First Presbyterian Church (Portland, Oregon) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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First Presbyterian Church of Portland
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First Presbyterian Church in 2008. The chapel is at left and the main sanctuary in the center.
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 Location in Portland, Oregon
Location in Oregon
Location in the United States
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| Location | 1200 SW Alder Street Portland, Oregon |
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| Area | 0.2 acres (0.081 ha) |
| Built | 1886–1890 |
| Architect | William F. McCaw, et al. |
| Architectural style | Gothic, High Victorian Gothic |
| NRHP reference No. | 74002294 |
| Added to NRHP | December 19, 1974 |
The First Presbyterian Church is a beautiful church building in downtown Portland, Oregon. It is so special that it's listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Building started in 1886 and finished in 1890. People say it's one of the best examples of High Victorian Gothic architecture in Oregon. Inside, you'll find amazing stained-glass windows made by local artists, the Povey Brothers. There's also a special church bell made from bronze from old Civil War cannons!
Contents
Church History
Starting Small
The First Presbyterian Church of Portland started on January 1, 1854. It was only the third Presbyterian church in the Oregon Territory at that time. The first group had just twelve members. They met for services twice a month in people's homes.
For the first year, Reverend J. L. Yantis rode his horse 80 miles to Portland. He came from Calapooia, Oregon, near Shedd. Later, services moved to a bigger public place called the Canton House. This building was later known by other names, like the Pioneer Hotel.
First Church Building
By 1860, the church had grown to 87 members. They started raising money for their own building. In 1862, they bought some land. Their first permanent church building was finished in 1864. It was located at 3rd and Washington streets.
This first building was special because it had Portland's very first pipe organ. A bell weighing 1,052 pounds was given to the church by Caroline E. Jagger Corbett. Her husband was Senator Henry W. Corbett. This bell was made from bronze from Civil War cannons. In 1865, this bell rang to announce the end of the Civil War. Five days later, it rang sadly for the death of President Lincoln.
In 1865, the church officially became "the First Presbyterian Church and Society of the City of Portland." Important members like William S. Ladd, John C. Ainsworth, and O.P.S. Plummer helped make this happen.
Growing Bigger
The church kept growing. Many important people in Portland were members, including Henry W. Corbett and William S. Ladd. By the 1880s, the church had 900 members! They decided they needed a new, much larger building.
In 1883, they bought a big piece of land at 12th and Alder streets for the new church. Later, they bought land next door for a parsonage (a home for the minister). Architect William F. McCaw was chosen to design the new building. His plans were approved in July 1886.
In the 1920s, First Presbyterian Church was one of the ten largest Presbyterian churches in the United States. In 1929, it had 2,802 members! By 1997, there were 1,100 members.
The Church Building Today
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Construction on the current church building started in 1886. The main builder was John C. Robertson. By May 1887, the foundation was ready. The cornerstone (a special first stone) was laid in a ceremony on May 2.
The chapel part of the church was finished in May 1889. It's on the west side of the new building. Services started being held there while work continued on the main auditorium. The main auditorium was finished in 1890. The first public worship service in the new main building was on October 20, 1890. The whole building cost about $120,000 back then.
The old church bell from the 1864 building was moved to the new church around 1889 or 1890. It still rings twice a day! In 1987, it weighed about 900 pounds. The city council named the church a Portland Historic Landmark on April 8, 1970. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.
Building Design
The First Presbyterian Church is designed in the High Victorian Gothic style. It sits on a large piece of land. The church has a tall spire that is about 185 feet high. The spire's roof was first covered in slate shingles. In 1929, copper cladding replaced the shingles. New copper was put on again in 1982.
Outside the Church
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The outside of the church is made of rough black basalt stone. It has lighter sandstone for decoration. The main part of the building is a gable-roofed auditorium, also called the sanctuary. You enter through a narthex (an entrance hall).
There are three ways to enter the narthex. Two of them have an arched doorway with a pointed top. Above the big wooden doors are three stained-glass windows. One of these entrances is at the base of the tower, facing Alder Street. The other is at the opposite end, facing 12th Avenue. The third entrance is on the south side of the building. It has a porte-cochère, which is a covered driveway where cars can drop people off.
Another entrance on the north side is between the sanctuary and the chapel. It also has an arched doorway with stained-glass windows above the doors. The sanctuary doors have fancy brass and leather decorations. The main outside doors have decorative brass hinges.
On each side of the main auditorium's roof are two dormers. These are windows that stick out from the roof. Each one has a round, "rose-like" stained-glass window. A similar design is in the center of the narthex. This is below the church's largest stained-glass window, which is at the east end of the auditorium.
At the west end of the building is a chapel. It has a roof that goes across the main building. There's a beautiful arched rose window of stained glass at the south end, where the pulpit is. When it was finished, the chapel was about 36 by 77 feet. At its north end, on Alder Street, it has two narrow doors, each with a sandstone arch above it.
Inside the Church
The main auditorium is about 69.5 by 77 feet. Its ceiling is 57 feet high! A balcony and its stairways were added in 1892. The balcony goes around three sides of the sanctuary. It has a wavy shape in the back (east end).
The inside of the church is "richly embellished," meaning it's very decorated. The auditorium uses a lot of cherrywood. Nicholas Strahan, a craftsman from Portland, carved the wood. He learned his skills in England. He carved the "chancel, choir loft, and organ," as well as the "pulpit, pews, ornamentation, and balcony railings." The carvings have Gothic designs. The pews (church benches) are set in a half-circle.
The 57-foot-high ceiling has a timber roof. It has strong wooden beams that are carved and decorated. These include arched braces, hammerbeams, and kingposts. All the woodwork has a natural finish.
The church has many stained-glass windows. David Povey of Povey Brothers Art Glass Works in Portland designed them. There are stained-glass windows above every entrance. They also line both sides of the sanctuary and the narthex. Four more are in the roof dormers. The biggest window is at the back of the sanctuary. It shows a cross made of broken glass, with a white dove flying down onto it. Most other windows show biblical fruits and flowers. The separate chapel also has Povey windows, including a large rose window at its south end. Some windows in the chapel are now covered up.
The church's current pipe organ is a Jaeckel organ from the year 2000. It replaced an older Moller organ from 1929. The church's very first organ was moved from the old 1864 building.
Window gallery
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Large window in rear wall of sanctuary
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One of the four dormer windows in the roof of the main auditorium
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Matching pair in north side of sanctuary
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Above northern main-entrance door
Church Grounds
The old parsonage (minister's home) was next to the main church building. It was torn down and replaced in 1911–1912. A new 3½-story building was built in its place. This new building is called a church hall. It holds the church's offices, rooms for Sunday school classes, and other facilities.
The church now owns the entire city block. This block is surrounded by 12th and 13th avenues and Alder and Morrison Streets. But this wasn't always the case. Since 1924, a building called the Danmoore Hotel stood on part of the block. It was right next to the church's south entrance.
In 2005, the Danmoore Hotel was torn down. This made space for an underground parking garage. In 1988, some church members bought the hotel and gave it to the church. The plan was to move the hotel residents to new homes. Then, they would use the land for the church.
After raising money starting in 2001, plans for the new area came together. The hotel residents moved, and the building was taken down. A three-story underground parking garage was built there. It was finished in March 2006. On top of the garage, at street level, a beautiful landscaped plaza was created. It opened at the same time.
See also
