The Governor Hotel
History
Originally called the Seward Hotel, the Governor opened in 1909 as one of America’s last “handmade” buildings, with an Arts and Crafts–inspired exterior detailing and interior furnishings. The architect, William Knighton, employed his beloved bell motif throughout the property. From its beginnings, the hotel was considered one of Portland’s finest. Early guests of the “hotel of quiet elegance” paid $1.50 to $2.00 for a room, breakfast included.
The hotel was restored to its original grandeur in the early 1990s, reopening as the Governor Hotel in 1992. Among the distinctive design elements in its public spaces are the large wall murals depicting Lewis and Clark’s 8,000-mile journey, dark wood paneling, and fanciful sconces. Italian Renaissance styles predominate in the hotel’s west wing, the Princeton building, which recalls Rome’s Farnese Palace. Built in 1923 as the Portland Elks Lodge, the building also housed the WPA, a World War II induction center, and several Portland businesses before being incorporated into the hotel.
