Background
Ion Lewis was born in 1858 at Lynn, Massachusetts, United States.
Ion Lewis was born in 1858 at Lynn, Massachusetts, United States.
He studied architecture at "Boston Tech," and received a practical training in the offices of well known Boston firms.
In 1885 Mr Lewis went to New York to enter the office of McKim, Mead & White, and three years later was sent by the firm to Portland to superintend the erection of the Portland Hotel. Following its completion in 1890 he formed a partnership with William H. Whidden, whom he had known earlier in New York, and in the course of subsequent years the firm won recognition in designing several important buildings in Portland. Notable examples of these were the City mil, (built in 1895), Good Samaritan Hospital; Multnomah County Court House, 1913; Stevens and Corbett Office Buildings, and a number of Club houses.
After thirty years of active practice Mr. Whidden retired in 1920, but Mr. Lewis continued work under the firm name, maintaining an office until the time of his death.