MSOE E-Building

1001 North Milwaukee Street

MSOE E-Building in 1969

Eventually known as the Milwaukee School of Engineering's E-Building, this was originally Milwaukee’s second Presbyterian church, and was one of the very few examples of pre-Civil War Gothic Revival architecture in Milwaukee.

MSOE E-Building in 1969

This cream city church was originally built for the North Presbyterian congregation in 1854.

MSOE E-Building in 1969

The North Presbyterian congregation merged with First Presbyterian to form Immanuel in 1870, and this church was purchased by Welsh Calvinistic for the Welsh Presbyterian church in 1871 and the cast iron cresting was removed from the tower.

MSOE E-Building in 1969

In 1891 the church was raised several feet by architect Charles F. Ringer, and in 1908 the entry was remodeled by architects Ferry & Clas.

MSOE E-Building in 1969

The Milwaukee School of Engineering bought the church for use as a bookstore in 1954 and also used it as an auditorium.

MSOE E-Building in 1969

The Milwaukee School of Engineering's Society of Model Engineers model railroad club also built their first HO-scale layout in the basement shortly after the organization was founded in 1965.

MSOE E-Building in 1969

The E-Building was demolished in 1988. It was the last example of Ante-Bellum Gothic Revival architecture in downtown Milwaukee. The site remains a parking lot to this day.

Interior of the MSOE E-Building in 1966

These photographs are from the Society of Model Engineers photo albums and show the E-Building in 1966 and 1969 during TrainTime, the organization's annual model train show.

For more about the model train layout that was in the basement, click on the following links.

MSOE Society of Model Engineers Layout in the 1960s
MSOE Society of Model Engineers Layout in the 1970s
MSOE Society of Model Engineers Layout in 1980

Church of St. Michael the Archangel

1701 SW Fourth Avenue

Church of St. Michael the Archangel on February 15, 2010

If you hear church bells near the Keller Auditorium, it may be from the Church of St. Michael the Archangel, a couple blocks south on 4th Avenue.

Church of St. Michael the Archangel on February 15, 2010

The first Catholic church building in Portland was dedicated on February 22, 1852 by Archbishop Francis N. Blanchet. It was located near N.W. Fifth and Couch on land purchased from Captain John H. Couch. In 1854, the building was moved to land purchased from Benjamin Stark at S.W. Third & Stark. By around 1880, the building had moved to the current property, sitting where the parking lot is now.

Church of St. Michael the Archangel on February 15, 2010

When the need for a new church building was recognized in July 1901, the entire cost of the building was raised within eight months. The cornerstone for the church was placed on November 24, 1901, and the church was dedicated on June 26, 1902.

Church of St. Michael the Archangel on February 15, 2010

The Church of St. Michael the Archangel was designated an historic Portland landmark by the Portland City Council on December 29, 1971.

Church of St. Michael the Archangel on February 15, 2010

This concludes the original content of my PORTLAND PLACES: Keller Auditorium page. To see additional blog entries about Portland, click on the Portland label.

South Park Blocks #16: First Christian Church

1314 SW Park Avenue

First Christian Church on February 15, 2010

The First Christian Church has been located on this site since 1890. The current building was built in 1922 and features Povey Brothers stained glass windows.

Continue to 17: Ladd Carriage House…

South Park Blocks #15: Sixth Church of Christ Scientist

1331 SW Park Avenue

Sixth Church of Christ Scientist on February 15, 2010

The Sixth Church of Christ Scientist at the corner of 9th and Columbia was designed by architect Morris H. Whitehouse and built in 1932.

Sixth Church of Christ Scientist on February 15, 2010

Continue to 16: First Christian Church…

South Park Blocks #14: St. James Lutheran Church

1315 SW Park Avenue

St. James Lutheran Church on February 15, 2010

St. James Lutheran Church at the corner of 9th and Jefferson was the first English-speaking Lutheran church in Oregon when it was established in 1890 in a small wooden chapel.

St. James Lutheran Church on February 15, 2010

The 1891 Pioneer Chapel is contained inside the current church, which was completed in 1910.

