Completed in 1891, the church is currently surrounded by highways and commercial properties. An elevated, 8-lane, double-decked freeway passes within a half block of the church. When the church was first built, the neighborhood was referred to as "Slabtown", an industrial section of Northwest Portland (the nickname originated from the huge piles of slab piled around the lumber mills in that area).
The designer of the building was Otto Kleeman, and was originally intended to be built of brick, however, in 1889 as the plans were being finalized, the construction material was changed to stone masonry, and the contract for the stone was awarded to James Barrett of Portland, who obtained the stone from a basalt quarry in Clackamas County. The 500 pound basalt cornerstone was laid and dedicated on March 17, 1889, and the exterior of the church was completed on March 17, 1891 (St Patricks Day). When viewed from above, the building can be seen as the form of a cross. There is a gorgeous dome and spire on the building, and there are 22 lovely stained glass windows. The interior of the church was not finished until 1914, when the original lath and plaster walls were redecorated for the Silver Jubilee, and a $10,000 fund was used and Fr. Murphy commissioned Professor Staelhi to reproduce the artwork from Trinity College in Dublin and to use the photos of early Irish saints to paint likenesses on the pillars and walls of the church. Each pillar in the church has a medallion and a depiction of a saint: St. Ailbe, St. Malachy, St. Lawrence O'Toole, St. Jarith, St. Brendan, St. Columkille, St. Virgilus, St. Gall, St. Colement, St. Canice, St. Fridolin, St. Kierna, and St. Columba. Until 1960, the facade (east end) had a portico and high masonry stairway that lead to the main story, but these were removed due to building codes, but there are tentative plans for the restoration of this feature. There are hand-carved oak pews, which have been restored, and the altars are also of carved oak.
St. Patrick's church is the second oldest surviving church building (of any domonimation) in the city of Portland that is still used for religious purposes.
If you follow this link and then click on "photos" you can view some historic photos of the church. (
visit link)