Southwest Portland in Multnomah County, Oregon — The American West (Northwest)

First Presbyterian Church

Photographed by Ian Lefkowitz, June 26, 2026

1. First Presbyterian Church Marker

Inscription.
Stained Glass Windows

Beautiful stained glass windows, crafted by Povey Brothers Art & Stained Glass Works of Portland adorn the walls of the sanctuary. The Povey Brothers were started in 1888 and for a number of years the Povey firm was the only stained glass works in the Pacific Northwest. Povey stained glass windows are notable for their use of “jewels,” small, thickly cut faceted pieces of glass in rich colors, and for the use of American opalescent glass. The firm also freely used imported glass from Europe in creating elaborate windows for the evolving tastes and expanding growth of the community. Within the sanctuary interior, the glass is of amber, blue, and violet hues ranging from light tones at the top to deep tones at the bottom. The windows portray the wheat, lily, grape and passionflower. High dormer windows depict the fruit of the Bible; the pear, pomegranate, apple and date. The dominant east window is a five-panel Gothic arch with a cross.

Stained Glass Artist: Povey Brothers Art & Stained Glass Work

Wood

Interior construction and ornamentation reflect the Gothic style of architecture. The predominant open

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timber beam and kingpost trusses are carved with rich detail and support the richly expressed wood ceiling 57 feet above the chancel floor. Wood species include Douglas fir for the beams and deeply carved cedar. Nicholas W. Strahan carved the pulpit, pews, ornamentation and brackets. Carvings also ornament newel posts, handrails, balustrades, and pew-ends. Two small carved faces near the center sanctuary door in the narthex introduce a note of whimsy and personal expression.

Woodcarver: Nicholas W. Strahan
Contractor for the Interior Woodwork: Archibald McKenzie

The Bell

A gift from Caroline E. Corbett, the Bell is the oldest in Portland and weighs 900 lbs. The bell is cast from the iron of a captured Civil War cannon and owes its mellow tones to a high proportion of silver bells mixed in during the casting process. The bell was first installed in the 1863 church and later moved to the current structure in circa 1890. The Bell has been in continuous use since its first installation. Repaired and programmed as a bicentennial project, the old bell now rings each day at noon and 5:00 p.m., and it can be rung from a control at the organ console

Photographed by Ian Lefkowitz, June 26, 2026

2. First Presbyterian Church Marker

This marker is one of two found south of the church grounds.

at any time.

Bell Casting: Meneely Foundry

The Organ

The first organ used by First Presbyterian Church was an instrument built by New York builder Henry Erban in 1851 and shipped by sea to a church in San Francisco. In 1863, First Presbyterian Church acquired the Erban organ and moved it to Portland. This organ is believed to be the first pipe organ in Portland. Upon completion of the sanctuary in 1890, the Erban organ was loaned to other churches in Portland and to Lewis and Clark College. The organ was returned in 1995 by Lewis and Clark College and is on display in the chapel.

The first sanctuary organ was a 3 manual tracker instrument built and installed by George Ryder. In 1929, a 4 manual Moller electro-pneumatic organ replaced the Ryder instrument. The current organ, built in 1999–2003, is a 3 manual Tracker instrument with 52 stops, and 69 ranks of pipes with at least 56 pipes per rank. Several hundred pipes from the former 1929 Moller organ were rebuilt and revoiced and used in this instrument.

Organ Builder: Dan Jaeckel of Duluth, Minnesota

Exterior

One of the finest examples of High Richardson Victorian Gothic style in the United

Sanctuary of the First Presbyterian Church image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Carol M. Highsmith, June 7, 2018

3. Sanctuary of the First Presbyterian Church

States, the building took its precedence from the New Railroad Station in Worcester, Massachusetts. The stonework exterior walls are of heavily rusticated black basalt quarried in St. Helens, Oregon. The lighter sandstone trim came from Bellingham Bay, Washington Territory. The original roof was a slightly iridescent sea-green Vermont slate and was recovered with the current material in 1983. The spire is 185 feet tall and was damaged by the Columbus Day Storm of 1962. The massive oak-plank outer doors are ornamented with hand-wrought hinges and latches manufactured in New York. The “porte cochere,” at the southeast corner allowed horse and buggy carriages to access the entrance. Parishioners came into the sanctuary under the roofed gateway.

Erected by First Presbyterian Church.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music • Religion & Religious Structures. A significant historical year for this entry is 1890.

Location. 45° 31.245′ N, 122° 41.066′ W. Marker is in Portland, Oregon, in Multnomah County. It is in Southwest Portland. It is at the intersection of Southwest Morrison Street and

Stained-glass window in the sanctuary of the First Presbyterian Church image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Carol M. Highsmith, June 7, 2018

4. Stained-glass window in the sanctuary of the First Presbyterian Church

Southwest 12th Avenue, on the right when traveling west on Southwest Morrison Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1220 SW Morrison St, Portland OR 97205, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Oregon’s Columbia River Gorge

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,

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: A different marker also named First Presbyterian Church (a few steps from this marker); The Telegram Building, 1922 (about 600 feet away, measured in a direct line); Bronaugh Apartments (about 600 feet away); Multnomah County Library (about 700 feet away); Whitney-Gray Building / Jake's Restaurant (about 700 feet away); Simon and Helen Director Park / Teachers Fountain (approx. 0.2 miles away); Roosevelt Hotel (approx. ¼ mile away); Simon Benson (approx. ¼ mile

First Presbyterian Church image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Ian Lefkowitz, June 26, 2026

5. First Presbyterian Church

The exterior of the church as seen from Southwest Morrison Street.

away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Portland.

Also see . . . First Presbyterian Church (Portland, Oregon) (Wikipedia).

The building has been called "one of the finest examples" of High Victorian Gothic architecture in the state of Oregon. It includes stained-glass windows made by Portland's Povey Brothers Art Glass Works and a church bell cast with bronze from captured Civil War cannons.

(Submitted on September 1, 2026, by Ian Lefkowitz of New York, New York.)

Credits. This page was last revised on September 7, 2026. It was originally submitted on September 1, 2026, by Ian Lefkowitz of New York, New York. This page has been viewed 15 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on September 1, 2026, by Ian Lefkowitz of New York, New York. • James Hulse was the editor who published this page.