Wilhelm's Portland Memorial
Funeral Home
Wilhelm's Portland Memorial in 2012
General information
Architectural styleMission Revival
Address6705 SE 14th Avenue
Town or cityPortland, Oregon, U.S.
Coordinates45°28′28″N 122°39′07″W / 45.4745°N 122.6519°W / 45.4745; -122.6519
OpenedApril 24, 1901 (1901-04-24)
Website
wilhelmportlandmemorial.com

Wilhelm's Portland Memorial Funeral Home, Mausoleum and Crematory is a funerary establishment in the Sellwood neighborhood of southeast Portland, Oregon, United States. Opened in 1901 as the Portland Crematorium, it is the first and oldest crematorium west of the Mississippi River,[1] and the largest privately managed indoor burial site in the Pacific Northwest.[2]

Established due to a growing demand for crematory services in Portland at the turn of the 20th century, the establishment evolved to house a mausoleum as well, which consists of eight stories and over 5 miles (8.0 km) of hallways, featuring ornate stained glass and Italian sculptures.

History

Large hall in mausoleum

Wilhelm's Portland Memorial Funeral Home was originally established as the Portland Crematorium on April 24, 1901, in response to the demand for crematory services in the Portland area.[3] The Spanish Mission Revival-style mausoleum was built between 1900 and 1901, featuring whitewashed stucco walls, a tile roof, and mosaic tile doors.[3] Frank Gibson, the secretary of the San Francisco Cremation Company, served as the first superintendent and manage of the crematory.[3] At the time of its opening, charges for cremation were $45, and $25 for children under the age of twelve.[3] Upon its opening, the Portland Railway, Light and Power Company operated a funeral car that could accommodate a casket as well as sitting benches for grieving family members.[4]

Mausoleum passageway

In subsequent decades, the crematorium expanded into a full-fledged mausoleum.[3] Connected by vault-lined hallways, staircases, and elevators,[4] the mausoleum faces the Willamette River and Oaks Bottom swamp,[4] is eight stories in height, and contains over 5 miles (8.0 km) of hallways.[3] The mausoleum features numerous marble fronts on crypts which originate from quarries in Italy, while a variety of statues and other religious sculptures throughout were made by the Italian Tavarelli Studios.[3] One of the central statuaries in the mausoleum is a replica of Michelangelo's La Pietà.[3] Stained glass crafted by the Povey Brothers is incorporated throughout.[3]

The original crematorium building is the Rose Chamber, grouped with several rooms below it, also named after flowers: the Lily, Daisy, Tulip, and Carnation Rooms.[4] Various wings throughout the mausoleum take their names from religious figures as well as U.S. presidents.[4]

Accessibility

Wilhelm's Portland Memorial Funeral Home is open to the public. Each Memorial Day,[2] the historic private tomb of George Rae, one of the wealthiest men in Portland history, is open to the public for 90 minutes.[5][6]

Notable burials

See also

References

  1. ↑ Hallman, Jr., Tom (May 22, 2009). "Secrets, scandal entombed in Portland funeral home". The Oregonian. Retrieved January 2, 2014.
  2. 1 2 "Memorial Day at Wilhelm's Portland Memorial Mausoleum". The Oregonian. May 14, 2014. Archived from the original on September 13, 2019.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Beck, Dana (July 6, 2018). "Wilhelm's Portland Memorial Mausoleum: Westmoreland's hidden gem". Portland Tribune. Archived from the original on September 13, 2019.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Barnes 2004, p. 44.
  5. ↑ KGW Staff (July 24, 2014). "Portland tomb opened only 90 minutes a year". KGW. Archived from the original on January 3, 2015.
  6. ↑ Collins, Jessica (May 27, 2010). "Another Weekend Idea: Celebrate Memorial Day at the historic Portland Memorial Mausoleum". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on September 13, 2019.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 Lee 2015, p. 497.
  8. ↑ Wilson, Scott (2016). Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14,000 Famous Persons (3rd ed.). McFarland. p. 100. ISBN 978-1-476-62599-7.
  9. 1 2 Spencer 1998, p. 274.
  10. ↑ Spencer 1998, p. 430.

Sources

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