Elmer Feig: Apartment Designer Extraordinaire

Much like the Portland of the 2010s, the Portland of the 1920s was a period of unparalleled apartment house construction. Scores of new buildings appeared during the decade as single family residential streets all over Portland were transformed for this still popular means of adding housing density. At the center of all these new apartment buildings in the 1920s was a former draftsman by the name of Elmer Feig.

Feig was never licensed as an architect in the state of Oregon. Nevertheless, his buildings left an indelible mark on Portland. Feig’s work reflected popular design trends of the time. He designed dozens of apartments, houses, and other buildings – many of them very simple in shape and size, but masterfully adorned with Mediterranean, Moorish, and Egyptian details. Unfortunately, with the onset of the Great Depression, Feig faded into relative obscurity and ultimately left Portland altogether.

Please join for this all new talk as presenter Fred Leeson uncovers the little-known story of Elmer Feig and his work, placing it in context with Portland’s population boom of the early 20th century.

This lecture program is held at the Architectural Heritage Center - 701 SE Grand Avenue

Seating is Limited. Pre-Registration is Highly Recommended.

Parking is on-street (free on Saturdays) or in the parking lot on the west side of Grand Avenue between SE Yamhill and Belmont Streets - just to the north of the Urbanite. Do not use the lot where Dutch Bros. Coffee is located. Thank you to Bolliger and Sons Insurance for sharing their lot with us for our evening and Saturday education programs.

Image: Moreland Apartments.