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Former Majestic, Now Crystal, Hotel (National Register form) |
In its quest to recognize Portland’s historical diversity,
the city is proposing to add to the National Register of Historic Places two
sites frequently used by the city’s LGBTQ+ residents in an era between 1948 and 1985.
One is the former Majestic Hotel – now known as the Crystal
Hotel at 1217 SW Harvey Milk St. -- which from 1969 to 1985 offered baths,
hotel rooms, a bar and restaurant aimed at serving LGBTQ+ customers. The area came to be known informally known as Portland’s gay triangle.
One of its enterprises was the Club Portland bathing site that operated
from 1969 to 1985, and is believed to be the city’s first LGBTQ+-associated
business.
Today, the Crystal Hotel, which was renovated in 2009, is
part of the McMenamin entertainment and lodging chain. The building itself was added to the National
Register in 2009 as a contributing member to downtown Portland’s commercial
growth. The LGBTQ+ history would be an
addendum to the earlier listing.
“The building, more than any other in Portland, provided an
affirming focus on an LGBTQ+ population, hosting a unique combination of uses
supporting and protecting the queer community,” the nomination states. The hotel and baths were vital places where
socio-medical workers strived to provide information about HIV and AIDS in the
early 1980s.
Brandon Spencer-Hartle, the city's historic resources manager, said the federal government is encouraging local jurisdictions to make their historic landmark designations more inclusive concerning human diversity.
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Normandale Field, 1948 (National Register form) |
The second site proposed for the national listing is the Erv
Lind Field in Northeast Portland’s Normandale Park. Built in 1948 a national American Softball
Association women’s championship tournament, it was first called Normandale
Field. The name was changed in 1965 in
honor of Portland businessman whose Erv Lind Florists team was a frequent
national competitor in women’s fast-pitch softball competition.
Erv Lind died in 1964 and his team imploded. At their peak in the early 1960s, the Florists
drew several thousand paying customers to their games in Normandale Park. The
field continues in active softball use, despite the decline of women’s softball
as a semi-professional sport.
Competitive team sports opportunities were rare for young
women in the 1950s and 60s. While some
players were lesbians or bisexual, they were instructed to appear neat, tidy
and well behaved.
“Players, whether they were lesbian, bisexual, or straight,
grew up together and stood outside of the societal norms together for this
period of time, because they were athletes. The 1950s caricature of the mannish
lesbian athlete affected all of the players, reminding them to publicly
maintain a heterosexual, feminine identity,” the nomination states.
Regardless of their sexuality, the teammates developed comradery
and lasting friendships. The softball
field became a welcome place to socialize and enjoy sport. National interest in the sport declined after
the middle 1960s.
Detailed histories of both these sites were researched and
written by Kristen Minor, a former member of the Portland Historic Landmarks
Commission. With approval from the
commission, the nominations will be forwarded to the State Advisory Committee on
Historic Preservation on Feb. 16. If
approved by the state committee, the nominations will be sent to the Interior
Department for final consideration.
-------Fred Leeson
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