The Genoa Building, at the intersection of Southeast Belmont Street and Southeast 29th Avenue in

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 ...

in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sover ...

Oregon Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...

, is a single-story commercial building 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 v ...

. Built in a

Vernacular A vernacular or vernacular language is in contrast with a "standard language". It refers to the language or dialect that is spoken by people that are inhabiting a particular country or region. The vernacular is typically the native language, n ...

style with

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the e ...

features in 1930, it was added to the register in 1997. After construction of the

Morrison Bridge The Morrison Bridge is a bascule bridge that spans the Willamette River in Portland, Oregon. Completed in 1958, it is the third bridge at approximately the same site to carry that name. It is one of the most heavily used bridges in Portland. It ...

over the

Willamette River The Willamette River ( ) is a major tributary of the Columbia River, accounting for 12 to 15 percent of the Columbia's flow. The Willamette's main stem is long, lying entirely in northwestern Oregon in the United States. Flowing northward b ...

in the late 19th century, Belmont Street became an important arterial with a

streetcar A tram (called a streetcar or trolley in North America) is a rail vehicle that travels on tramway tracks on public urban streets; some include segments on segregated right-of-way. The tramlines or networks operated as public transport are ...

line extending from central downtown Portland to as far east as Southeast 34th Avenue. A business district that centered on the original streetcar terminus gradually spread up and down Belmont. Among the last of the buildings in this development was the Genoa Building. Home to three separate storefronts facing Belmont Street, the Genoa is a square building on each side. Although all are deep, two of the storefronts are wide, and the third, on the west, is only wide. Early tenants included a pharmacist, a barber, and a grocer. Significant architectural features include display windows across the north side and part of the east side of the building, interior ceiling heights, a partial basement in the rear, and a red clay tile roof. J.W. Wilson was the original owner of the building, constructed by Knott and Rogers. Winifred Guild acquired the property in 1943, and the Guild family retained control of it until 1971, after which it was converted to restaurant space.

References

{{National Register of Historic Places National Register of Historic Places in Portland, Oregon Commercial buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Oregon Commercial buildings completed in 1930 1930 establishments in Oregon Sunnyside, Portland, Oregon Portland Historic Landmarks

See also

References