National Register of Historic Places

Sovereign Hotel

Portland, Multnomah County, Oregon
Listed
December 2, 1981
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
81000520

About this property

The Sovereign Hotel was a Portland, Oregon, hotel built in 1923. The nine-story building was added to the United States' National Register of Historic Places on December 2, 1981. Part of the building houses a portion of the Oregon Historical Society's Oregon History Center. The Georgian-style building was designed by Carl L. Linde, and was also once known as the Sovereign Apartments. Opened in 1923, the Sovereign Hotel became the home of KFWV radio (later known as KWJJ) by September 1926, when the station moved from 385 E. 58th Street. In March 1927, KFWV moved its studios to the Broadway Theatre building. The hotel was purchased by Harry Mittleman in 1938. Mittleman had constructed many Portland apartment buildings in the 1930s, and he converted the Sovereign into apartments shortly after acquisition. Mittleman sold the building in 1972. In 1982, the Oregon Historical Society (OHS) purchased the building to expand the Oregon History Center. The generally L-shaped building has six sides, and on four of the six sides are murals painted in 1989 by Richard Haas, two of which are eight stories tall and are collectively titled Oregon History. They were commissioned by OHS for $225,000. The mural on the building's westernmost side shows the Lewis and Clark Expedition, while the one on the southernmost side of the structure depicts the pioneer period in Oregon's history. In 2014, OHS sold the building. A stipulation of the sale was that the new owner must preserve the Richard Haas murals. In early 2016, renovation of the building was under way, with completion projected for fall 2016.

Location

710 SW Madison St.
Portland, Multnomah County, Oregon
45.51560, -122.68049

Categories

COMMERCEARCHITECTURE
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.

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Sovereign Hotel

This page lists Sovereign Hotel. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
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
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
First month just $5.99, then $11.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your Sovereign Hotel report
Or see a real report first

Nearby Historic Sites

Ambassador Apartments
Industrial
0 mi
University Club
Industrial
0 mi
Portland City Hall
Industrial
0.1 mi
Paramount Theatre
Industrial
0.1 mi
First Congregational Church
Civil War
0.1 mi

Questions about this property

When was Sovereign Hotel listed on the National Register?

Sovereign Hotel was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 2, 1981.

What type of historic resource is Sovereign Hotel?

Sovereign Hotel is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Sovereign Hotel?

The period of significance for Sovereign Hotel is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Sovereign Hotel?

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 Sovereign Hotel will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

More in Multnomah County

Historic places, battles, and census history across Multnomah County.

Explore MultnomahCounty ›

More historic places in Oregon

Browse all historic places in Oregon.

View Oregonhistoric sites ›

Conflict records

Explore 19,000+ military engagements across American history.

Browse US conflicts ›

Oregon history

Colonial settlement, territorial period, and statehood narrative.

Oregonhistory ›

Research the history near this site

An Aubrey US report for an address near Sovereign Hotel will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.

Research your locationView a free sample report