St. James Lutheran Church on February 15, 2010

Continue to 15: Sixth Church of Christ Scientist…

South Park Blocks #6: First Congregational Church

1126 SW Park Avenue

First Congregational Church on February 15, 2010

The First Congregational Church in Portland was first organized in 1851.

First Congregational Church on February 15, 2010

The current church building at the corner of Madison and Park was built in 1891.

First Congregational Church on February 15, 2010

The church was designed by Swiss architect Henry J. Hefty to resemble the Old South Church in Boston.

First Congregational Church on February 15, 2010

The church features a 175-foot bell tower and Povey Brothers stained glass windows.

First Congregational Church on February 15, 2010

The First Congregational Church is still home to its original congregation, now know as the First Congregational United Church of Christ.

First Congregational Church on February 15, 2010

Historical Photos:
First Congregational Church (OHS)

First Congregational Church on February 15, 2010

Continue to 7: Abraham Lincoln Statue…

Hood River #17: First Congregational Church

317 West State Street

First Congregational Church on June 10, 2009

The original First Congregational Church of Hood River (not pictured) was built in 1892.

Historical View of the First Congregational Church
(HRCHM)

This Romanesque church was built in 1912 of native basalt quarried a quarter mile to the east at a cost of $24,000 and the original church was moved to the south.

Riverside Community Church on June 10, 2009

Later the church became known as the Riverside Community Church, and a glass and wood-frame addition was added to the west side in 1956.

Riverside Community Church Cornerstone on June 10, 2009

Continue to 18: Hood River County Library…

The Dalles #83: First Congregational Church

East Fifth & Court Streets

First Congregational Church on June 10, 2009

The First Congregational Church was established in 1859 by Reverend W.A. Tenny. The church's second pastor, Dr. Rev. Thomas Condon, became Oregon's first state geologist and the University of Oregon's first professor of geology in 1876. The first church was destroyed by fire in 1888. It was rebuilt in 1889 and destroyed by fire again in 1891. A new church was built in 1892 and again destroyed by fire in 1935. The present church with English Country Gothic architecture was built in 1936 and dedicated on February 14, 1937. It is now the United Church of Christ.

Continue to 84: Chamber of Commerce…

The Dalles #75: St. Peter’s Rectory

409 Lincoln Street

St. Peter’s Rectory on October 20, 2009

The Colonial-style St. Peter's Rectory was built in 1922, part of the St. Peter's Catholic Church along with the church, St. Mary's Academy and Vogt Hall. The rectory was more recently home to Tenneson Engineering.

Continue to 76: Bonn House…

The Dalles #71: Sovereign Grace Baptist Church

412 West Second Place

Sovereign Grace Baptist Church on June 10, 2009

This bungalow was built in 1920 and was used as the Sovereign Grace Baptist Church. It features a tripartite window with lead glass.

Continue to 72: The Dalles Garage…

The Dalles #43: St. Peter’s Roman Catholic Church

Third and Lincoln Streets

St. Peter’s Roman Catholic Church on June 10, 2009

The Cornerstone for St. Peter's Roman Catholic Church was laid July 25, 1897, and the Gothic Revival-style church was dedicated on St. Patrick's Day in 1898. The brick church measures 120 by 40 feet and is oriented east to west.

St. Peter’s Roman Catholic Church on October 20, 2009

The louvered belfry contains a 533-pound bell and is topped by a steeple that reached a height of 176 feet and a cross and six-foot-tall rooster weathervane made by Frank S. Gunning that turns on ball bearings that have never needed to be repaired or replaced.

St. Peter’s Roman Catholic Church on October 20, 2009

The church features 6 rose windows and 34 stained glass windows by Povey Brothers of Portland, Oregon, a stamped tin ceiling embossed with floral designs that is 40 feet high at its highest point, a hand-carved alter of Italian Carrara marble, a Kilgen pipe organ made of rare African tigerwood that was installed in 1927, and a statue of the Virgin Mary carved from the keel off a sailing ship that sank off the San Francisco coast in the 1850s, a gift of from the Vogt and Chapman families in memory of a relative saved from the shipwreck.

