The large doorstep at the building's entryway required the largest slab of granite ever shipped to Portland at the time.

[4] Completed in 1907, the steel-framed building is considered the city's first true skyscraper.

At 12 stories and with a height of 182 feet (55 m),[5] it was the tallest building in Portland[2][3] (and indeed in all of Oregon),[citation needed] exclusive of towers,[5] and remained so for four years.

[5] In 1946,[6] the building was purchased by the United States National Bank of Portland, whose headquarters was located in a smaller building located directly adjacent, immediately to the south.

U.S. National Bank used the Wells Fargo Building to expand its downtown Portland headquarters.