First Presbyterian Church, Portland

First Presbyterian Church belongs to one of the oldest Protestant congregations in the Pacific Northwest, having been organised on 1 January 1854. Built between 1886 and 1890, the sanctuary was designed by William F. McCaw in the High Victorian Gothic style. Its black basalt exterior, sandstone trim, pointed arches, and tall bell tower define its appearance. The tower now houses a 900-pound bell cast from Civil War cannon bronze. It tolled for Abraham Lincoln in 1865 from the congregation’s previous church and was later transferred to the present building.

Inside, open-beam roof trusses made from local woods rise above white oak furnishings hand-carved by English-trained craftsman Nicholas Strahan. His work includes the pulpit, pews, balcony railings, and organ casing. The Povey Brothers stained-glass windows combine American opalescent glass, thickly faceted jewels, plant motifs, and a white dove descending above a cross of fractured glass. The curved balcony forms a semi-circular preaching space and creates a whispering-gallery effect.

Supported by prominent pioneer families, including the Ladds, Corbetts, and Couches, the congregation helped establish numerous Presbyterian ministries across the Pacific Northwest. Today, the church remains an active place of worship and hosts concerts, lectures, educational programmes, and community events.