The University Honors building (UH) building stands at the corner of SW Twelfth Avenue and SW Mill Street. The building was previously known as the Marston House and occasionally as the Robert S. Howard House. The house was built in either 1893 or 1898, by the early Portland pioneer banker-realtor Robert Howard, in the Queen Ann style. UH is one of the few buildings of this style left in Portland, although after years of renovations only portions of its ground floor reflect any of the original detailing. The City of Portland declared the building a local historic landmark in 1973 though the building is not on the National Register of Historic Places. Marston House refers to its owner prior to Portland State's acquisition, Dr. Chauncey E. Marston who operated a medical practice out of the house. The building was converted from a dwelling to an office-type building around 1949.
PSU acquired the building in October 1962 for $91,500 where it served as the School of Social Work building (SSW) from 1962-1988. Since 1988, the building has been home to PSU's University Honors College and contains office space with a few small meeting rooms in the basement.
Historical Photos: University Honors from the University Digital Gallery