1135 S.W. Washington

Years: 1912 -

Washington Hotel

Washington Plaza Apartments

Washington Hotel

Should be noted that the Washington Hotel was on the opposite side of the street and ½ block away from the Hotel San Marco, S.W. corner of 11th and Washington later The New Ritz Hotel 1116 SW Washington.

Per the website http://www.pdxhistory.com/html/portland_hotels.html “Nearly half of the lobby of the Washington Hotel has been converted to an outdoor courtyard. Two of the first sets of marble columns have been removed and the door is located about where the lady in white is sitting.”

Per GLAPN website: The Washington Hotel, 1135 S.W. Washington, now the Washington Apartments.  The tavern was formerly a gay bar under the name of the Timber Topper (1970-1974), the Axe Handle (1974), and the Alley.  Few people know, however, that the hotel was designed in 1911 by architect Lionel Deane, who was arrested with other men the weekend that the Portland vice scandal began in November 1912.  Deane himself is listed in Portland City directory of 1912 as the keeper of the saloon, which had its entrance at 428 S.W. Twelfth.  2022- associated with the Mark Spencer Hotel.

Per GLAPN website: Deane was born in Canada in 1861, [on July 9, 1861] and immigrated to this country at age five.  He began the study of architecture at age 16 and one of his early works was a Dominican monastery.  He came to Portland in 1889 and is listed in contemporary city directories as a “draughtsman” for Justus Krumbein. In 1899, he moved to San Francisco and entered into a professional partnership with James Kollofrath that lasted four years.  He served as Secretary of the California State Board of Architectural Examiners.  In 1906, Deane was the architect spearheading local efforts to rebuild San Francisco after its devastating earthquake and fires.  He returned to Portland in 1911 to work on the Washington Hotel project.  After having his name published in both Oregon and California newspapers as involved in the 1912 scandal, he resigned from the California Board.  By 1920, he was living in New York City with another man and licensed to practice in New York State.  He died there in 1938.

More information on Lionel Darcy Deane (1868-1938) can be found in the book The Vice Clique: Portland’s Great Sex Scandal by George Painter, page 204.

Presently the building is known as the Washington Apartments, associated with the Mark Spencer Hotel. https://www.bing.com/homes/map?q=Washington+Plaza+Apartments