Multnomah County Courthouse
Multnomah County Courthouse | |
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![]() Seen from the northeast in 2006, showing the building's 4th Avenue (left) and Salmon Street sides | |
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General information | |
Status | Closed as a courthouse, awaiting repurposing |
Architectural style | Neoclassical |
Location | 1021 SW 4th Ave., Portland, Oregon, USA |
Cost | $1.6 million |
Owner | NBP Capital (since November 2018) |
Design and construction | |
Architect(s) | Whidden & Lewis |
Multnomah County Courthouse | |
Portland Historic Landmark[1] | |
Coordinates | 45°30′59″N 122°40′42″W / 45.516328°N 122.678319°W |
Built | 1911/1914 |
Visitation | 3000/day[2] (2011) |
NRHP reference No. | 79002136 |
Added to NRHP | June 11, 1979[3] |
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b9/Multnomah_County_Courthouse_5th_Ave_side%2C_with_Standard_Insurance_Ctr_%282018%29.jpg/220px-Multnomah_County_Courthouse_5th_Ave_side%2C_with_Standard_Insurance_Ctr_%282018%29.jpg)
The Multnomah County Courthouse is a historic building that served as the courthouse for
History
The Multnomah County Courthouse was built in two phases between 1909 and 1914 at a total cost of $1.6 million; to make it fire-resistant, it was constructed of concrete-encased steel, with
Originally, the building had a central courtyard, where prohibition-era confiscated alcohol was poured down a drain; over time, this courtyard was filled in to make room for more offices and a jury room.[7] The courthouse had four two-story courtrooms which featured most of the courthouse's original design; some two-story courtrooms were split horizontally during the 1950s, expanding capacity and resulting in new floors.[2]
Further renovation of the courthouse had been under consideration since at least 1970,[8] with studies starting in the 1990s also considering building a new courthouse.[2] It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.[2][8][9]
Replacement and closure as courthouse
A February 2001 earthquake exposed weaknesses in the building's structure.
Construction began in October 2016.[4] The last day of operation of the old courthouse was September 29, 2020, and the new building opened to the public on October 5, 2020.[5] The new courthouse is 17 stories tall and has 44 courtrooms.[5] It is located in the block bounded by First Avenue, Madison Street, Naito Parkway, and Jefferson Street, with its main (public) entrance located at the intersection of First and Madison.
Post-courthouse future
The county sold the old building to NBP Capital in November 2018.[6] In 2020, it was reported that the company plans to carry out a seismic retrofit and convert the building for mixed use, but that details of the plans are not yet finalized.[5]
See also
- Architecture of Portland, Oregon
- List of Oregon's Most Endangered Places
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Southwest Portland, Oregon
References
- ^ Portland Historic Landmarks Commission (July 2010), Historic Landmarks -- Portland, Oregon (XLS), retrieved November 13, 2013.
- ^ a b c d e f "Multnomah County Courthouse Renovation Study" (PDF). Final Report. Multnomah County. April 13, 2011. Retrieved 2011-04-25.
- ^ "Oregon National Register List" (PDF). Oregon Parks and Recreation Department. June 6, 2011. p. 37. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 25, 2018. Retrieved August 6, 2023.
- ^ a b Rogers, Jules (October 4, 2016). "Multnomah County breaks ground on 'tremendous' $300 million courthouse project". Portland Tribune. Retrieved 2016-10-04.
- ^ a b c d e Green, Aimee (October 4, 2020). "After decades of trying, Multnomah County opens a $324 million new, spacious, seismically safer courthouse". The Oregonian. Retrieved 2020-10-10.
- ^ a b Bell, Jon (December 7, 2018). "Multnomah County seals the deal on downtown courthouse sale". Portland Business Journal. Retrieved 2020-10-10.
- ^ a b King, Bart (2001). An Architectural Guidebook to Portland. Gibbs Smith. pp. 100–101.
- ^ a b c Webber, Angela (April 20, 2011). "Multnomah County Courthouse, deteriorating, needs upgrade". Daily Journal of Commerce. Retrieved 2011-04-25.
- ^ "National Register of Historic Places: Oregon, Multnomah County, pg. 7". nationalregisterofhistoricplaces.com. Retrieved 2007-07-06.
- ^ Tims, Dana (July 11, 2013). "Multnomah County Courthouse replacement project gets $15 million legislative shot in the arm". The Oregonian. Retrieved 2014-12-18.
- ^ Hernandez, Tony (April 17, 2015). "Multnomah County settles on bridge site for new courthouse". The Oregonian. p. A4. Retrieved 2015-04-17.
External links
Media related to Multnomah County Courthouse at Wikimedia Commons