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Jackson Tower
Jackson Tower (ex-Journal Building) from the southwest.jpg
Jackson Tower in 2011,
viewed from the southwest
Former names The Oregon Journal Building
Block 180 (Lots 7 and 8)
General information
Status Complete
Type Commercial offices
Architectural style Beaux-Arts
Location 806 SW Broadway
Portland, Oregon
Coordinates 45°31′06″N 122°40′47″W / 45.518472°N 122.679814°W / 45.518472; -122.679814
Construction started 1909
Completed 1912
Renovated 1972
Height
Antenna spire 57.3 m (188 ft)
Roof 49 m (161 ft)
Technical details
Floor count 12
2 below ground
Floor area 4,793 m2 (51,590 sq ft)
Design and construction
Architect Reid & Reid
Main contractor Dinwiddie Construction Company
Journal Building
Built 1912
Architectural style Beaux Arts
NRHP reference No. 96000995
Added to NRHP July 12, 1996

The Jackson Tower is a historic office building in downtown Portland, Oregon. It stands 12 stories tall, reaching about 57 meters (188 feet) high. This impressive building was once known as The Oregon Journal Building. It is made of a special material called glazed terra-cotta. You can find it at the corner of Broadway and Yamhill Streets, right next to Pioneer Courthouse Square.

History of Jackson Tower

Building a Home for the News

The Jackson Tower was built to be the home of a newspaper called Oregon Journal. Construction started in 1909 and finished in 1912. The newspaper used this building for many years. They stayed there from 1912 until July 4, 1948.

A New Name for a Historic Building

In 1948, the Oregon Journal newspaper moved to a bigger building. A few years later, in 1951, the building got a new name. It was renamed Jackson Tower. This was done to honor Charles Samuel Jackson, who started the newspaper.

The Famous Clock Tower

One of the coolest parts of the Jackson Tower is its clock tower. Many newspapers back then built tall towers with clocks on their buildings. This was a common way to show off their headquarters. The clock tower used to have 2,400 light bulbs that lit up the tower at night. Now, it has 1,800 light bulbs. Each bulb screws directly into the building's outside.

The clock faces are very big, about 12.5 feet (3.8 meters) across. The clocks used to chime every 15 minutes, but the bells were moved in 1948. As of 2011, the clock itself was not working.

Jackson Tower's Historic Status

The Jackson Tower was updated in 1972. Later, in 1996, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means it is a very important historical site. The building's base is about 100 feet (30 meters) by 100 feet (30 meters). For many years, a jewelry store called Margulis Jewelers has been on the ground floor.

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