What Is the Portland City Hall?
This is the Classicist High Renaissance Revival style city hall of Portland, Oregon!
What Makes It Historical?
Portland’s city hall was the first major commission in the city by William H. Whidden and Ion Lewis, who belonged to the firm that invented the Neo-Renaissance architecture style! Departing from original plans, Whidden & Lewis designed the city hall to be purely administrative with gas, electricity, heating, toilets, and more modern features, but no jail or police! It was also an early example of a steel frame building, which uses a rectangular grid of steel columns and I-beams to support the weight of the floors and roof, unlike other methods that put all the weight on the exterior walls!
How Can I #HelpTheHelpers?
- Become a member of the Oregon Historical Society!
- Donate to the Oregon Historical Society!
- Be a responsible visitor! Please respect the signs and pathways, and treat all structures and artifacts with respect. They’ve endured a lot to survive into the present. They’ll need our help to make it into the future!
How Do I Get There?
1221 SW 4th Ave
Portland, OR 97204
(Take Me There!)
When Should I Visit?
City Hall is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM until 5:00 PM!