Pioneer Courthouse

PIONEER COURTHOUSE HISTORICAL SOCIETY

Welcome to Pioneer Courthouse Historical Society

The Pioneer Courthouse, in Portland, Oregon, has been home since 1875 to the United States Courts in the State of Oregon and is currently the Oregon home for the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.


2023 Annual Meeting

Join the Pioneer Courthouse Historical Society for its fall CLE!

The Pioneer Courthouse Historical Society is thrilled to invite you to honor and celebrate our late judicial colleagues, the Honorable Alfred T. Goodwin and the Honorable Edward Leavy, for their contributions to the Oregon state and federal courts, the bench and bar, and the law. The CLE will feature remarks from the Honorable Mary M. Schroeder and the Honorable Susan P. Graber, both of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, and Jennifer Johnson, Dean of Lewis & Clark Law School. We will also share stories, histories, and highlights from former clerks and friends of Judges Goodwin and Leavy. We're looking forward to this opportunity to learn, connect, and celebrate their legacies.

Thursday, October 26, 2023 from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM at the Pioneer Courthouse, 700 SW Sixth Ave., Portland, OR 97204

Program from 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM; reception to follow. Please arrive by 3:45 to clear security and find a seat in the courtroom. The program will be approved for 1 CLE credit.

Tickets are free. Please register at Eventbrite.

For questions, please contact Nadia Dahab, nadia@sugermandahab.com.

Pioneer Courthouse Architecture

The Building

Learn about the architecture and history of the building from 1875 through to its seismic upgrade in 2003-2005.

the cupola

The cupola

See Portland past and present from the windows of the cupola. On this web page you’ll also see historic views of the city.

Documents of History

Documents of History

Documents, from the Magna Carta (1215) to the Civil Rights Act of 1964 have shaped our history.

The Galleries

The Galleries

feature an exhibit on Judge Deady’s Oregon, portraits of the Ninth Circuit judges based in Pioneer Courthouse, building restoration and more.

Ninth Circuit Timeline

Ninth Circuit Timeline

The Ninth Circuit’s history reflects the history of America’s development as a nation and its westward movement.

video link

Watch a Video…

At the Forefront of Adventure and Architecture: Pioneer Courthouse, Portland, Oregon www.gsa.gov/portal/content/147009

Visit Pioneer Courthouse, a National Historic Landmark

Pioneer Courthouse is located in the heart of downtown Portland, adjacent to the ever-lively Pioneer Courthouse Square, Portland’s “living room” and once the home of the grand and popular Portland Hotel.

The courthouse, which is a National Historic Landmark, is the single most important 19th-century government building in the Pacific Northwest to survive into the 21st century. Opened in 1875 as the seat of the federal government in the region—incorporating the post office, judiciary, customs office, and tax department—the Pioneer Courthouse welcomed presidents, witnessed significant trials and court hearings, and has stood watch as Portland has grown from a small town to a large city.

You are invited to visit the building to tour its ornate hallways and public areas, dignified courtroom on the second floor, the cupola above the fourth floor (with its astounding vista of a century of Portland architecture), and exhibits throughout that tell the story of the building, the courts, and the people who have worked here. This website offers a sampler of those exhibits.