The Old Church, originally known as Calvary Presbyterian Church, is a

Carpenter Gothic Carpenter Gothic, also sometimes called Carpenter's Gothic or Rural Gothic, is a North American architectural style-designation for an application of Gothic Revival architectural detailing and picturesque massing applied to wooden structures ...

church located in downtown

Portland Portland most commonly refers to: * Portland, Oregon, the largest city in the state of Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States * Portland, Maine, the largest city in the state of Maine, in the New England region of the northeas ...

Oregon Oregon () is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of its eastern boundary with Idaho. T ...

, United States, that is listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

. Built in 1882, it was designed by Portland architect

Warren Heywood Williams Warren Heywood Williams (1844 in New York City – January 1888) was an American architect, who spent most of his career working in the U.S. state of Oregon. Starting in 1860, he apprenticed in San Francisco as a draftsman at the architectur ...

.Mershon, Helen (September 6, 1982). "Venerable Old Church to celebrate centenary: 'Carpenter Gothic' edifice tribute to Victorians". ''

The Oregonian ''The Oregonian'' is a daily newspaper based in Portland, Oregon, United States, owned by Advance Publications. It is the oldest continuously published newspaper on the U.S. west coast, founded as a weekly by Thomas J. Dryer on December 4, 18 ...

'', p. D1. The interior includes stained glass windows made by Portland's

Povey Brothers Studio Povey Brothers Studio, also known as Povey Brothers Art Glass Works or Povey Bros. Glass Co., was an American producer of stained glass windows based in Portland, Oregon. The studio was active from 1888 to 1928. As the largest and best known ar ...

History

The building's use as the Calvary Presbyterian Church ceased in 1948, when it was sold to the Evangel Baptist Church. Another Baptist congregation, First Southern Baptist (later becoming Metropolitan Baptist) purchased the building in 1951."Old Church Purchased As 'A Gathering Place'" (April 2, 1969). ''

'', p. 16. It became unused in 1965 and was put up for sale, but remained unsold for an extended period, and its demolition was planned. In 1967, the non-profit group Old Church was formed with the intent of preserving the building. After a one-year fundraising campaign the group purchased the building from Metropolitan Baptist Church on April 1, 1969, for $95,000. At its next meeting, Old Church Inc. changed its name to the Old Church Society. Initial efforts to save and preserve the building were led by Lannie Hurst, an actress and performer. ''

The Oregon Journal ''The Oregon Journal'' was Portland, Oregon's daily afternoon newspaper from 1902 to 1982. The ''Journal'' was founded in Portland by C. S. "Sam" Jackson, publisher of Pendleton, Oregon's ''East Oregonian'' newspaper, after a group of Portlander ...

'' chose Hurst as one of 10 "Women of Accomplishment" in 1969, explaining that "Few fundraising campaigns of any sort ever captured the imagination and support of Portlanders as completely as did the drive to save The Old Church..." The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972, under its original name of Calvary Presbyterian Church. The Old Church is a non-profit that focuses on restoring and preserving the structure and providing artistic and cultural programming. Restoration work has included major interior and exterior overhauls that have aimed to preserve the historic character of the building while adding modern conveniences to keep the space relevant and useful. During the restoration, Jerry Bosco and Ben Milligan, prominent collectors of historic artifacts, donated the original

porte-cochère A porte-cochère (; , late 17th century, literally 'coach gateway'; plural: porte-cochères, portes-cochères) is a doorway to a building or courtyard, "often very grand," through which vehicles can enter from the street or a covered porch-like ...

to The Old Church. Most recently The Old Church installed a new stage, bar, and marquee and state-of-the-art sound and lighting systems. Since 1969, The Old Church has hosted free weekly lunch-time concerts on Wednesdays and it hosts concerts by touring and local artists. The space is also used for weddings and other events.

References

External links

The Old Church
(official website)
Historic images of the Old Church
from the University of Oregon digital archives {{Portal bar, Architecture, National Register of Historic Places, Oregon 1882 establishments in Oregon Carpenter Gothic church buildings in Oregon Churches completed in 1882 Churches in Portland, Oregon Churches on the National Register of Historic Places in Oregon Former Presbyterian churches in the United States National Register of Historic Places in Portland, Oregon Portland Historic Landmarks Presbyterian churches in Oregon Southwest Portland, Oregon

History

See also

References

External links