White Stag sign
Sign in Portland, Oregon, U.S. / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The White Stag sign, also known as the "Portland Oregon" sign, is a lighted neon-and-incandescent-bulb sign located atop the White Stag Building, at 70 NW Couch Street in downtown Portland, Oregon, United States, facing the Burnside Bridge. The sign faces westbound traffic as it enters downtown Portland coming across the Willamette River. The sign was acquired by the City of Portland in September 2010,[1][2] and the lettering was changed to read "Portland Oregon" in November 2010.[3]
White Stag sign | |
---|---|
Former names | White Satin Sugar sign (1940–1957) Made in Oregon sign (1997–2010) |
Alternative names | "Portland Oregon" sign (since 2010) |
General information | |
Type | neon-and-incandescent-bulb sign |
Location | Portland, Oregon |
Address | 70 NW Couch Street (White Stag Building) |
Coordinates | 45°31′24.19″N 122°40′13.87″W |
Construction started | 1940 |
Renovated | 1957 1997 2010 |
Owner | Ramsay Signs (1940–2010); City of Portland (September 2010 to present) |
Renovating team | |
Renovating firm | White Stag Sportswear (1957) Naito Properties (1997) Venerable Properties (2010) |
During Christmas, the nose of the stag glows red in imitation of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, and by the 1970s that feature had contributed to the sign's popularity as a local landmark.[4] The sign was designated a City of Portland Historic Landmark in 1977.[4][5] In 2014, Willamette Week referred to the "famous White Stag sign"[6] as "one of the most instantly recognizable parts of the Portland skyline".[6]
Since its installation in 1940 the sign has carried various messages and animations, generally advertising Portland companies, the longest-lasting version being for White Stag Sportswear, from 1957[7] until 1997.[8]