Seward Hotel

Last updated
Seward Hotel
Portland Historic Landmark [1]
Governor Hotel night - Portland Oregon.jpg
The former Seward Hotel at night
Downtown Portland.png
Red pog.svg
Location within downtown Portland
Location611–619 SW 10th Avenue
Portland, Oregon
Coordinates 45°31′14″N122°40′56″W / 45.520553°N 122.682167°W / 45.520553; -122.682167
Built1909
Architect William C. Knighton
NRHP reference No. 85000370 [2]
Added to NRHPFebruary 28, 1985 [3]

The Seward Hotel, also known as the Governor Hotel (east wing), 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.

Contents

History

The Seward Hotel was completed in 1909. Its glazed terracotta exterior motif features a blending of art nouveau and Native American designs.[ citation needed ] Its interior architecture is in the arts and crafts style, popular during the period in which it was built. The hotel's architect, William C. Knighton, went on to become the first Oregon State Architect in 1912, and later designed the Oregon State Supreme Court Building. [4]

The hotel's original owner was G. Rosenblatt, but it was named for its proprietor, Walter M. Seward. It included a restaurant in the basement, the Seward Grill, which Mr. Seward also operated until selling it in 1921. [5] The hotel was sold in 1930, [6] and was renamed The Governor Hotel upon reopening in 1931. [7]

Exterior detail view Former Seward Hotel, Portland - exterior detail (2016).jpg
Exterior detail view

Atiyeh Brothers, a rug and carpet retailer, occupied a large space in the ground floor of the Governor Hotel for 38 years, from 1935 to 1973. [8] Alterations made in 1934–1935 when Atiyeh Brothers moved in included moving the lobby to nearer the center of the building. [8] A stained-glass dome hung from the ceiling in the ground-floor corner area that was occupied after 1934 by the office of George and Aziz Atiyeh. When the business moved out in 1973, the approximately 5-by-8-foot (1.5 m × 2.4 m) decorative fixture was dismantled and placed into storage by the Atiyehs. It was reacquired by the hotel in 1992 and restored for reinstallation. [8]

The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1985, as the Seward Hotel, [3] the name it carried between 1909 and 1931.

The hotel in 2014 Sentinel Hotel - fka Governor Hotel - Portland, Oregon.JPG
The hotel in 2014

By the mid-1980s, the Governor Hotel had fallen into disrepair and closed, but new owners were planning renovations. [5] Work was under way in 1987, [9] but later stalled because of financing problems. [10]

Renovation work eventually resumed, and was completed in spring 1992. [8] The project included connecting the former Seward Hotel building with the neighboring Princeton Building, [11] which had originally been constructed in 1923 as the Elks Temple and in 1978 had received its own listing on the National Register of Historic Places. In 1994, McCormick & Schmick's opened Jake's Grill in space next to the hotel entrance and lobby, on 10th Avenue.

In 2004, during another round of renovations, a new lobby was created inside the Princeton Building, and its entrance (on SW 11th Avenue) became the main entrance to the Governor Hotel. Jake's Grill then expanded into the former hotel lobby area, on SW 10th Avenue.

The Governor Hotel was sold to Provenance Hotels fr in 2012 and renovated, and in 2014 it was renamed the Sentinel Hotel. [12] [13]

See also

Related Research Articles

Kenton is a neighborhood in the north section of Portland, Oregon, United States. The neighborhood was originally a company town founded in 1911 for the Swift Meat Packing Company.

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

The Kimpton Hotel Vintage Portland, historically known as the Imperial Hotel and also as The Plaza Hotel, is a historic hotel building in downtown Portland, Oregon, United States. It was completed in 1894 and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985 as "Imperial Hotel". Since 2015, the building has been in use as the Kimpton Hotel Vintage Portland, and prior to then it had been known as the Hotel Vintage Plaza since 1991.

