Wells Fargo Building

The Wells Fargo Building is a 12-story Renaissance Revival bank structure in downtown Portland with white Italian marble throughout its interior and a prominent granite entrance step. The building occupies a key corner location on SW 5th Avenue in the city's central business district.

Completed in 1907, this was Portland's first skyscraper and remained Oregon's tallest building for four years after its construction. The building marked an important shift in how the city developed vertically and demonstrated new construction techniques.

The lobby houses a museum with a 19th-century stagecoach and displays about riverboat travel on the Columbia and Willamette Rivers. These exhibits tell the story of how transportation shaped the region and connected Portland to the wider world.

The building sits at 1300 SW 5th Avenue in Portland's downtown core and is easily accessible on foot through the main entrance. Visitors can explore the museum displays in the lobby during regular business hours.

The granite entrance step required transporting the largest single piece of granite ever brought to Portland in the early 1900s. This massive stone was quarried from distant sources and showcases the scale of resources gathered for this building's construction.

Location: Portland

Inception: 1907

Architects: Benjamin Wistar Morris

Architectural style: Renaissance Revival architecture

Floors above the ground: 12

GPS coordinates: 45.52160,-122.67700

Latest update: December 12, 2025 12:06