St. Peter’s Roman Catholic Church on October 20, 2009

The building was used as a church until 1969. It was saved from demolition by a group of concerned citizens and was purchased in 1971 by Old St. Peter's Landmark Preservation, Inc. Frank Gunning's daughter was the first person to donate toward saving the church. All the money used to maintain the landmark come from private citizens. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 20, 1974. The roof of galvanized iron Spanish tile lasted nearly 100 years before being replaced in October 1995 with tile designed in Canada to match the original.

St. Peter’s Roman Catholic Church on October 20, 2009

Historical Photos:
St. Peter's Catholic Church, June 4, 1978 (UO)
St. Peter's Catholic Church, June 4, 1978 (UO)
St. Peter's Catholic Church, June 4, 1978 (UO)
Rear View of St. Peter's Catholic Church (UO)
St. Peter's Catholic Church from the Thompson House (UO)
Interior of St. Peter's Catholic Church, June 4, 1978 (UO)
Interior of St. Peter's Catholic Church, June 4, 1978 (UO)

Continue to 44: 1895 Edward F. Sharp Estate Home…

The Dalles #19: St. Paul’s Episcopal Church

601 Union Street

St. Paul’s Episcopal Church on June 10, 2009

Bishop Benjamin Morris laid the cornerstone for this Carpenter Gothic church on May 18, 1875 and it held its first services on Christmas morning of that year. The bell tower was added later and the bell was purchased in 1883. The stonework at the base is from 1900 and the Remington Hall addition is from 1932. The church was rededicated for the Diocese of Eastern Oregon in 1980, and is the official office of the Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Eastern Oregon.

St. Paul’s Episcopal Church on June 10, 2009

Historical Photo:
St. Paul's Episcopal Church, June 4, 1978 (UO)

Continue to 20: Baldwin Saloon…

Milwaukie #17: Saint Stephans Serbian Orthodox Church

11447 SE 27th Avenue

Saint Stephans Serbian Orthodox Church on September 27, 2008

Saint Stephens Serbian Orthodox Church is another Milwaukie church. It's not clear how old the church building is, but it certainly has a classic look.

Continue to 18: Dogwood Park…

Milwaukie #16: St. John the Baptist Catholic Church

10955 SE 25th Avenue

St. John the Baptist Catholic Church on September 27, 2008

The tall spire of the St. John the Baptist Catholic Church can be seen from quite a distance.

St. John the Baptist Catholic Church on September 27, 2008

The church was designed by Stearns, Mention, and Morris AIA and was built in 1966.

St. John the Baptist Catholic Church on September 27, 2008

This building replaced an earlier church that stood across 25th Avenue.

St. John the Baptist Catholic Church on September 27, 2008

St. John the Baptist Catholic Church on September 27, 2008

Continue to 17: Saint Stephans Serbian Orthodox Church…

Historic Salem #23: St. Joseph Parish of the Catholic Church

721 Chemeketa Street NE

St. Joseph Parish of the Catholic Church on September 4, 2006

The St. Joseph Parish of the Catholic Church was built in 1953. The bell tower was added in 1957.

St. Joseph Parish of the Catholic Church on September 4, 2006

Additional Links:
St. Joseph Catholic Church at Salem Online History

Historical Photos:
Old St. Joseph's Catholic Church at Chemeketa & College (Oregon State Library)
St. Joseph Parish, 1953-1955 (Salem Public Library)
St. Joseph Parish, 1953-1957 (Salem Public Library)

Continue to 24: Willamette River Bridges…

Historic Salem #22: First Christian Church

685 Marion Street NE

First Christian Church on January 27, 2007

The First Christian Church had a previous church on this site. This church was built in 1951.

First Christian Church on January 27, 2007

Historical Photos:
First Christian Church, 1952-1956 (Salem Public Library)

First Christian Church on January 27, 2007

Continue to 23: St. Joseph Parish of the Catholic Church…