Built in 1911 as an upscale multifamily residence, the Lovejoy Building sits at the intersection of NW 18th Avenue and Lovejoy Street – the latter named after Portland pioneer Asa Lovejoy. This building emerged during a period when lavish single-family mansions shared the evolving Alphabet District with a new trend: elegant low-rise apartments designed to attract well-heeled tenants. The Lovejoy’s architecture reflects this blend – a clapboard façade with Craftsman-style eaves and a hint of Colonial detailing – giving it the outward appearance of a large house while containing multiple homes within. Historically, it comprised four grand apartments, each occupying a sizable floor-plan with formal living and dining rooms, and two smaller attic loft units tucked under the eaves. These top-floor lofts (added slightly later in the building’s life) featured skylights and creative nooks, capitalizing on roof space and adding a quirky charm. In its early years, the building likely attracted professionals and families seeking proximity to the city’s streetcar lines and downtown (the property is conveniently on the historic streetcar route and positioned between the Pearl District and NW 23rd Avenue). Over time, the Lovejoy Building has preserved its cultural significance as a rare six-unit gem that showcases both the grandeur of early Portland apartments and the ingenuity of adaptive reuse. It remains an integral part of the Alphabet Historic District streetscape, its soft blue exterior and broad front porch evoking the feel of a bygone Portland even as the city grew up around it.