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The Pacific Building
Pacific Building - Portland Oregon.jpg
The Pacific Building in 2007
Pacific Building is located in Portland, Oregon
Pacific Building
Location in Portland, Oregon
Location 520 SW Yamhill Street
Portland, Oregon
Area less than one acre
Built 1926
Architect A.E. Doyle & Associates
Architectural style Renaissance
NRHP reference No. 92000091
Added to NRHP March 5, 1992

The Pacific Building is an old and important office building. It stands in downtown Portland, Oregon, in the Oregon state of the United States. This building has been officially recognized as a historic place. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on March 5, 1992.

The Pacific Building: A Portland Landmark

The Pacific Building is special because of its history and design. It was built in 1926. It is one of three buildings in Portland designed in a similar Italian style. These buildings were created by the famous local architect A.E. Doyle and his team.

Who Designed This Building?

The main designer for the Pacific Building was Charles K. Greene. He worked on all three Italian-style buildings for A.E. Doyle. These buildings include the smaller Bank of California Building (finished in 1924). They also include the Pacific Building itself. The last one was the Public Service Building, a tall skyscraper completed in 1928.

A very famous architect, Pietro Belluschi, started his career here. He began working with A.E. Doyle on this building. Later, he even had an office inside it. When the Pacific Building opened in 1926, A.E. Doyle moved his own company's main office into the building.

What Does It Look Like?

The Pacific Building has 10 stories. Its main entrance area, called the lobby, was designed by Pietro Belluschi. This building was also connected to Portland's very first underground parking garage. However, this connection was removed in the year 2000. This happened when an old bus station above the garage was torn down. A new part of the nearby Hilton Hotel was built there instead.

The building's style mixes two different types of architecture. It combines the Chicago School style with Italian Renaissance architecture. You can see this mix in its design. It has a red tile roof and special windows called dormers. The windows are almost flat with the building's outside walls. This gives it a unique and interesting look.

A Historic Spot in Portland

The Pacific Building stands on a very important piece of land. It is right across Yamhill Street from the Pioneer Courthouse. This area is in the very center of downtown Portland.

A long time ago, this entire spot was the large yard of the Henry Corbett mansion. This mansion was built in 1875. It stayed there until construction began on the Pacific Building. At one point, Henry Corbett's wife even kept a cow on the grounds! This was happening while a big city was growing all around it. Because of this funny mix of old and new, the land got a nickname: "The Million Dollar Cowpasture."

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