SW 1st between SW Ash and Ankeny
The New Market Theater is one of Portland’s oldest and most historic buildings. It was completed in 1872, during a time when Portland was quickly growing as a port city along the Willamette River. It was designed in the High Victorian Italianate style, which means it has tall, narrow windows, decorative arches, and fancy cast-iron columns along its front.
This building was developed by Captain Alexander P. Ankeny, a pioneer businessman and steamboat owner who invested in early Portland real estate. Captain Ankeny built the structure with a vision of creating a combined shopping and entertainment center. The ground floor was a public market where local farmers and merchants sold fruits, vegetables, meats, and other goods in covered stalls made of marble. The design even included large wooden doors wide enough for horses and carts to enter, allowing vendors to unload produce and goods directly inside the market and exit through the other end of the building
Above the market, the upper floors housed a large theater that could seat about 1,200 people and hosted plays, concerts, and community events. The building also included a gymnasium, which was unusual for the 1870s and showed that Ankeny wanted the space to serve many purposes. The gym provided room for athletic activities and social gatherings, making the New Market Theater a lively center for both entertainment and health in Portland’s early days.
The building’s construction and the ambition behind it reflected Captain Ankeny’s belief in Portland’s growth and commercial potential. He named the development “New Market and Theater,” and it became an important cultural and economic hub for the young city.
Over the years, the building has changed quite a bit. In 1956, part of the north wing was torn down. However, the original cast-iron arches were saved and have now been reused creating a feeling that the building extends past the parking lot. Inside, the theater and gymnasium areas were turned into offices and other workspaces, though the outside still looks much like it did in the 1800s. The building has also been reinforced to make it safer during earthquakes while keeping its historic details.
Today, the New Market Theater no longer hosts plays or gym classes, but it remains an important landmark. It now contains offices, shops, and creative spaces, showing how an old building can be reused instead of destroyed. It is part of Portland’s Skidmore/Old Town Historic District, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The New Market Theater is special because it reminds Portlanders of how their city began. Its tall windows, cast-iron columns, massive doors once used for horse-drawn carts, and rich history—along with Captain Ankeny’s vision—connect today’s downtown to the bustling markets, lively gym, and excited theater crowds of the 1870s. Walking by it today, it’s easy to imagine the sound of horses, merchants calling out their prices, and people lining up for a show or workout more than 150 years ago.
Suggested Activity: Use magnets to test the columns on the north side to determine which are the original cast iron columns and which are replicas.
Interesting features found inside the building:
Rule of 7 – explain the construction technique used to give strength to the brick walls. Use legos.
Tunnel – explain the use of tunnels to transport goods to buildings from the waterfront. Discuss the practice of “crimping”.
Display Case – a display of artifacts from Capt. Ankeny’s day found on the site during renovations.
Binnacle – The binnacle housed the ship’s compass, protecting it and stabilizing it despite the ship’s movements. A magnetic compass is an essential part of a ship’s navigation. Unfortunately, the magnets in a compass respond to both the Earth’s magnetic field and the local magnetic field created by the iron parts of the ship. The two spheres mounted either side of the binnacle adjust the compass deviation caused by iron material in the ship.
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Discussion Questions:
Compare the New Market Building with Big Pink. Think about the size, shape, and materials.
Vocabulary: Crimping, binnacle, artifacts, replica
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State Education Standards:
Social Studies 3.11. Describe how individuals, groups, events, and developments have shaped the communities and regions. Historical Knowledge
Social Studies 3.12. Compare and contrast the history of the local community to other communities in the region. Historical Knowledge
Social Studies 3.14. Explain why individuals and groups in the same historical period differed in how they viewed and interpreted events. Historical Perspective
Social Studies 3.17. Use a variety of historical sources (artifacts, pictures, documents) to identify factual evidence. Historical Thinking