The pride of Cowlitz County, I gather.  Wikipedia:

The Long-Bell Lumber Company, led by Robert A. Long, decided to buy a great expanse of timberland in Cowlitz County in 1918. A total of 14,000 workers were needed to run the two large mills as well as lumber camps that were planned. The number of workers needed was more than a lumber town, or the nearest town, could provide. Long planned and built a complete city in 1921 that could support a population of up to 50,000 and provide labor for the mills as well as attracting other industries. Several buildings in the city were built from Long's private funds."

Let us wander through longland.

“Now, you’re a new architect in town so let me give you a piece of advice. Some day, and I can’t say when, folks are going to walk from one end of the block to the other on the second floor, and we want it all to be level. We don’t even want folks to have to step up or down, at all.”

"Ah, I can see you understand us well."

I’m pretty sure this was a Woolworth.

As we usually say: trees, angle parking, planting areas - that’ll bring downtown back lickety split.

Judging from the roofline, the rehab facade stretched over both buildings.

The brick looks different, but I think it's all the same. One facade, two distinct stores?

In the salady, halcyonish days of downtown, this sign said something else.

At least the business that occupied the space had respect for the sign.

And then, WHOA!

Cinema Treasures: “The Longview Theatre was opened in 1941 with 700 seats in orchestra and balcony levels, it was closed in 1955. It was re-opened on November 26, 1970.” And then? “The theatre was totally renovated in 1996 by Act 3 Theatres of Portland, Oregon. As part of the renovation, new seats, a new screen, new projection system, new digital sound system, and a snack bar were installed.” Great! And then? “The theatre was closed in the late-2000’s. Later sold and gutted to make the interior a skate park, it also had some use as a rock concert venue.”

Oh no.   Look at this atrocity.

Restoration erased those sins, and it’s a theater again.

The Officer has arrived to introduce us to the Wood building.

The Wood building had a postwar rehab, too.

Or so I presume. More likely that they reskinned something instead of building new, especially with that name.

From 1925, an all-in-one commercial building.

Doesn’t really look like a theater. The marquee does it. Threatened with demolition in 1980, but saved.

Note the old overlaying the older.

In case you were confused about how to find the entrance, they’ll explain it with simple visual cues.

All it takes to make a downtown seem a bit more elegant and sophisticated is a curved corner.

Nice work, I suppose; the red ornamentation seems a bit much, but I'll take it.

His shadow haunts us still:

Ah, there he is.

Oh screw the trees, put out some art.

A contemporary sign inhabiting an old Chinese restaurant sign.

The Police Department, with columns to suggest the majesty and power of the law.

Well, power, anyway. Not a lot of majesty and only a curt nod to tradition.

OUMB:

Those Yamasaki columns. Never liked them. Then again . . .

In OUMB terms, I’ll take the above over the below.

I love the 20s. That’s all.