Central Area in Salem in Marion County, Oregon — The American West (Northwest)
Gray Belle Restaurant
1890
| | Salem Downtown State-Street-Commercial Street Historic District | |
Photographed by Douglass Halvorsen, October 14, 2025
1. Gray Belle Restaurant Marker
National Register of Historic Places
by the National Park Service
in partnership with the
Oregon State Historic Preservation Office.
Preservation of this historic property is supported by the
Oregon Special Assessment Program.
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 1890.
Location. 44° 56.382′ N, 123° 2.293′ W. Marker is in Salem, Oregon, in Marion County. It is in the Central Area. It is on State Street, on the left when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 440 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, it is in North America, in the Cascade Range, on the Ring of Fire, in the Pacific Rim, in the Western Hemisphere,
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Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: McGilchrist Building (within shouting distance of this marker); All Aboard! (within shouting distance of this marker); Salems Chinatown (within shouting distance of this marker); Roth Company Building (within shouting distance of this marker); Gray Building (within shouting distance of this marker); First National Bank, Old/Capitol Tower Building (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Bligh Building (about 300 feet away); John Hughes Company/New Salem Hotel Building (about 300 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Salem.
Additional commentary.
1. Contributing or Non-Contributing Building?
The Gray Belle Restaurant building is not individually listed in the National Register of Historic Places and was listed as a Historic-Non-contributing building in 2001 as part of the Salem Downtown State Street-Commercial Street Historic District. It is likely the building's owner reversed second-floor exterior facade ornamentation post-2001 to make the building a contributing
Photographed by Douglass Halvorsen, October 14, 2025
2. Gray Belle Restaurant Marker
Description: This is a two-story, commercial building with metal latticework covering the second-floor facade. The ground-floor facade is faced in white brick and it currently has an umbrella awning. Exterior alterations, although possibly reversible on the second-floor facade, have been substantial c. 1960s, and this building does not contribute to the historic character of the district in its current condition.
History: It appears from a historic photo that the Gray Belle Restaurant was located in the ground floor of this building, with offices on the second floor, during the historic period.
— Submitted October 25, 2025, by Douglass Halvorsen of Klamath Falls, Oregon.
Photographed by Douglass Halvorsen, October 14, 2025
3. Gray Belle Restaurant Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on October 26, 2025. It was originally submitted on October 25, 2025, by Douglass Halvorsen of Klamath Falls, Oregon. This page has been viewed 45 times since then and 15 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on October 25, 2025, by Douglass Halvorsen of Klamath Falls, Oregon. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.
