Oregon City Municipal Elevator facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Oregon City Municipal Elevator
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 Location in Oregon City OR
Location in Oregon
Location in the United States
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| Location | 610 Bluff Street Oregon City, Oregon |
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| Built | 1955 |
| Built by | Otis Elevator Company |
| Architect | Gordon E. Trapp |
| NRHP reference No. | 14000181 |
| Added to NRHP | May 15, 2014 |
The Oregon City Municipal Elevator is a super cool elevator in Oregon City, Oregon. It's about 130-foot (40 m) tall! This special elevator connects two different parts of the city.
It's the only outdoor public elevator in the whole U.S. and one of just four like it on Earth! The top part looks a bit like a flying saucer because it has a cool observation deck.
There have actually been two elevators here. The one you see today was built in 1954-1955. It's so special that it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2014.
Why Oregon City Needed an Elevator
Oregon City has some big changes in how high the ground is. The main part of the city is squeezed between the Willamette River and a tall cliff. This area is only a few blocks wide.
At the top of this 90-foot (27 m) cliff, there's another neighborhood. Early Indian trails were first used to connect these two areas. This was back when the town started in 1829.
Later, many stairways were built in the mid-1860s. But people soon realized they needed a much better way to travel between the two parts of the city.
The First Elevator: A Big Step Up
The first elevator built here was a huge help for people living in the city. Before it, the only way to get from the bottom to the top of the cliff was to walk up 722 stairs!
People voted in July 1912 to raise $12,000 to build a public elevator. This first vote failed. But a second vote, or referendum, passed in December of the same year.
The city needed a small piece of land for the elevator. After a court decision, the owner, Sara Chase, agreed to give up a narrow part of her property. The elevator finally opened in 1915.
This first elevator used water power to move. A ride took about three minutes. It was built from wood and steel and took three years to finish.
If the elevator stopped, passengers had to use a trap door and a narrow ladder to climb out. At the top, a 35-foot catwalk connected the elevator to the cliff. This elevator was so popular that most of the old cliffside stairs were removed.
In 1924, the elevator was changed to run on electricity. This made the ride much faster, taking only 30 seconds. After many years of use, it was decided in the 1950s that a new elevator was needed.
The Current Elevator: Modern and Fast
After 40 years, a new elevator was approved. People voted in a special election in May 1952 to raise $175,000 for it. The plans said the new design should be "as plain as possible."
The new elevator was designed by Gordon E. Trapp. Ervin Aksel Sööt was the engineer, and Otis Elevator built it. This modern elevator had push-button controls and automatic doors. The ride was super quick, taking only about 15 seconds!
It was officially opened on May 5, 1955, and it's still working today. In 2004, the machine room was updated with a new digital controller.
The elevator is like a part of 7th Street. Both its top and bottom entrances are on S. 7th Street. This is a main road on both levels. The lower entrance is where 7th Street and Railroad Avenue meet. A short tunnel goes under the Union Pacific Railroad tracks right to the elevator.
The upper entrance is reached from S. High Street. From the observation deck at the top, you can see amazing views. You can spot Willamette Falls, the Oregon City Bridge, and the Abernethy Bridge.
The elevator used to have an operator. But since the COVID-19 pandemic, it has become self-service. It's open from 7 AM to 7 PM on Monday and Tuesday. From Wednesday to Saturday, it's open from 7 AM to 9:30 PM. On Sundays, it's open from 10 AM to 7 PM.
The best part? It's completely free to use! In 1989, about 500 people used it every day. By 2008, that number grew to nearly 800. During the summer, when more tourists visit, as many as 1,300 people use it daily.
A project called "Illuminate Oregon City" turned the elevator into a giant video screen. It showed videos and pictures from places around the area. This video display ran until 2015.