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

The Multnomah County Courthouse is a historic building that served as the courthouse for Multnomah County, Oregon from 1911 to 2020. It is located in downtown, Portland, Oregon, the county seat, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Due to concerns over the structural deficiency of the then-century-old building, which was determined to need a costly seismic retrofit, the county board of commissioners decided in 2013 to launch plans to construct a new courthouse in a different location, to replace the existing building. Construction began in October 2016. The old courthouse closed on September 29, 2020, and the new courthouse opened on October 5. The old building was sold in 2018 to NBP Capital, which plans to convert it into a mixed-use development after making a seismic retrofit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bank of California Building (Portland, Oregon)</span> Historic former bank building in Portland, Oregon, U.S.

The Bank of California Building, also known as the Durham & Bates Building and currently the Three Kings Building, is a historic former bank building in downtown Portland, Oregon, United States. It has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1978. The three-story building was designed by A. E. Doyle in an Italianate style and completed in 1925. The ground floor features a two-story-high grand room with 36-foot (11 m) ceilings. The building's original owner and occupant, the Bank of California, moved out around the end of 1969 and sold the building in 1970. It has had a succession of other owners and tenants since then. It was last used as a bank in 1977.

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

The Heathman Hotel, in Portland, Oregon, United States, was originally built as the New Heathman Hotel and opened in 1927. It is among the last remaining historical Portland hotels such as the Benson Hotel, Imperial Hotel, and Governor Hotel. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984, as the New Heathman Hotel.

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

Portland City Hall is the headquarters of city government of Portland, Oregon, United States. The four-story Italian Renaissance-style building houses the offices of the City Council, which consists of the mayor and four commissioners, and several other offices. City Hall is also home to the City Council chambers, located in the rotunda on the east side of the structure. Completed in 1895, the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places on November 21, 1974. City Hall has gone through several renovations, with the most recent overhaul gutting the interior to upgrade it to modern seismic and safety standards. The original was built for $600,000, while the 1996 to 1998 renovation cost $29 million.

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

Waldschmidt Hall is an academic building at the University of Portland in Portland, Oregon, United States. Constructed in 1891 as West Hall, the building was originally part of the now defunct Portland University located in North Portland overlooking the Willamette River. The Romanesque style structure built of brick and stone stands five stories tall. The hall was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1977 and renovated in 1992, the same year it took the current name. Waldschmidt, the oldest building on campus, now houses the school's administration offices and some classrooms.

<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">Cornelius Hotel</span> Historic building in Portland, Oregon, U.S.

The Cornelius Hotel is a hotel building in downtown Portland, Oregon, United States that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It was designed by John V. Bennes's firm, and constructed in 1907–08. Its original period of use as a hotel had ended by the 1950s. A fire in 1985 left the top three floors uninhabitable. By the early 1990s the building had been vacated, and it then stood out of use for more than two decades. In 2016–2018, it was joined to the adjacent Woodlark Building, extensively renovated, and converted into a hotel. Named Woodlark House of Welcome, the hotel was scheduled to open on December 15, 2018.

<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">Sentinel Hotel</span> Building in Oregon, U.S.

The Sentinel is a hotel in downtown Portland, Oregon, United States. It is composed of two buildings, both of which are listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). The east building was completed in 1909 and was originally the Seward Hotel, while the west building was completed in 1923 as the Elks Temple. The Seward Hotel was renamed the Governor Hotel in 1931. The two buildings were joined in 1992, and together they became an expanded Governor Hotel. In 2004, the hotel's entrance was moved to the west building, the former Elks Temple.

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

The Elks Temple, also known as the Princeton Building and as the west wing of the Sentinel hotel, is a former Elks building and historic hotel building in downtown Portland, Oregon, United States. Built in 1923, it is one of two NRHP-listed buildings that make up the Sentinel Hotel, the other being the 1909-built Seward Hotel. The Seward was renamed the Governor Hotel in 1932, and in 1992 it was joined with the former Elks building, and thereafter the building became the west wing of a two-building hotel, an expanded Governor Hotel. The hotel's main entrance was moved to this building from the east building in 2004. The Governor Hotel was renamed the Sentinel Hotel in 2014. Use of the building as an Elks temple lasted less than a decade, ending in 1932.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">First Presbyterian Church (Portland, Oregon)</span> Historic church in Portland, Oregon, U.S.

