National Register of Historic Places

Barber Block

Portland, Multnomah County, Oregon
Listed
February 15, 1977
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
77001109

About this property

The Barber Block is a building complex located at the corner of Southeast Grand and Washington Streets in Portland, Oregon, listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). It was built in 1890 and listed on the NRHP in 1977. It is also located within the East Portland Grand Avenue Historic District. Among the building's occupants in the 1920s was a nickelodeon theater. After the Columbus Day Storm of 1962 caused significant damage to the building's roof, its owners considering demolishing it, but decided against doing so. The ground floor spaces have been used by various types of businesses over the decades, including a furniture store, a restaurant and a bank, while the second and third floors have always been residential, mostly as apartments but for a time as a single-room occupancy residential hotel. The building underwent a renovation in the late 1970s and another in the 2000s.

Location

532--538 SE Grand Ave.
Portland, Multnomah County, Oregon
45.51878, -122.66012

Categories

ARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Overview
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The Land
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Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
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Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
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Historical Maps
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Finds & Access
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Literature
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Spotlight
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Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
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Nearby Historic Sites

East Portland Grand Avenue Historic District
Listed
0 mi
New Logus Block
Industrial
0 mi
West's Block
Industrial
0.1 mi
West, Nathaniel, Buildings
Industrial
0.1 mi
Olympic Cereal Mill
Industrial
0.2 mi

Questions about this property

When was Barber Block listed on the National Register?

Barber Block was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on February 15, 1977.

What type of historic resource is Barber Block?

Barber Block is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Barber Block?

The period of significance for Barber Block is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Barber Block?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Barber Block will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

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