In 1911, when the American Apartment Building was constructed on the corner of NW Johnson Street and NW 21st Avenue, Nob Hill was a neighborhood on the brink of change. It had its mansions, of course, like the stately Ayer-Shea residence just two blocks away. (Built in 1892 by the famed Whidden and Lewis on a grassy patch, it’s now known as the Bliss House Museum, and hosts Saturday tours of its vintage women’s fashion collection.) But also: Those blocks were filling in with new kids—including the commercial shops along 21st—and grand apartment buildings, which were unheard of in the city before 1904.

But that was before the Lewis and Clark Exposition came along, and with it, Portland’s population explosion. Along with the streetcar up 19th and 21st Avenues, it caused Nob Hill to become the site of an apartment boom between 1911 and 1913. According to the historic registry, “Over twenty apartment buildings were under construction in the Nob Hill neighborhood” at the time the American went up.

Designed by architect William Bell and constructed for the American Realty Company, the building was a sort of one-off, as neither architect nor developer continued in their trades after it was finished. But as far as exterior looks go, its red brick facade was quite common, though here distinguished by a series of polygonal bay windows.

It advertised its extensive “modern conveniences,” including a mosaic-tiled lobby, electric elevator, ladies’ reception room and men’s smoking room, house phones, and steam heat, making it a most elegant option for the high-end buyers it hoped to attract. Thanks to a recent remodel of this particular one-bedroom, one-bathroom unit currently for sale, that elegance is still intact.

With 891 square feet, three large bay windows, and even a tiny balcony off the living room, this is a spacious layout. This starts with the fact that it has a foyer at the front door, charmingly still with its wall-mounted house phone. Off the hall, the bathroom is in a central location, and comes with claw-foot tub, wainscoting, and pedestal sink. To the left is the bedroom, brightened by large windows on two walls, one with a view of Mount Hood. Through a doorway to the right, find the rest of the living spaces, with refinished hardwood floors running throughout.

Storage abounds, whether it’s the dining room built-in, the kitchen hutch (now painted black), or the original Murphy bed in the living room, concealed behind a mirror and still in working order for guests. That’s all balanced by the airy main rooms—each is between 140 and 195 square feet—which have sight lines into each other via a generous cased opening and a breakfast bar at the kitchen. There, new finishes—like the granite counters, spot of wallpaper peeking out from the hutch, and the patterned floor tile—all blend with the prevailing vintage vibes.

While the American, now called the Ball Parc American, was once the street’s newest attraction, predating even Cinema 21 (built just a block away in 1925), it’s now on the older side of the neighborhood mix. All the better to make it a base for exploring the epic shopping districts of 21st and 23rd Avenues, the culinary delights of so many restaurants and cafés, and even the Old Portland dives like Joe’s Cellar, most of which came well after.

Listing Fast Facts:

Address: 2083 NW Johnson St #54, Portland, OR 97209
Size: 891 square feet, 1 bed/1 bath 
List Date: 3/3/2026 
List Price: $349,000, with negotiable monthly HOA dues 
Listing Agents: Dulcinea Myers-Newcomb and Aryne Blumklotz, Living Room Realty
Staging: Polka Dot Interiors

Melissa Dalton is a freelance writer who has focused on Pacific Northwest design and lifestyle since 2008. Contact Dalton here. 

Editor’s Note: Portland Monthly’s “Property Watch” column takes a weekly look at an interesting home in Portland’s real estate market (with periodic ventures to the burbs and points beyond, for good measure). Got a home you think would work for this column? Get in touch at [email protected].