Elks Temple, historic building in Portland, Oregon, USA
The Elks Temple is a six-story structure of stone and brick at the corner of SW Alder and SW 11th Streets, completed in 1923 by architects Houghtaling and Dougan. The building displays Second Renaissance Revival style with large windows and classical decorative details around the entrance.
The Elks Temple was built in 1923 as a meeting place for a fraternal organization with around 3800 members in Portland at the time. After the stock market crash, the organization left the building in 1932, and it was later used as an Army recruitment center during World War II.
The Elks Temple served as a gathering place for a fraternal organization that shaped Portland's social life in the early 1900s. Visitors can still see decorated rooms like the billiards area and dining hall that once hosted the group's events and ceremonies.
The building sits at an easy-to-spot corner near downtown and is accessible by foot. It is now part of a hotel complex, so visitors can view the exterior and may explore some interior spaces during a hotel visit.
The building holds hidden decorated rooms like a dining hall with humorous paintings of former members and a ballroom with Corinthian columns that were concealed for years. A distinctive feature is a billiards room with elaborate decorations showing exotic birds and mystical dragons.
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