1331 SW Broadway
Ladd Carriage House on February 15, 2010
Next door to the First Christian Church on Columbia Street, fronting on Broadway, is the Ladd Carriage House, built in 1883 at a cost of over $12,000 as part of the existing estate of William Sargent Ladd (1826-1893). The Carriage House was for built for Ladd's coachmen, horses and carriages; Ladd's home was about two blocks away.
Ladd Carriage House on February 15, 2010
The Carriage House was sold in 1924 and became office space. The First Christian Church purchased it in 1971. In 2005, the church was planning to redevelop the entire block by demolishing everything but the church for the construction of a high-rise condominium building called Ladd Tower.
Ladd Carriage House on February 15, 2010
The Friends of the Ladd Carriage House worked to save the Carriage House, and a plan was worked out to have Ladd Tower take up only half the block, leaving room for the Carriage House to remain, however it would have to be moved temporarily so an underground parking garage could be built under the site. From June 16, 2007 to October 25, 2008 the Carriage House was stored in the parking lot of the Sixth Church of Christ Scientist before being moved back to its original site.
Ladd Carriage House on February 15, 2010
After the move the Carriage House underwent an extensive rehabilitation by OPUS Northwest in 2009 and the Friends of the Ladd Carriage House dedicated a plaque about William S. Ladd, which reads as follows:
Among Portland's founders, few garnered as much praise as William Sargent Ladd. Upon his death it was said, "Portland had no more loyal supporter or ardent advocate than William S. Ladd."
Ladd arrived in the frontier town in 1851, worked hard, prospered, and invested in both the material structure of the city and the quality of its life. He served two terms as mayor of Portland. In 1859 he established the Ladd & Tilton Bank, the first formal banking institution in the Northwest. A year later he helped create the Oregon Steam Navigation Company. With the vast wealth his businesses generated, he contributed generously to the city's cultural, educational and humanitarian institutions.
The Ladd Carriage House was built in 1883 as a stable attached to a greater estate. The Carriage House is the last visible reminder of this pioneer banker, citizen and philanthropist. Its survival and restoration are testaments to William S. Ladd, his architect Joseph Sherwin, and all those who built well and gave back to the city.
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