130 feet tall Despite the fact that elevator rides have always been free, the issuing of these permits as a remembrance has become a local custom. The present elevator was built using 751 tons of concrete and steel, is 130 feet tall, and passengers can reach the top in 15 seconds. It is located in the heart of downtown Oregon City, behind the Old Courthouse site. The elevator was designed by William H. Steele and opened in 1907. It was originally painted red, white, and blue, but this was changed to black, white, and silver after World War II. In 1969, when new laws were passed requiring buildings over 4 stories high in Oregon city to have fire escapes, the elevator became obsolete and lost its ability to move people from one floor to the next. Thus, it stopped operating that year. In 1973, the Portland-based firm of McMenamin, Cain & Associates was hired to design a replacement elevator. The new machine was to be able to lift 70 people at a time and use radar sensors instead of counterweights to determine how many people are on board. It also required less maintenance than the old one. The new elevator began operating in 1977, and since then it has been upgraded so it can lift up to 140 pounds per square foot. This makes it capable of lifting up to 14 people at a time.