Wilhelm's Portland Memorial Funeral Home
| Wilhelm's Portland Memorial Funeral Home | |
|---|---|
_-_19.JPG) Wilhelm's Portland Memorial in 2012 | |
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| General information | |
| Architectural style | Mission Revival |
| Address | 6705 SE 14th Avenue |
| Town or city | Portland, Oregon, U.S. |
| Coordinates | 45°28′28″N 122°39′07″W / 45.4745°N 122.6519°W |
| Opened | April 24, 1901 |
| Website | |
| wilhelmportlandmemorial | |
Wilhelm's Portland Memorial Funeral Home, Mausoleum and Crematory is a
Established due to a growing demand for crematory services in Portland at the turn of the 20th century, the establishment evolved to house a mausoleum as well, which consists of eight stories and over 5 miles (8.0 km) of hallways, featuring ornate stained glass and Italian sculptures.
History
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Wilhelm's Portland Memorial Funeral Home was originally established as the Portland Crematorium on April 24, 1901, in response to the demand for crematory services in the Portland area.[3] The Spanish Mission Revival-style mausoleum was built between 1900 and 1901, featuring whitewashed stucco walls, a tile roof, and mosaic tile doors.[3] Frank Gibson, the secretary of the San Francisco Cremation Company, served as the first superintendent and manager of the crematory.[3] At the time of its opening, charges for cremation were $45, and $25 for children under the age of twelve.[3] Upon its opening, the Portland Railway, Light and Power Company operated a funeral car that could accommodate a casket as well as sitting benches for grieving family members.[4]
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In subsequent decades, the crematorium expanded into a full-fledged
The original crematorium building is the Rose Chamber, grouped with several rooms below it, also named after flowers: the Lily, Daisy, Tulip, and Carnation Rooms.[4] Various wings throughout the mausoleum take their names from religious figures as well as U.S. presidents.[4]
Accessibility
Wilhelm's Portland Memorial Funeral Home is open to the public. Each Memorial Day,[2] the historic private tomb of George Rae, one of the wealthiest men in Portland history, is open to the public for 90 minutes.[5][6]
Notable burials
- Homer Daniel Angell, U.S. congressman
- Charlie Babb, Major League Baseball player[7]
- Jack Beutel, actor[8]
- William Alexander Ekwall, U.S. congressman[9]
- William Russell Ellis, educator and politician[9]
- Charlie High, Major League Baseball player[7]
- Robert Denison Holmes, 28th Governor of Oregon[10]
- Syl Johnson, Major League Baseball player[7]
- Fielder Jones, Major League Baseball player[7]
- Rufus Mallory, politician and lawyer
- Mayo Methot, actress[4]
- Theodore Penland, U.S. soldier
- Charlie Swindells, Major League Baseball player[7]
- Wayne Twitchell, Major League Baseball player
- John Yeon, architect[4]
Gallery
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Sculpture in mausoleum -
Mausoleum entry -
Seating area -
Overhead view of fountain above atrium -
South end of building
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See also
References
- ^ Hallman, Jr., Tom (May 22, 2009). "Secrets, scandal entombed in Portland funeral home". The Oregonian. Retrieved January 2, 2014.
- ^ a b "Memorial Day at Wilhelm's Portland Memorial Mausoleum". The Oregonian. May 14, 2014. Archived from the original on September 13, 2019.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Beck, Dana (July 6, 2018). "Wilhelm's Portland Memorial Mausoleum: Westmoreland's hidden gem". Portland Tribune. Archived from the original on September 13, 2019.
- ^ a b c d e f g Barnes 2004, p. 44.
- ^ KGW Staff (July 24, 2014). "Portland tomb opened only 90 minutes a year". KGW. Archived from the original on January 3, 2015.
- ^ Collins, Jessica (May 27, 2010). "Another Weekend Idea: Celebrate Memorial Day at the historic Portland Memorial Mausoleum". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on September 13, 2019.
- ^ a b c d e Lee 2015, p. 497.
- ISBN 978-1-476-62599-7.
- ^ a b Spencer 1998, p. 274.
- ^ Spencer 1998, p. 430.
Sources
- Barnes, Christine (2004). Only in Oregon: Natural and Manmade Landmarks and Oddities. Helena, Montana: Farcountry Press. ISBN 978-1-560-37292-9.
- Lee, Bill (2015). The Baseball Necrology: The Post-Baseball Lives and Deaths of More Than 7,600 Major League Players and Others. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland. ISBN 978-1-476-60930-0.
- Spencer, Thomas E. (1998). Where They're Buried: A Directory Containing More Than Twenty Thousand Names of Notable Persons Buried in American Cemeteries, with Listings of Many Prominent People who Were Cremated. Baltimore, Maryland: Clearfield Company. ISBN 978-0-806-34823-0.
External links
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