National Park Service Lists Oregon Casket Company Building in the National Register of Historic Places

PORTLAND, Oregon - The Oregon Casket Company Building in downtown Portland is among Oregon's newest entries in the National Register of Historic Places. Oregon's State Advisory Committee on Historic Preservation (SACHP) recommended the nomination at its February 2026 meeting for the property's significance as the best surviving example in Portland of a building associated with the historic casket industry. The National Park Service, which maintains the National Register, accepted the nomination in late August 2026.

Designed by the architectural firm of Whidden & Lewis and constructed in 1897, the Oregon Casket Company Building demonstrates the economic stature of the Oregon Casket Company at the turn of the 20th century. Construction of the building also coincided with a nationwide economic recovery and the building exemplifies the importance of Portland at that time as a base for the distribution of goods across the Pacific Northwest and beyond.

From 1897 to 1925, the Oregon Casket Company Building served as company headquarters and regional distribution center. In this era, timber from the West Coast was prized for its durability, making Portland an ideal location for a company that soon became the one of the largest dealers of undertaker supplies and manufacturer of caskets in the western United States.

Architecturally, the five-story Oregon Casket Company Building still retains the character defining features that convey its historic function as a turn-of-the-century warehouse and distribution center. The exterior of the heavy-timber structure features rough-aggregate stucco cladding and decorative brickwork, along with original wood sash windows and loading doors. The building's interior reflects its original use for warehousing and light manufacturing, with heavy timber posts and beams, brick walls, and wood flooring. While the ground floor storefronts were remodeled in 1954, the building's upper stories still mostly reflect their original appearance. Today, the Oregon Casket Company Building retains a high degree of integrity and it continues to convey its historic function as an important warehouse and distribution center.

The National Register of Historic Places

The National Register of Historic Places is maintained by the National Park Service under the authority of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966. Properties listed in the National Register are:

• Recognized as significant to the nation, state, or community;
• Considered in the planning of federal or federally assisted projects;
• Eligible for certain federal and state tax benefits;
• Qualified for historic preservation grants when funds are available;
• Eligible for leniency in meeting certain building code requirements;
• Subject to local laws pertaining to the conservation and protection of historic resources.

State law in Oregon requires local governments to offer a minimal level of protection for properties listed in the National Register of Historic Places; decisions about how to accomplish that goal reside with local governments, which also have the authority to create and regulate local historic districts and landmarks.

Interested in learning more about the National Register of Historic Places? Visit the National Register program webpage at https://www.oregon.gov/oprd/OH/pages/national-register.aspx to explore listed properties, review eligibility criteria and the nomination timeline, access research tools, and-if you are curious whether your property might qualify-submit a Historic Resource Record (HRR) form to receive preliminary feedback from State Historic Preservation Office staff.