Look for the building with massive Corinthian columns rising four stories high and a richly decorated frieze along the top edge, standing proudly at the corner with grand bronze doors and intricate terracotta details-the United States National Bank Building will be in front of you.
Now, get ready to step into a place where history and grand style collide! If you take a look at these towering columns, you might just feel like you’ve teleported from the streets of Portland to ancient Rome-now that’s the magic of the United States National Bank Building. Designed by A.E. Doyle, one of Portland’s architectural wizards, this stone giant first opened its doors back in 1917, starting out life as the home of the United States National Bank of Portland. The eastern face, right here on Sixth Avenue, was the first to greet customers, crowned by a stately portico lined with Corinthian columns, each standing at a majestic 54 feet tall. The details don’t stop there-look closely and you’ll see lions and palmettes watching over you from above, and bronze doors covered in dazzling bas reliefs that tell tales of American bravery and ideals.
But let’s wind the clocks back even further, to the turn of the last century, when the United States National Bank of Portland had just started making waves. This bank wasn’t shy about growing, swallowing up its rivals and coming out stronger through wild times like the Panic of 1893-a financial storm that blew away many competitors. By the 1910s, the bank had gobbled up so many adversaries and grown so big, they were literally bursting at the seams. So the hunt was on for a new home, and in 1916, they picked this very spot, ready to make a statement in classical stone and terracotta.
It took just one year for A.E. Doyle’s vision to leap off the drawing board and into the real world, opening to the public in the summer of 1917. Back then, all this grandeur only stretched halfway to Broadway, but still-just imagine the awe of folks stepping through those bronze doors, surrounded by echoes of history and the soft rumble of streetcars rolling by outside.
But you know what banks are like... they always want more room for their money! By the 1920s, it was time to expand again. The neighboring Elks moved out, and instead of going sky-high with a planned 24-story skyscraper, the bank stuck with its original style, doubling the building’s size and giving it a matching twin entrance on Broadway in 1925. Doyle again oversaw the project, making sure the old and new sides blended like two halves of a Roman coin. By now, the building was gobbling up half the city block, and the bank itself was the largest institution of its kind between San Francisco and Minneapolis. Talk about building an empire!
Take a few steps along Stark Street, and you’ll spot a parade of 14 pilasters running down the southern side, each one decorated with proud capitals and cast-iron frames around the windows. And as you circle around to the western end, look for a slightly more intimate portico-a cozy cousin to the grand party on Sixth Avenue, but still flashing bronze lanterns and bas relief panels depicting wild tales from the Columbia Basin.
Now, let me invite you inside with your imagination-can you picture the sunlight gleaming on polished marble columns, each topped with an eagle motif, soaring towards a ceiling thirty feet above the grand lobby floor? There’s marble everywhere, elegant patterns underfoot, and marble pillars dividing the teller windows. And tucked away upstairs, there’s a board room with a marble fireplace, stained glass windows, and dark walnut walls-perfect for those cigar-chomping bankers making the big decisions. Don’t miss the chandelier overhead, ready for a dramatic Capra-esque bank meeting at a moment’s notice.
From the roar of the streetcars out front to the hustle of Portlanders coming and going, the United States National Bank Building has watched it all. Through decades of expansion, the rise of neighboring towers, and the steady beat of commerce, this “jewel of a banking property” still stands proud-one of the city’s most well-preserved treasures. Today, U.S. Bank still calls it home, a living monument to Portland’s ambition, resilience, and love of sweeping columns. Keep your eyes peeled; you never know what secrets those bronze doors might be keeping!
