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Wells Fargo Building (Portland, Oregon) facts for kids

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Wells Fargo Building
Historic Wells Fargo Building - Portland Oregon.jpg
Alternative names Porter Building
US National Bank Building
General information
Type Commercial offices
Location 309 SW 6th Avenue
Portland, Oregon
Coordinates 45°31′18″N 122°40′39″W / 45.521620°N 122.677575°W / 45.521620; -122.677575
Construction started 1905
Completed 1907
Height
Roof 56.4 m (185 ft)
Technical details
Floor count 12
Floor area 20,903 sq ft (1,942.0 m2)
Design and construction
Architect Benjamin Wistar Morris, III
Wells Fargo Building
Architectural style Neo-Renaissance
NRHP reference No. 86002839
Added to NRHP October 9, 1986

The Wells Fargo Building is a very old and important office building in Portland, Oregon. It's located right in the middle of downtown Portland. When it was built, its front step needed the biggest piece of granite ever brought to Portland!

The Wells Fargo Building: A Portland Landmark

This amazing building was finished in 1907. It was one of the first buildings in Portland to use a steel frame. This strong way of building helped it become the city's first real skyscraper.

How Tall Was It?

The Wells Fargo Building has 12 floors. It stands about 182 feet (55 m) tall. For four years, it was the tallest building in all of Portland, and even in Oregon! There was one building, the Oregonian Building, that had a taller clock tower. That tower was 194 feet (59 m) high. But the Wells Fargo Building was still the tallest part of a building itself.

A New Owner

In 1946, a bank called the United States National Bank of Portland bought the building. Their main office was right next door. They used the Wells Fargo Building to make their downtown headquarters bigger.

A Historic Place

Because it's such an important and old building, the Wells Fargo Building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1986. This means it's officially recognized as a special place in history.

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