If you ever in Lincoln City, you definitely should take a side trip to Salem, just one-hour drive inland. Same distance from Portland, for that natter. So, if you ever in Portland… you know. It’s not THAT Salem, though, with the witch trials. That one is in Massachusetts. In fact, there are 38 Salems in the United States in total, as is the case with many American place names. Human imagination, when it comes to naming things, is not terribly creative. This is why, by the way, (for the folks, who are not very familiar with USA) place names are usually followed by the indication of the state they are in. Like in the title of this page. Otherwise, how would you know I am talking about the Salem that is in Oregon, right? 😊
The most interesting thing about “our” Salem is that it’s the capital of Oregon. In the most American states, the capital is not the biggest and the most well-known city, but an obscure and unassuming town. Salem, OR, for example, is less than 200,000 people, and, most probably, is not on anybody’s bucket list. In its own, it’s not terribly interesting, but it has at least one remarkable feature – the State Capitol. Almost every US state capital has this grandiose building, modelled after the US Capitol in Washington, DC, and, in my personal experience, they are the most, and sometimes, the only interesting thing in the city. This is exactly the case with Oregon State Capitol, which is quite unique in its architecture to boot. You will see it in this gallery.
As for the name of the city, it was either based on the ancient Jewish place Shalem, mentioned in the Bible twice, or on that very Salem in Massachusetts, where one of the city’s founders went to school. Another interesting fact about Salem, OR is that it is home to Willamette University, the oldest college in the Western United States, founded in 1842, making it 2 years older than even Salem itself. The University grew out of Oregon Institute, a school for local kids established by several Christian missions in the area. Later a town formed around the school. When Oregon capital first moved here, the Institute was the first meeting place of the Oregon Legislature, since its three-story building was the biggest in town. By the way, Oregon capital moved quite a bit around the place. First it was Oregon City, a small town near Portland, then Salem, then, briefly, the nearby town of Corvallis, and then, finally, Salem again, this time for good. Those Oregonians, so indecisive…
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The State Capitol is located in the middle of Salem, on the grounds of Wilson Park, which also showcases the state tree (Douglas fir) and the state flower (Oregon grape - a shrub with blue grape-looking berries and mistletoe-looking leaves).This is the 3rd purpose-built building for the State Legislature. The first two burned in 1855 and 1935, respectively. Although both buildings were built of stone, the fire completely gutted them, being fueled by the vast amounts of paper records. Thank God for SharePoint, right? (A little inside joke).This current Capitol was built in 1938, right after the second fire, in the fusion of Art Deco and so called "stripped Classical" style. This is when it′s still big and grandiose like the Parthenon, but without the Elgin Marbles. Back in 1930s, it was a go-to government style. Think Nazi Berlin and Soviet Moscow. First, the Salemites (it′s a word, google it!) hated the new Capitol. Duh. They said, the cupola looks like a paint can or a squirrel cage. Must be one well-fed squirrel - the dome is 51 meters high. Plus 7-meter height of the statue of Oregon Pioneer. The hollow bronze statue is covered with gold leaf.The Gold Man, as he is commonly known, is facing west, obviously, although in Oregon, 1 hour from the Pacific ocean, it makes little sense. He is holding an axe and has a piece of tarp on his shoulder. According to the artist, he is planning on building a shelter.The exterior of the capitol is enveloped in marble from Vermont. The inside (which we cannot unfortunately see, since I never entered the building), is lined with polished travertine stone from Montana. Travertine is the type of limestone found, for example, in the hot springs of Yellowstone.Vermont marble was also used for the sculptures on the building grounds. This one depicts Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, the first American explorers, who crossed the continent and reached the West Coast. They are being led by their indigenous companion and interpreter Sacagawea.The other sculptural group is called "The Covered Wagon", and depicts a pioneer family on their way westward. The father is trying to see the fabled West from under his hand, and the mother is on her knees, probably praying.Another sculpture on the grounds of Wilson Park is "The Circuit Rider". Circuit riders were preachers, who were travelling around large areas (circuits), attending to the settlers′ religious needs before the proper churches and parishes were established. This sculpture reminds of the origins of Salem as the hub for several Christian missions in the area.The remains of the columns of the second Capitol, which looked more like "traditional" Capitol building, and housed both the Legislature and the State Supreme Court. The statue in the back is of Jason Lee, a Methodist missionary and a prominent figure in Oregon politics. He was Canadian, born in Quebec.The Oregon State Capitol sits in the primest of Salem′s prime real estate locations. The next-door neighbour is the Willamette University, mentioned above. This here is Waller Hall, the main building of the University. It was built in 1867, making it the oldest university building west of Mississippi still in use. The Eaton Hall houses the humanities departments of the University. The weird-looking flat turrets on the corners (you can only see one here) once carried spires, but those were later removed.This is Collins Science Center, where the science classes are held.Stepping out of the Willamette University campus, let′s visit a few prominent churches in the historic centre of Salem. This is First Presbyterian Church.An interesting thing about this red brick building with a tall wooden steeple is that it was first constructed on the opposite side of the same intersection. Since it was partially blocking the way, they decided to move the church to the other side of the road. It took them nearly six months to move the whole 1000-ton building inch by inch. It was eventually transported from the northeast corner of the intersection to the southwest corner, and it even made a quarter-turn in the process. This one is the First United Methodist Church. It doesn′t have a cool story about being moved to the other side of the road, but it is a remarkable building nonetheless. This is the oldest Methodist church west of the Rocky Mountains, and is one of Oregon′s few churches in Gothic Revival style. And the spire like that is even rarer.The details of the red-brick facade give away the Gothic stylization of the church - the rose window, the ornamental cross, the turrets, and the arched mouldings.The double portal of the church decorated with pointed arches is also very Gothic.And this is the only picture of Salem itself, so to speak, that I have. Like I said, the city is not much. But it has some bright spots. Got it? 😊Press ESC to exit
