page_title: Henry W. Corbett
section_title: Portland Library Association
hierarchical_section_title: Henry W. Corbett / Philanthropist and civic benefactor / Portland Library Association
caption_attribution_description: Portland Library Association Building. The Library was on the ground floor. The Portland Art Museum occupying the second floor above. It was designed to house both in their earlier years and opened in the imposing Romanesque stone building in 1893 on the South side of Stark Street between Seventh (now Broadway) and Park. The architect was William Whidden of Boston (formerly of McKim, Mead and White, later to found Portland’s Whidden &amp; Lewis).
context_page_description: Henry Winslow Corbett was an American businessman, politician, civic benefactor, and philanthropist in the state of Oregon. A native of Massachusetts, he spent his early life in the East and New York before moving to the Oregon Territory. He was a prominent figure in the early development of Portland, Oregon and was involved in numerous business ventures there, starting in general merchandise. His interests later included banking, finance, insurance, river shipping, stage lines, railways, telegraph, iron and steel and the erection of Portland downtown buildings among other enterprises. A Republican, he served as a United States Senator from 1867 to 1873.
context_section_description: In order to make books easily accessible, Portland merchants began to raise funds for a library and reading room in 1863. US District Court Judge Matthew P. Deady, with William S. Ladd, Henry Failing and others, formed the Portland Mercantile Library Association. In 1864, the association's name was changed to The Library Association of Portland and its constitution and bylaws were adopted. Corbett was one of the founding board members and a trustee. (Later the Portland Library Association became the Portland Central Library and is now the Multnomah County Central Library.)
  The library gave access to books of reference to the citizens of Portland and was housed initially on the second floor of Benjamin Stark's building at First and Stark and then, courtesy of William S. Ladd, at one dollar a year, above the Ladd and Tilton Bank, where it moved to in 1869 and remained for 24 years.
  It later moved, as a result of Judge Matthew Deady's leadership, to a purpose built Romanesque stone building of its own in 1893 on the South side of Stark Street between Seventh (now Broadway) and Park with the Portland Art Museum occupying the second floor. The architect was William M. Whidden of Boston (formerly of McKim, Mead and White, later to found Portland's Whidden & Lewis). It was opened in 1893 under the Presidency of Henry Failing after a generous financial contribution from him to cover the fundraising shortfall. On Deady's death Failing had succeeded him as president. The present successor building designed by A. E. Doyle (on 10th Street between Taylor, Yamhill and 11th Streets) was opened in 1913 (where portraits of the founders, Judge Matthew Deady, Henry Failing, H. W . Corbett and W. S. Ladd hang on the staircase).
caption: The Portland Library Building, built in 1893 to house library on ground floor & Portland Art Museum on the second floor
  (Oregon Historical Society)
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