Blumenauer, Local Leaders to Honor Addition of the Dr. John D. Marshall Building to National Register of Historic Places

Today Congressman Earl Blumenauer (OR-03), together with local leaders, celebrated the addition of the Dr. John D. Marshall Building to the National Register of Historic Places. The building was accepted to the National Register of Historic Places in June 2023 following a nomination by the City of Portland and Oregon State Historic Preservation Office. Congressman Blumenauer will present a ceremonial plaque to building owners Bernie and Bobbie Foster.

Dr. John D. Marshall was one of very few Black doctors practicing in Portland in 1952, when he commissioned the construction of the building at 2337 N. Williams Avenue for use as a medical clinic. Over the next several years, Marshall worked from the building’s main suite and leased smaller offices to other Black professionals, including dentist Dr. Samuel J. Brown, pharmacist Dr. Richard Neal, and lawyer Aaron Brown.

From 1970 to 1979, the Portland branch of the Black Panther Party used the building to provide critical medical and dental services to Black Portlanders who were underserved by the city’s medical systems. 

The building was subsequently purchased by Bernie and Bobbie Foster, founders of The Skanner News, a Black-owned newsgroup. The Skanner newspaper was produced from this location for more than two decades.

Today, the building maintains its legacy within Portland’s Black business community as the Terry Family Funeral Home.