The Capitol Center is a high-rise office building in downtown Salem,

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 The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

. Finished in 1927, it was originally known as the First National Bank Building and owned by Salem businessman

Thomas A. Livesley Thomas A. Livesley (December 8, 1863 – July 22, 1947) was an American businessman and politician in the state of Oregon. A successful Hops, hop farmer and broker, Livesley was known as the "Hop King" of Oregon.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 ...

in 1986 as the Old First National Bank Building.

History

Thomas Livesley who had made his fortune in hops, hired Leigh L. Dougan to design a skyscraper to be built in Salem.Martinis, Cheryl. Salem's tallest building changes hands. ''

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 ...

'', January 23, 1997.Marion County, Oregon.
NationalRegisterofHistoricPlaces.com. Retrieved on April 23, 2008. At the time, Livesley was the vice president of the Oregon Linen Mills, with Livesley financing the project.Capitol Center marks 80th birthday this week. ''

Statesman Journal The ''Statesman Journal'' is the major daily newspaper published in Salem, Oregon, United States. Founded in 1851 as the ''Oregon Statesman'', it later merged with the ''Capital Journal'' to form the current newspaper, the second-oldest in Orego ...

'', November 13, 2007. Construction began in July 1926 by Hammond & Hammond Company. Named the First National Bank Building, it opened at the beginning of 1927. Livesley was the incorporator of the bank in 1923. When it opened the building was controversial with some describing it as unattractive while others calling it a monument. Thomas Livesley died in 1947 and the building was then renamed in his honor as the Livesley Building, and later changed to the Cascade Bank Building. On October 9, 1986, the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places. The tower was renovated by then owners Morse Brothers, Inc. from 1987 to 1988 and then renamed to its current moniker of the Capitol Center.Kim, Eunice. Landmark building's 80th birthday is reason to party. ''

'', November 15, 2007. They would sell the building for $3.1 million to the investor group Salem Gargoyle in January 1997. In April 2003, the building was purchased by Roger Yost for $4.65 million, after he had already purchased the nearby Reed Opera House. Also known as the Capitol Tower, parts of the high-rise were remodeled by Yost, including the installation of new elevators and refurbishing the seventh floor.

Details

Located on State Street in downtown Salem, the structure rises 151 feet (46 m) to the top of its

parapet A parapet is a barrier that is an extension of the wall at the edge of a roof, terrace, balcony, walkway or other structure. The word comes ultimately from the Italian ''parapetto'' (''parare'' 'to cover/defend' and ''petto'' 'chest/breast'). ...

wall, and contains eleven floors.Capital Center.
Emporis. Retrieved on April 23, 2008. Classified as the only high-rise building in Salem, it is the third tallest building in the city after the Salem First United Methodist Church (188 feet tall) and the Oregon State Capitol (173 feet tall).The Answer – Salem Oregon's Tallest Building.
SalemOregon. Retrieved on April 23, 2008. Capitol Center is tall as measured to the top of its tallest antenna. Constructed of a reinforced concrete frame, the exterior walls are lined with a Florentine

sandstone Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks. Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicates ...

that is light pink in color. The exterior includes decorative gargoyles and heads at the top. The fifth floor is considered historic and retains its original look, including doors made from mahogany.Capitol Center Office Building Height Is Documented.
SalemOregon. Retrieved on April 23, 2008. There is a total of of usable floor space in the building.Bender, Dan. Courthouse Square begins to take shape. ''

'', July 4, 1999.

References

External links

Capitol Center
(official website)

{{National Register of Historic Places Oregon Commercial buildings completed in 1927 Buildings and structures in Salem, Oregon National Register of Historic Places in Salem, Oregon Bank buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Oregon 1927 establishments in Oregon Historic district contributing properties in Oregon Skyscraper office buildings in Oregon