Jackson Tower
Encyclopedia
Jackson Tower, formerly The Oregon Journal Building is a glazed terra-cotta
historic office building in downtown Portland
, Oregon. Located on the corner of Broadway and Yamhill Streets, it enjoys a prominent location adjacent to Pioneer Courthouse Square
.
The building was constructed to house the operations of the now-defunct Oregon Journal
. The Journal occupied the structure from its completion in 1912 until July 4, 1948, when the newspaper moved to the larger quarters of the former Portland Public Market
building on the Portland waterfront. The structure was renamed Jackson Tower to honor the newspaper's founder, Charles Samuel Jackson
. The impressive clock tower results from the practice of newspapers integrating such structures into their headquarters. Additionally, 1,800 light bulbs illuminate the tower after dark. The Jackson Tower was renovated in 1972, and placed on the National Register of Historic Places
(as The Journal Building) in 1996. The north portion of the ground floor has housed Margulis Jewelers for several decades.
Each of the 1,800 light bulbs screw directly into the facade. In addition to the tower's illumination, at one time the clocks used to chime every 15 minutes, and each clockface is 12.5 feet in diameter. The clock itself does not currently function as of summer 2011.
Glazed architectural terra-cotta
Glazed architectural terra-cotta is a ceramic masonry building material popular in the United States from the late 19th century until the 1930s, and still one of the most common building materials found in U.S. urban environments...
historic office building in downtown Portland
Downtown Portland
Downtown Portland, the city center of Portland, Oregon, United States, is located on the west bank of the Willamette River. It is in the northeastern corner of the southwest section of the city and is where most of the city's high-rise buildings are found....
, Oregon. Located on the corner of Broadway and Yamhill Streets, it enjoys a prominent location adjacent to Pioneer Courthouse Square
Pioneer Courthouse Square
Pioneer Courthouse Square, affectionately known as Portland's living room, is a public space occupying a full 40,000 ft² city block in the center of downtown Portland, Oregon, United States...
.
The building was constructed to house the operations of the now-defunct Oregon Journal
Oregon Journal
The Oregon Journal was Portland, Oregon's daily afternoon newspaper from 1902 to 1982. The Journal was founded in Portland by C. S. Jackson, the publisher of Pendleton, Oregon's East Oregonian newspaper, after a group of Portlanders convinced Jackson to help in the reorganization of the Portland...
. The Journal occupied the structure from its completion in 1912 until July 4, 1948, when the newspaper moved to the larger quarters of the former Portland Public Market
Portland Public Market
The Portland Public Market was a public market in Portland, Oregon, United States, built in 1933 at a widely-advertised cost of $1 million. Controversial and ambitious, it was never as successful as the Central Public Market, centered at southwest Fifth and Yamhill Streets, which it was intended to...
building on the Portland waterfront. The structure was renamed Jackson Tower to honor the newspaper's founder, Charles Samuel Jackson
Charles Samuel Jackson
Charles Samuel "Sam" Jackson was a prominent newspaper publisher in the U.S. state of Oregon.Born in Deltaville, Virginia, Jackson went west in 1880, settling in Pendleton, Oregon...
. The impressive clock tower results from the practice of newspapers integrating such structures into their headquarters. Additionally, 1,800 light bulbs illuminate the tower after dark. The Jackson Tower was renovated in 1972, and placed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
(as The Journal Building) in 1996. The north portion of the ground floor has housed Margulis Jewelers for several decades.
Each of the 1,800 light bulbs screw directly into the facade. In addition to the tower's illumination, at one time the clocks used to chime every 15 minutes, and each clockface is 12.5 feet in diameter. The clock itself does not currently function as of summer 2011.