Built 1885
223 SW Front/Naito Parkway

Architect: Unknown, similar to designs by Warren H. Williams and Justus Krumbein
Cast-Iron Manufacturer: Willamette Iron Works

A narrow structure located adjacent to the 1857 Hallock & McMillan Building on Naito Parkway (Front Street), this building offers a number of great examples of some of Oregon’s most elaborate cast iron. Arches spanning 6 feet 5 inches were cast in a single piece, no small technical feat considering the shrinkage problems inherent to cooling iron. The shoulder arches were typical of the period, with rounded sides and flat tops. All of the iron work rests on a granite threshold which was an unusual practice; the columns were usually bolted onto an iron threshold fastened in turn to the top of the masonry footing wall.

Photographs by Kevin Costello