The House That Jackson Built

Jackson Tower, formerly the Journal Building

Buildings, inanimate though they may be, are like nostalgic grandparents; they too tell the stories of yesteryear. They spin tales with each detail, bringing forth history with every layer of brick, steel and paint. Before I go all Ted Mosby on you, though, I'll continue with what really matters about buildings:

They weave worlds together.

These thoughts swirled in my head as I walked through the glass doors on one of my first days of work in downtown Portland, admiring Jackson Tower's classic touches: its aging clock tower, brass trim and analog elevator displays. Inching toward its 100th anniversary, Jackson Tower stands above Pioneer Court Square as an aesthetic and historical icon, a tribute to this city's past.

For instance, the glazed terra-cotta structure -- located on SW Broadway just south of Yamhill Street -- is a testament to a time when the newspaper industry wasn't crumbling. Indeed, it was known for many years as the Journal Building because it housed The Oregon Journal, a now-defunct publication that rivaled The Oregonian.

That fact was enticing enough considering my interest and experience in the field. But what really turned this building into an embodiment of the is-this-fate-or-is-this-a-coincidence question was the ever-present legacy of the former newspaper's owner and editor, Charles Samuel Jackson. The Virginia native journeyed west and became a prominent publisher, donating a large plot of land on Marquam Hill to the University of Oregon medical school.

Except now, the land that was once the University of Oregon medical school is now Oregon Health & Science University -- the reason my girlfriend and I live in Portland in the first place.

And so, in closing, a quote from Barney Stinson about architects: "Think about it; you create something out of nothing. You're like God. There's nobody hotter than God."