The National Cash Register Building, commonly referred to as the St. Johns Theater & Pub, was a building that was first erected in

St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...

, for the Louisiana Purchase Exposition in 1904 and then moved to

Portland, Oregon Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the list of cities in Oregon, largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette River, Willamette and Columbia River, Columbia rivers, Portland is ...

, the next year for the

Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition The Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition, commonly also known as the Lewis and Clark Exposition, and officially known as the Lewis and Clark Centennial and American Pacific Exposition and Oriental Fair, was a worldwide exposition held in Portlan ...

. It was moved a third and final time to the suburb of St. Johns, Oregon, which is now a part of Portland. It was given to the St. Johns Congregational Society by the NCR Corporation. It now houses a

McMenamins McMenamins is a family-owned chain of brewpubs, breweries, music venues, historic hotels, and theater pubs in Oregon and Washington. Many of their locations are in rehabilitated historical properties; at least nine are on the National Register ...

theater and pub.

History

The NCR Corporation constructed a $5,000 building for the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition in

. The building was uprooted for $1,000 and transported to

, for the 1905

. The building was constructed in sections so that it could be moved with ease. The NCR Corporation passed out badges and sang songs on "NCR Day" at the exposition on September 4, 1905. ''

The Morning 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, 1850 ...

'' reported that the building was "crowded all day". St Johns Pub

After the exposition closed, the NCR Corporation donated it to the St. Johns Congregational Society of St. Johns, Oregon. On June 3, 1906, the National Cash Register Building was dedicated by Rev. Fred J. Warren of the St. Johns Congregational Society. Several ministers and parishioners of other Congregational churches were in attendance. The First Congregational Church of Portland donated stained glass windows that read "The Bible and the Cross and Crown". Another donation of $1,200 was given by the Congregational Church Building Society for the purposes of moving the structure. By 1930, the building was occupied by the

YWCA The Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) is a nonprofit organization with a focus on empowerment, leadership, and rights of women, young women, and girls in more than 100 countries. The World office is currently based in Geneva, Swi ...

. It is currently used as a

theater Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The perform ...

and

pub A pub (short for public house) is a kind of drinking establishment which is licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term ''public house'' first appeared in the United Kingdom in late 17th century, and was ...

by the McMenamins chain.

References

{{Theatres in Portland, Oregon 1904 establishments in Oregon Buildings and structures in St. Johns, Portland, Oregon Cinemas and movie theaters in Oregon Churches in Portland, Oregon McMenamins NCR Corporation Religious buildings and structures completed in 1904 Relocated buildings and structures in Oregon Restaurants in Portland, Oregon Louisiana Purchase Exposition Theatres in Portland, Oregon World's fair architecture in the United States YWCA buildings Portland Historic Landmarks Former churches in Oregon Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition