Swinerton Transforms Historic Portland Church into Craft Brewery

Slated for demolition, Swinerton Portland helped save a historic church start a new life as SteepleJack Brewery. The church on NE 24th and Broadway was built in 1909 by the First Universalist Church of Good Tidings, and then served as the meeting place for the Metropolitan Community Church of Portland since 1977. The building, whose cornerstone was engraved and set by President William Taft, was scheduled to be demolished with the promise of restoring it to its former glory. Learn more about the buildings history.  However, Dustin Harder and Brody Day instead purchased the local landmark from the congregation. Their goal was to fulfill a dream they’d shared since college to start a brewery, and to re-establish the church as a place for the neighborhood to congregate. Check out the Steeplejack Brewery.  

The landmarks’ high arching hammer trusses and stained-glass window will be protected and maintained as we remove and reframe the existing floor system, touch up the 100-year-old plaster walls, and install the bar and brewery equipment. All the original old growth timber framing removed during demolition is being recycled and used to fabricate the booths, tables, wainscot, base and molding to give the church a rustic but clean finish on the interior. After this adaptive reuse completes, SteepleJack Brewery will be a fun place to immerse yourself in a bit of Portland history and grab a cold beer with friends when it opens this upcoming summer.