While the official history of Pioneer Courthouse Square in Portland, Oregon, only stretches back to 1984, the unofficial history associated with the space is far older. This history is just part of the reason it has become “Portland’s living room” and serves as an important gathering space for the entire community. By re-invigorating the space to a central part of the city, Pioneer Courthouse Square has become a monument to and for the spirit of Portland.
From School to Hotel to Square
Portland’s first public school was built on what is today Pioneer Courthouse Square in 1856, but it was the opening of Pioneer Courthouse in 1875 that gave the Square its eventual name. In 1882, the school was torn down to make way for the Portland Hotel, which opened in 1890.
The Portland Hotel became a center for the community and was a key factor in the development of Portland’s commercial activity in the 20th century. Eventually, the Portland Hotel lost the prominence it once had and was torn down and replaced by a parking lot in 1951. A desire to recreate the energy the Portland Hotel once captured was pervasive though, and by the end of the 1970s, the city of Portland had purchased the entire block to create a new public space.
A campaign that called for feedback around what would become Pioneer Courthouse Square was soon launched. Public debates and fundraising efforts compelled Portland’s residents to become involved with the project in an especially powerful way, and that involvement proved to be essential. To complete the Square, a public/private partnership was necessary, and the success of that endeavor saw the Square opened in 1984.
The level of public engagement the project enabled was a critical aspect of the creation of the Square, which in turn helped the Square to become a community hub for all of Portland.
The Community Hub of Portland
Pioneer Courthouse Square hosts more than 300 events over the course of the year that are designed to appeal to both residents and visitors and enable a wider sense of community. These events include speeches, concerts, political demonstrations, rallies, vigils and plenty more. Opportunities to hold an event or sponsor an event have opened up a variety of opportunities for attendees and sponsors.
Much of this impact is due to the design of the Square itself, which lends itself to these sorts of gatherings. The Square is arranged like an amphitheater, with the central area being the central point for a variety of events. Built-in seating is part of the infrastructure that encourages the community to continually utilize the space, which also serves as a hub for buses and light rail. This brings the community together in the space in a whole different way.
The design of the Square has also lent itself to pieces of art like “Weather Machine”, but “Allow Me” is the most notable of these pieces. Commonly referred to as “Umbrella Man”, the bronze sculpture of a man holding an umbrella and hailing a taxicab has come to serve as a symbol of the city and its residents and attracts visitors from all over.
The Square itself is featured in numerous maps of the city to serve as an ideal place for visitors to congregate and experience landmarks like “Allow Me”. Portland Oregon’s Visitor Information and Services Center is also located right in the middle of Pioneer Courthouse Square, which is a small indication of the positive impact the Square has had on the culture and economy of Portland as a whole.
Experiencing the Culture of Portland
Much of the success that Pioneer Courthouse Square has enabled has been the result of getting the community involved with the creation of the space. That began with the over 50,000 bricks that bear the names of the individuals and groups whose donations helped make the Square a reality. That engagement with the community continues through the present, as the Square features over 1,500 new brick owners every year. Anyone can become a part of the legacy of the Square by giving a brick that can then be discovered by anyone.
This engagement isn’t just about putting a name on the Square or creating spaces for the community to gather though. It has also opened up economic opportunities that a variety of businesses have benefitted from. Coffee shops and food vendors are located in the Square itself, while a variety of other businesses near the Square depend on the activity that residents and visitors bring to the area on a regular basis.
Numerous other types of businesses have been able to use the commercial spaces throughout Pioneer Courthouse Square as well. They range from a bookstore to a high-definition news studio to the visitor center. Official Pioneer Courthouse Square apparel, bags and gift cards are also available for purchase. This variety of activity is designed to specifically appeal to visitors, but these visitors can also experience something unique to and for Portland.
A variety of daily tours begin and end at the Courthouse Square, which can involve anything from the discovery of Portland’s sordid history to a paranormal tour of the city to a tour that provides insight around what it means for visitors to make the most of their visit. These walking tours have provided residents with a steady stream of income and also given visitors a unique way to experience the city.
These events and experiences are part of the reason that Pioneer Courthouse Square has become “Portland’s living room”. The space serves as a place for the public to gather, and doing so has created a legacy for the city and the community.
A Legacy of and for a Community
Every year, Pioneer Courthouse Square hosts almost 350 events with over 10 million visitors and has been ranked as being among North America’s great public squares. These facts illustrate the power of monuments that actively consider how they’re going to be seen and utilized by the public. Doing so can lead to the creation of a legacy that will continue to influence the city and region long after the project is complete.
