F.M. Knight Building
Encyclopedia
The F. M. Knight Building in southeast Portland
in the U.S. state
of Oregon
is a two-story general commercial building listed on the National Register of Historic Places
. Built in an Italianate
style in about 1890, it was added to the register in 1989.
The building is a wood-frame structure erected in the late 19th century to house businesses serving the Sunnyside
neighborhood. Exterior features of the 50 by building include a cornice
and overhanging 3 foot (0.9144 m) parapet
along the front (north) face. The second-floor north face has a central pair of double-hung sash window
s flanked by two polygonal bays, each with three sash windows. Three doors and four display windows on the first floor face Belmont Street. The door in the center leads to a stairway to the second floor.
. Early streetcar
routes led east from the bridges, and one of them followed Belmont Street. The Sunnyside neighborhood, plat
ted by the Sunnyside Land and Improvement Company in 1888, was the first development along an eastside streetcar route. Its shopping center included the Knight Building. Few similar buildings from this era remain in southeast Portland; most have been replaced by larger or more sturdy structures.
Although the exact date of construction and the name of the builder are unknown, deed
records suggest that J.S. Winslow was the builder. He bought the property from the Sunnyside Land and Improvement Company, then sold it a few months later, in 1889, to Deborah Kent. She sold it in 1895 to J.S. McDaniel, who owned it through 1915. City directories say that a post office
was located on part of the first floor from 1898 through 1911.
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
is a two-story general commercial building listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
. Built in an Italianate
Italianate architecture
The Italianate style of architecture was a distinct 19th-century phase in the history of Classical architecture. In the Italianate style, the models and architectural vocabulary of 16th-century Italian Renaissance architecture, which had served as inspiration for both Palladianism and...
style in about 1890, it was added to the register in 1989.
The building is a wood-frame structure erected in the late 19th century to house businesses serving the Sunnyside
Sunnyside, Portland, Oregon
Sunnyside is a neighborhood in the south east section of Portland, between SE Stark St. and SE Hawthorne Blvd. and from SE 28th Ave. to SE 49th Ave....
neighborhood. Exterior features of the 50 by building include a cornice
Cornice
Cornice molding is generally any horizontal decorative molding that crowns any building or furniture element: the cornice over a door or window, for instance, or the cornice around the edge of a pedestal. A simple cornice may be formed just with a crown molding.The function of the projecting...
and overhanging 3 foot (0.9144 m) parapet
Parapet
A parapet is a wall-like barrier at the edge of a roof, terrace, balcony or other structure. Where extending above a roof, it may simply be the portion of an exterior wall that continues above the line of the roof surface, or may be a continuation of a vertical feature beneath the roof such as a...
along the front (north) face. The second-floor north face has a central pair of double-hung sash window
Sash window
A sash window or hung sash window is made of one or more movable panels or "sashes" that form a frame to hold panes of glass, which are often separated from other panes by narrow muntins...
s flanked by two polygonal bays, each with three sash windows. Three doors and four display windows on the first floor face Belmont Street. The door in the center leads to a stairway to the second floor.
History
Southeast Portland grew rapidly between 1883 and 1910 after the opening of bridges linking the city's west side with sparsely populated areas across the Willamette RiverWillamette River
The Willamette River is a major tributary of the Columbia River, accounting for 12 to 15 percent of the Columbia's flow. The Willamette's main stem is long, lying entirely in northwestern Oregon in the United States...
. Early streetcar
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
routes led east from the bridges, and one of them followed Belmont Street. The Sunnyside neighborhood, plat
Plat
A plat in the U.S. is a map, drawn to scale, showing the divisions of a piece of land. Other English-speaking countries generally call such documents a cadastral map or plan....
ted by the Sunnyside Land and Improvement Company in 1888, was the first development along an eastside streetcar route. Its shopping center included the Knight Building. Few similar buildings from this era remain in southeast Portland; most have been replaced by larger or more sturdy structures.
Although the exact date of construction and the name of the builder are unknown, deed
Deed
A deed is any legal instrument in writing which passes, or affirms or confirms something which passes, an interest, right, or property and that is signed, attested, delivered, and in some jurisdictions sealed...
records suggest that J.S. Winslow was the builder. He bought the property from the Sunnyside Land and Improvement Company, then sold it a few months later, in 1889, to Deborah Kent. She sold it in 1895 to J.S. McDaniel, who owned it through 1915. City directories say that a post office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
was located on part of the first floor from 1898 through 1911.