National Park Service approves update to Union Station National Register of Historic Places nomination

Union Station in Portland was originally listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. At its June 2026 meeting, Oregon's State Advisory Committee on Historic Preservation (SACHP) reviewed and recommended an update to the nomination. The National Park Service (NPS), which maintains the National Register, approved the updated nomination in late August 2026. The update demonstrates that Union Station is significant in the areas of Black History and Commerce, connecting the station to the African American Resources in Portland, Oregon, from 1851 to 1973 Multiple Property Document approved by NPS in 2020.

From the time it first opened in 1896, to 1971 when Amtrak took over passenger rail service, Union Station was the single largest employer of African Americans in Portland. Among the employment opportunities were positions as porters, waiters, cooks, washroom attendants, car cleaners, and laundry workers. These positions offered financial stability for many African Americans in the Portland area. Union Station was also the site where the first Black unions in Portland were organized. By the 1920s Union Station was at the heart of Portland's Black community in an area that also included homes and businesses such as the Golden West Hotel.

The African American Resources in Portland, Oregon, from 1851 to 1973 Multiple Property Document (MPD) provides an overview of the history of African Americans in Portland through seven different historical contexts and establishes a framework for identifying and listing Portland's African American resources in the National Register of Historic Places. The updated nomination fits within the framework established by the MPD, demonstrating that for 75 years, Union Station played an important role within Portland's Black community.

The National Register of Historic Places

The National Register of Historic Places is maintained by the National Park Service under the authority of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966. Properties listed in the National Register are:

• Recognized as significant to the nation, state, or community;
• Considered in the planning of federal or federally assisted projects;
• Eligible for certain federal and state tax benefits;
• Qualified for historic preservation grants when funds are available;
• Eligible for leniency in meeting certain building code requirements;
• Subject to local laws pertaining to the conservation and protection of historic resources.

State law in Oregon requires local governments to offer a minimal level of protection for properties listed in the National Register of Historic Places; decisions about how to accomplish that goal reside with local governments, which also have the authority to create and regulate local historic districts and landmarks.

Visit the National Register program webpage at https://www.oregon.gov/oprd/OH/pages/national-register.aspx to explore listed properties, review eligibility criteria and the nomination timeline, access research tools, and those interested in seeing if their property is eligible can submit a Historic Resource Record (HRR) form to receive preliminary feedback from State Historic Preservation Office staff.