July 14th 2023.
On July 11, 2023, the former Dr. John D. Marshall Building in Portland, Oregon, was accepted into the National Register of Historic Places. This catalog is the official list of landmark places representing a significant part of American history. U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer and other local leaders gathered together to celebrate the induction of the North Portland building.
"We mark a historic legacy that is just not overlooked but systematically forgotten, and with your help, we’re taking a step to remedy that," Blumenauer said. "And I could not be more pleased to be here today to celebrate this moment."
The building was nominated by the city of Portland and the Oregon State Historic Preservation Office. It had been transformed into a funeral home. During the ceremony, the building's owners, Bernie and Bobbie Foster, accepted a plaque that recognized the building named after Marshall. He was known as one of the few Black doctors in the area during the 1950s.
The location, off of North Williams Avenue and Northeast Sacramento Street, provided Black doctors and professionals a facility to extend healthcare services to the Black community. Dentist Dr. Samuel J. Brown, pharmacist Dr. Richard Neal, and lawyer Aaron Brown all leased small offices in the building. Dr. Marshall provided health services from the building’s main suite.
John Marshall, the eldest son of Dr. Marshall, expressed his gratitude. "I think it shows that the community has a lot of resilience. More recognition is needed to give examples for others to continue that in the future," he said.
The facility also served as Portland’s Black Panther Party’s way to provide medical and dental services to Black Portlanders throughout the 1970s. This induction into the National Register of Historic Places is a monumental step forward in honoring and recognizing the importance of this building and its place in Portland’s history.
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