Deco Building (Gone)
Portland, OR
Photo courtesy Jeff Raber

The Deco Building immediately caught my eye while driving through Portland. At first I thought it might be an old library or public office, but the architecture looked remarkably like a miniature Sears store.

As it turns out, that's exactly what it was. Built in 1929 as a Sears, Roebuck department store, the handsome Art Deco building has survived long after the retail business disappeared. Today it serves as Metro's regional headquarters, proving that great architecture can find a second life.

The Sears signs are long gone, but the building still has just a little character.

Signal Gas
Portland, OR
Photo courtesy Jeff Raber

The first thing that grabs your attention isn't the tower—it's the way the neon wraps around the entire building. Signal Gas occupied this beautifully restored Art Deco gas station in Portland's St. Johns neighborhood, making it almost impossible to drive by without taking a second look.

Built in 1939 as a Signal Oil station, the building escaped demolition and was carefully restored with its streamlined design, glowing neon, and vintage gas pumps. It's one of those rare places where the building is the attraction.

UPDATE: The old station is now home to Signal Station Pizza, but the tower and neon still make it one of Portland's best roadside landmarks. 07-26

Used Car Building
Portland, OR
Photo courtesy Jeff Raber

Another old gas station found a second life in Portland. Used Car Building occupied this wonderfully preserved Art Deco service station, where the rounded tower and streamlined design still hinted at its days serving motorists. Long after the pumps were gone, it made a memorable office for a used car lot and looked like it belonged in another era.

It's the kind of building that could easily be overlooked until the curves and Deco styling catch your eye. Places like this remind you that some of the best roadside discoveries aren't signs at all—they're the buildings that somehow survived.