Thoughtfully Restored Historic Portland Architecture
Our story begins in 1907 with the building of The Calumet Hotel. Portland was the largest city in the Pacific Northwest and the Rose Festival was launched to celebrate Portland’s prosperity. Designed by noted Portland architect Joseph Jacobberger, the Calumet was a blend of French Renaissance Revival and Edwardian Baroque style. It rented 80 rooms for $1 per day and offered new luxuries, like private baths in every room. It was considered a smaller hotel, attracting mostly travelers on modest budgets.
During the Roaring Twenties, Portland continued its prosperous ways. Fred Meyer launched his first store on the corner of Fifth and Yamhill, the Multnomah Stadium (now called Providence Park) was built, and with much fanfare Charles “Luck Lindy” Lindbergh landed at Portland’s first municipal airport.
The Calumet Hotel was renamed the Willard in the 1930s. A private club was formed on the first floor for the flying men of World War I. This club was the famous “Aero Club.” When the Aero Club relocated in 1939, the Actor’s Club moved in and was eventually replaced in the late 1940s by the Western Club of Oregon.
The Willard was renamed the Esquire Hotel in the early 1960s. It was during that time that The Headless Horseman was one of Portland’s most successful night clubs, boasting the sounds of The Kingsmen and Paul Revere & the Raiders.
In 1971, Zorba the Greek took over and added the massive pillars that stand here today.
In 1978, The Brasserie Montmarte began its life as a dinner house inspired by Parisian café society. In 1984, the owners introduced the ever-popular crayon coloring contest on the last Thursday of April to celebrate the anniversary of the Brasserie Montmarte. Today, the winning entries of the crayon contests are still on display in the Esquire.
In 1984, the building was officially recognized for its French Renaissance or “Edwardian Baroque” style and was added to the National Register of Historic Places, making it a national historic landmark.
Today, it is home to The Esquire.
The Esquire was renovated in 2008 and again in 2025. The renovation retained the original steel stairs, repurposed the original Douglas Fir floors, created a four-story open-air atrium in the middle of the building, installed an innovative eco-friendly heating/cooling system, kept the original exposed brick, and gave an artistic presentation to a rainwater-recovery system. After its major 2008 renovation, the Esquire was awarded a LEED GOLD certification, a rare distinction for an Historic renovation.
The Esquire has been a significant part of downtown Portland for the past 100 years. Throughout the evolution of the building, its history has been preserved in its architecture and the stories that people tell. Perhaps one day you will add your story to the Esquire’s legacy.
