, and struggled financially for years. It was renamed the John Jacob Astor Hotel in 1951, but a decline in business continued, as did other problems. The building was condemned by the city for safety violations in 1968 and sat vacant for several years until 1984, when work to renovate it and convert it for apartments began. It reopened as an apartment building in 1986, with the lowermost two floors reserved for commercial use. The building was listed on the NRHP in 1979. The world's first cable television system was set up in 1948 using an antenna on the roof of the Hotel Astoria.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">King Albert Hall (Portland State University)</span> Building on the Portland State University campus in Portland, Oregon, U.S.

King Albert Hall is a 64-unit student residence hall at Portland State University in Portland, Oregon, in the United States. The four-story brick building includes studio apartments with kitchens, a student coffee shop, and laundry facilities.

Harry Mittleman was a prominent building contractor, apartment owner, and real estate developer in Portland, Oregon. During his career, he built more than 20 apartment buildings and owned 30 bank buildings. Mittleman owned the Sovereign Hotel for 34 years. The Mittleman Jewish Community Center at the Schnitzer Family Campus is named after Mittleman's wife, Helen Mittleman.

Elmer Edward Feig was an American unlicensed architect credited with designing over 81 apartment buildings between 1925 and 1931 in Portland, Oregon. Feig also designed single-family residences. Many of Feig's designs survived urban renewal and have become a central feature of Portland neighborhoods. Some of Feig's buildings are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parkway Manor (Portland State University)</span> Building on the Portland State University campus in Portland, Oregon, U.S.

Parkway Manor is a five-story student residence hall at Portland State University in Portland, Oregon, a city in the United States. The building contains seven two-bedroom units, 24 one-bedroom units, 10 studios, and 13 sleepers that share a bath, shower, and kitchen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Helens Court (Portland State University)</span> Building on the Portland State University campus in Portland, Oregon, U.S.

St. Helens Court is a five-story student residence hall at Portland State University in Portland, Oregon, a city in the United States. The building contains 36 studios and 15 one-bedroom units.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Park Heathman Hotel</span> Historic building in Portland, Oregon, U.S.

The Park Heathman Hotel, originally known as the Heathman Hotel, is a residential building in Portland, Oregon, that serves low-income seniors and disabled persons. Owned by Harsch Investment Properties, the building was renamed Park Tower Apartments in the 1980s. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Claussen and Claussen</span>

Claussen and Claussen was an architecture firm based in Portland, Oregon, that designed several prominent buildings in the first half of the 20th century. Some of the buildings have been added to the National Register of Historic Places, including the Roosevelt Hotel, the Park Heathman Hotel, the Loyalty Building, Ira Powers Warehouse, and Portland Van and Storage.

References

  1. "Blackstone". Portland State University Housing. Retrieved January 10, 2014.
  2. Ritz, Richard Ellison (March 2003). Architects of Oregon. Portland, Oregon: Lair Hill Publishing. p. 128. ISBN   0-9726200-2-8.
  3. "Exemption is wanted". The Oregonian. Portland, Oregon: Oregonian Media Group. March 30, 1930. p. 1.
  4. "Index to street numbering in the City of Portland". February 22, 1933. Retrieved January 8, 2014.
  5. "$120,000 apartments planned". The Oregonian. Portland, Oregon: Oregonian Media Group. April 6, 1930. p. 12.
  6. "South Park Blocks Area Development Strategy" (PDF). Portland State University. 2004. p. 31. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-01-11.
  7. "Classifieds: Furnished Apartments". The Oregonian. Portland, Oregon: Oregonian Media Group. May 11, 1931. p. 13.
  8. "Apartment windows shattered by bomb". The Oregonian. Portland, Oregon: Oregonian Media Group. March 2, 1931. p. 1.