Portland Buddhist Church, Buddhist temple in Pearl District, Portland, United States.
Portland Buddhist Church is a Buddhist temple building in Pearl District that was erected in 1903. The Early Commercial style structure features symmetrical window placement, classical details, and carefully crafted stonework characteristic of early twentieth-century construction.
The building was founded in 1903 by Reverend Shozui Wakabayashi and moved to a new facility in Southeast Portland in 1966. During World War II, it served as a storage space for possessions of community members who were sent to internment camps.
The name reflects the Buddhist community that shaped this space in Portland's Japanese American neighborhood. Visitors today see a building that once served as a gathering place where people practiced their faith together.
The building sits on the northwest edge of Pearl District and is easy to find on foot. Plan to spend time exploring the surrounding area, as the neighborhood offers other historic and cultural sites worth visiting nearby.
The site earned recognition on the National Register of Historic Places in 2004, marking its official status as a preserved landmark of Japanese American heritage. This designation helped protect the building's role in Portland's multicultural past for future generations.
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