The Dalles Mint

The Dalles Mint is an unfinished granite building designed to process gold from regional mines. The structure displays solid construction with arched windows and a flat roof, though only the first floor was ever completed.

Congress authorized the creation of a mint facility in 1864 to process gold from Eastern Oregon mines and convert it into currency. Work halted in 1870 after completing only the ground floor and was never resumed.

The structure represents the area's economic aspirations when gold mining was transforming the region and the town hoped to benefit from processing these riches. Visitors can see how important raw materials were to building the West.

The building stands near downtown and can be viewed from the street, with its unfinished state clearly visible from outside. Today it houses a working brewery that occupies the ground floor.

The original reason for halting construction remains unclear, yet the building stands as a testimony to an abandoned economic vision of the 1800s. Few visitors realize that what they see represents a financial investment that was ultimately never recovered.

Location: The Dalles

Floors above the ground: 1

GPS coordinates: 45.59840,-121.17700

Latest update: December 12, 2025 09:03