The First Presbyterian Church is a church building located in downtown Portland, Oregon, that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Construction began in 1886 and was completed in 1890. The building has been called "one of the finest examples" of High Victorian Gothic architecture in the state of Oregon. It includes stained-glass windows made by Portland's Povey Brothers Art Glass Works and a church bell cast with bronze from captured Civil War cannons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States National Bank Building</span> Historic building in Portland, Oregon, U.S.

The United States National Bank Building in downtown Portland, Oregon was designed by A. E. Doyle in a Roman classical style, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The four-story building's first section, facing Sixth Avenue, was completed and opened in 1917. The building features a four-story Corinthian colonnade at its eastern end and makes extensive use of glazed terracotta. The interior is also decorated extensively with highly textured materials.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Houghtaling & Dougan</span>

Houghtaling & Dougan was an American architectural firm based in Oregon. It was a partnership of Chester A. Houghtaling and Luther Lee Dougan. A number of their works are listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places (NRHP).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Merchant Hotel (Portland, Oregon)</span> Hotel in Portland, Oregon

The Merchant Hotel, also known as the Merchants' Hotel, is a historic former hotel building in Portland, Oregon, United States. It is located at 121 N.W. Second Avenue in Old Town Chinatown. It is a contributing property in the Portland Skidmore/Old Town Historic District, which was listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1975 and designated a National Historic Landmark District in 1977. It is one of the few remaining examples of Victorian Italianate, cast iron architecture on the West Coast. It occupies half of a city block, specifically along the south side of N.W. Davis Street from Second to Third Avenues.

The Governor Hotel may refer to:

<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.

References

  1. ↑ Portland Historic Landmarks Commission (July 2010), Historic Landmarks -- Portland, Oregon (XLS), retrieved November 13, 2013.
  2. ↑ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. January 23, 2007.
  3. 1 2 "Oregon National Register List" (PDF). Oregon Parks and Recreation Department. June 6, 2011. p. 40. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 9, 2011. Retrieved August 6, 2014.
  4. ↑ King, Bart: An Architectural Guidebook to Portland, pp. 45-46. Gibbs Smith, 2001.
  5. 1 2 Sullivan, Ann (June 30, 1986). "Portland's Governor Hotel set to undergo face-lift". The Oregonian . p. B4.
  6. ↑ Mershon, Helen (November 5, 1985). "Palais Princeton: Restoration turns Elks Temple into modern office building". pp. E1–E2.
  7. ↑ "Ready for You Today: Portland's Newest Hotel". Advertisement for the Governor Hotel in The Morning Oregonian, April 25, 1931, p. 3.
  8. 1 2 3 4 Sullivan, Ann (March 18, 1992). "Stained-glass dome again part of hotel". The Oregonian. p. B2.
  9. ↑ MacKenzie, Bill (November 29, 1987). "Hotel industry may be overbuilt". The Sunday Oregonian. p. D1.
  10. ↑ Rooks, Judy (May 21, 1989). "Princeton Building sold for $2.9 million". The Sunday Oregonian. p. C15.
  11. ↑ "University of Oregon Library Digital Collection" . Retrieved 2014-03-18.
  12. ↑ "Portland's Governor Hotel Rebranded As Sentinel". Hotel News Resource. March 19, 2014. Retrieved 2014-08-06.
  13. ↑ Culverwell, Wendy (February 28, 2014). "Portland's ex-Governor (Hotel) gets a $6M makeover and a new name". Portland Business Journal. Retrieved 2014-08-06.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.