Creepy Portland: The Lost Goth Blocks of Front Avenue

Wednesday, October 12, 2016

1939 photo captured a haunting image of Portland

Picture taken from the Burnside bridge looking south down Front Ave

In 1942, the entire block was demolished

Photographer Minor White took this photo in 1939 before the entire block was demolished.

Minor White

This 1929 photo shows a row of magnificent cast-iron fronted buildings along the east side of SW Front Avenue at the foot of Vine Street. Vine no longer exists but is a part of Ankeny Plaza between Ankeny and Ash Streets. From the left, the buildings are Dodd Block (1888), Cooks’ Building (1882), Ankeny & Watson Building (1868), and Central Block (1879) on the corner at Ash Street. All were demolished in 1942.

The Portland GasCo Building (Built 1913. Demolished 2015)

The Myth About The Portland Gargoyles: Safe Keepers of the City....... In 1901, after the turn, downtown Portland consisted of the Goth Blocks, rows and rows of iron cast buildings. They were truly magnificent structures. Above the buildings, stone gargoyles perched on ledges and rooftops and prowled the skies and streets protecting the city. No hoodlum or ruffian was afforded the opportunity for wrongdoing. The gargoyles watched out for the good people of the city. If a gargoyle witnessed an unlawful act, they would swoop down and grab the offender with their talons, much like an eagle grabbing its prey on the water. The hoodlum was carried thru the sky and then deposited down a chute into the city jail. The city was kept clean, and the citizens felt safe at night.