The Old Church, Portland

The Old Church is a restored Carpenter Gothic building that now operates as a nonprofit concert hall and cultural venue. Designed by architect Warren H. Williams for Calvary Presbyterian Church, it opened in 1883 and is the oldest church building in the area still standing on its original site. Its timber construction, pointed windows, steep roof, decorative cresting and slender tower adapt Gothic design to wood.

The interior retains curved wooden pews, a vaulted ceiling and Corinthian-style columns made from cast iron and plaster. Several stained-glass windows were created by the Povey Brothers Studio, including the large Consider the Lilies window. The hall also contains a mechanical tracker-action pipe organ built by Hook & Hastings and transported around Cape Horn. Bond Organ Builders completed a major restoration of the instrument in 1996.

The building faced demolition after becoming vacant in the 1960s. Performer and children’s librarian Lannie Hurst led the campaign to save it, helping to form the preservation group that acquired the property by 1969. Listed on the National Register in 1972, the venue now hosts concerts, exhibitions, private events and free lunchtime performances.