Central Area in Salem in Marion County, Oregon — The American West (Northwest)

Gray Building

1891

— Salem Downtown Historic District —

Gray Building Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Douglass Halvorsen, October 14, 2025

1. Gray Building Marker

Inscription. The Gray name and date of construction are written in recessed letters on the upper facade. The three Gray brothers had early Salem hardware and construction businesses, but left Salem about 1907. In 1900 they sold the building to Russell Catlin and James R. Lynn, hop growers and merchants. The present owners are descendants of Russell Catlin.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Industry & Commerce. In addition, it is included in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1891.

Location. 44° 56.41′ N, 123° 2.339′ W. Marker is in Salem, Oregon, in Marion County. It is in the Central Area. It is at the intersection of State Street and Liberty St NE, on the right when traveling west on State Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 393 State Street, Salem OR 97301, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Oregon Wine Country

and in the Willamette Valley.

It is also on the American Pacific Coast,

in the Pacific Northwest,

and in the Lewis & Clark Corridor.

Globally,

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it is in North America,

in the Cascade Range,

on the Ring of Fire,

in the Pacific Rim,

in the Western Hemisphere,

in the Western World,

and in the Anglosphere.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Pomeroy Building (within shouting distance of this marker); First National Bank, Old/Capitol Tower Building (within shouting distance of this marker); All Aboard! (within shouting distance of this marker); Roth Company Building (within shouting distance of this marker); Adolph Block (within shouting distance of this marker); Ekerlen (Bishop) Building (within shouting distance of this marker); McGilchrist Building (within shouting distance of this marker); Hughes-Durbin Building (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Salem.

Additional commentary.
1. Contributing Building
The Gray Building is not individually listed in the National Register of Historic Places but is a contributing building as part of the Salem Downtown State Street-Commercial Street Historic District. The following verbiage is taken from the NRHP Registration Form

Photographed by Douglass Halvorsen, October 15, 2025

2. Gray Building Marker

Another marker located on the east facing side of the Gray building reads:

Gray Building
Salem Street-Commercial Street HD
1891
This property has been listed in the
National Register of Historic Places
by the National Park Service
in partnership with the
Oregon State Historic Perservation Office.

Preservation of this historic property is supported by the
Oregon Special Assessment Program.

from 2001:

History and Significance: The Italianate style Gray Building, constructed in 1891, contributes to the overall sense of the Salem commercial district’s historical amd architectural past. Above its ground-level cast-iron facade, the second floor elevations, fronting on both Liberty and State streets, have retained considerable integrity of window fenestration, materials, ornamentation, and overall design. Additionally, the building is associated with the Gray family, who contributed to the transportation and commercial history of Salem in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

The Gray brothers, Charles A., George B., and William T., contributed to the turn-of-the-century upbuilding of Salem. In the late 1880s, Charles A. Gray was the superintendent of the Salem Street Railway Company. The Polk Salem directory listed George B. and William T. Gray as a realtor and a capitalist, respectively, at that time.

In 1894 the Grays constructed a two-story building immediately to the north of the Gray Building (at 145-147 Liberty Street). By the early 1900s, William and George Gray pursued their hardwaire business in the Gray Block, at the

Photographed by Douglass Halvorsen, October 14, 2025

3. Gray Building Marker

The marker is located at the bottom southeast corner of the building, as seen in the photo.

northwest corner of Liberty and State streets, and William T. Gray worked as a general contractor. All three Gray brothers left Salem around 1907. In early 1900, Charles Gray sold the building to Russell Catlin and James R. Lynn, Salem residents who were hop growers and merchants doing business as Catlin and Lynn. By 1914, the Gray Building had been broken up into no less than four shops on the ground floor with offices on the second floor. Russell Catlin acquired the Lynn interest a few years later. The present owners are direct descendants of Russell Catlin.

— Submitted October 24, 2025, by Douglass Halvorsen of Klamath Falls, Oregon.

Photographed by Douglass Halvorsen, October 15, 2025

4. Gray Building Marker

The NRHP marker is located at the bottom of the building and to the right of the east facing entrance, as seen in the photo.

Credits. This page was last revised on October 24, 2025. It was originally submitted on October 24, 2025, by Douglass Halvorsen of Klamath Falls, Oregon. This page has been viewed 51 times since then and 16 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on October 24, 2025, by Douglass Halvorsen of Klamath Falls, Oregon. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.