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Oregon Historic Sites Database

address:200 SE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd historic name:Salvation Army Industrial Home
Portland, Multnomah County current/other names:Salvation Army Thrift Store, Salvation Army Men's Social Service
assoc addresses:SE Union
block/lot/tax lot:
location descr:SE Ash St & SE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. twnshp/rng/sect/qtr sect:IN IE 35 SW
resource type:Building height (stories):3.0 total elig resources:1 total inelig resources:0
elig evaluation: eligible/significant NR Status: Listed in Historic District
prim constr date:1893 second date:1930 date indiv listed:12/05/2013
primary orig use: Civic orig use comments:
second orig use: SOCIAL: General
primary style: Commercial (Type) prim style comments:
secondary style: sec style comments:
primary siding: Concrete: Other/Undefined siding comments:
secondary siding: Brick:Other/Undefined
plan type: 2-Part Block architect:Rederick Manson white (1930 expansion & remodel)
builder:Berheimer & Saremal
comments/notes:
This building and parking lot, on Lots 1-3 in Block 104, was excluded from the original East Portland Grand Avenue Historic District. This building was erroneously noted in the database as part of Lot 6, Block 104, which is a surface parking lot in the district that is associated with the Salvation Army Bldg. DJP 7-31-2013
Survey/Grouping Included In: Type of Grouping Date Listed Date Compiled
   East Portland Grand Avenue Historic District - Boundary Increase Listed Historic District 2013
NR date listed: 12/05/2013
ILS survey date:
RLS survey date:
106 Project(s)
SHPO Case Date Agency Effect Eval
04/30/2002 no adverse effect
Special Assess Project(s): None
Federal Tax Project(s): None
(Includes expanded description of the building/property, setting, significant landscape features, outbuildings and alterations)
The Salvation Army Industrial Home Building appears to be one building from the exterior; however, the building's south half was constructed in 1893 and this structure was then added on to and remodeled in 1930 by architect Frederick Manson White, giving it the appearance it has today. The delineation between the two buildings can be distinguished by the arched storefronts on the southern half of the ground floor, whereas the openings on the newer, north half of the building are flat. The building is three stories in height, except for an attached garage accessed on SE Ash Street, which is one story. The building is clad in brown brick. The ground floor features commercial storefronts, some of which have been bricked in on the north half. The second floor features two types of windows-six bays of large plate glass windows with steel frames that are original and two bays of contemporary aluminum casement windows. These casement windows were inserted into the original wood frames, which are in good condition. The original wood transoms are also extant above the aluminum units and are in good condition, though the glass has been painted. The third floor windows have also been replaced with the same aluminum casement windows. However, they appear to have the same general proportions and operability as the original windows. Again, the wood frames and transoms are intact. These top-floor windows are embellished with label moldings. A sill course is located between the second and thrid floors, with a large decorative cornice above the thrid floor. There are cast stone Salvation Army emblems above the entrances on SE Ash and SE MLK. The building featrues a parapet and flat roof. The adjacent parking lot to the south is also associated with the property. The building on this lot was demolished in the 1970s. Overall, the Industrial Home Building is in good condition. It has lost some exterior integrity with the infill of some storefronts and replacement windows; however, the overall historic character of the building and the intent of the 1930 design are still very clear.
(Chronological, descriptive history of the property from its construction through at least the historic period - preferably to the present)
There was a similar mixture on the block north of Oak Street. This area of the Grand Avenue corridor had been relatively slow in developing because of a slough which crossed Grand around Oak and Pine and curved southeastward for several blocks between Sixth and Seventh. By the late 1920s, the area held a mixture of auto sales and service buildings (especially the Talbot and Casey Building, 1915-1936); warehouses (Lipman Wolfe Warehouse, 1912); housing (Osborn Hotel, 1893); and social service agencies. The Salvation Army was operating a major "Industrial Home" facility at Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. and Ash by 1913. The purpose of the Industrial Home was to provide work and shelter for homeless, unemployed men. Residents would collect, sort, and resell recyclable refuse and second-hand items. The building housed the longest running second-hand charity shop in Portland (1913-2010). Working with architect Frederick Manson White, the Salvation Army expanded the building in 1930 and more than doubled their previous square footage. The Volunteers of American (VOA) was another social service agency that operated a major facility in the district by the early 1920s. Like the Salvation Army, the VOA built a larger structure on its previous ite in 1927.
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