Discover-Neighborhood-History (DISCOVER)

The Hughes House, 480 Vista Avenue, D, Morningside

2012-01-06T10:54:00.000-08:00

This Tudor style residence was built for J. Frank Hughes in 1933 on this several acre view lot in South Salem. After his death in 1944, the house was owned and occupied by the the son, John Hughes and his family. Upon the death of John in 1956, the house was owned by Robert and Fay Nelson and a nursery was located there in the grounds that had formerly been an extensive garden.

The builder's 1944 obituary recalls much about him and his prominent Salem family:

"Long interested in wildlife projects, Mr. Hughes was, in 1912, appointed to the first game commission by Governor Oswald West. He was for many years a member of the First Methodist Church choir. He attended Salem schools and Willamette University.

“Mr. Hughes father [John] was an early merchant of the city and one of the first painters of the vicinity, the son being associated with him in a store which stood on the present site of the Sears and Roebuck Store. His father-in-law, Virgil K. Pringle, was a pioneer shoemaker, later settling on a donation claim in the vicinity of the present Pringle School. Considerable downtown property was acquired by the elder Hughes during his business career, including holdings on South High Street and in the area where the old Chinatown was once located. Extensive tracks of farmland were also held on the South River Road, one track being the site of the present Salem Golf Club."

The interior of the house, except for a family room addition on the rear, still retains the original hardware and wood trim at doors and french windows. It is not hard to image the gracious entertaining that two generations of the Hughes family hosted here.

Stirniman House, 170 Myers Street S, SCAN, LL

2012-01-02T11:44:00.000-08:00

Constructed in 1925 by Joseph P. Stirniman, this is a one-story bungalow with basement. The narrow street facade faces north on a typical residential block in the Fairmount neighborhood.
A feature is the eyebrow front porch roof and an exterior red brick fireplace on the west.
The depth of house is 92 feet with two gables on the east side. (see below)

Joseph Stirniman was a mechanic, working in, or owning, several garages in Salem. His wife, Hallie, operated a shop downtown on Court Street called the "Gibson Bonnet Shop" with Mrs Laverne Winkler as her partner. Mr. Stirniman continued living here after his wife's death in 1937, selling the property in 1941. The present owners have lived there since 1972 and in their application for designation as a Local Landmark state, they have "enjoyed it every day..."
In addition to living, dining rooms and kitchen, it contains 3 bedrooms, a sewing room, laundry room, partially finished basement and a 2 car garage ~ surely very unusual for a bungalow built in that period of residential construction.

The Schmidt House, 1106 Leslie St., Can-Do, D

2011-12-18T15:54:00.000-08:00

In 1932, this house stood among 8 others in this block of Leslie Street between 12th and University Streets. By 1966, there were twice as many residences on the 1100 block of Leslie Street listed in the City Directory. Today it is alone, the others having been moved or demolished. The blocks around it on three sides are medical offices and the expanded Salem Hospital. The fourth side is the busy 12th Street with its ramp heading east onto Mission Street.
Our earliest record, for 1932, shows it occupied by Mrs Grace Burns, followed by Arthur Denison two years later, and from 1936 to 1947 by L. C. Ramage and wife Lillian. The family who lived there the longest period of years was that of Richard Schmidt. There were many children in this spacious bungalow and altered bedrooms accommodated the growing family. (Remodeling of the basement revealed that there had been a fire, that this might have been the second structure on this lot.) Research continues in order to learn more about the house in the residential years.
How did it survive?
The latest owner discovered that the local builder used a cement-based stucco that was exceptionally tough and durable, although not suitable for moving. And, as the other residences disappeared, this one found an owner in the 1990s who put it another practical use: storage space for a nearby medical facility.
This house is a reminder that the downtown University neighborhood was once one for families and the small businesses that served them. We are grateful that this former residence can still echo the small-town Salem that no longer exists.

The Carr House, 4595 Dallas Hwy, West Salem, D

2011-12-16T09:04:00.000-08:00

Now almost hidden beside the busy Highway #22, this 1856 house has been many times altered, including a new covered front entrance and extensions on the rear, but retains its original character, including the high ceiling and fireplace in the living room, while the surrounding township of Eola, once considered for the capital city of the new state, has almost disappeared.
The original builders (perhaps Thomas and Beulah Riggs) are unknown, however records show it had several owners before Reason Brunk acquired it in 1891. That family sold it to Mattie and Henry Carr in 1923. It passed to Vivian Carr (perhaps a daughter) in 1939 and she lived there until 1992.
Behind the residence, possibly of the same age, is the "egg-handling" house, see below:

After attending several Oregon and California universities, Miss Carr graduated from Willamette University and became a teacher in Oregon, Massachusetts and Washington. After her retirement as teacher at North Salem High School in 1977, she was elected president of the Willamette Valley Humane Society. Because of her concern for animals, she is considered one of the inspirations for this local institution. At rear of the property is a third building, a kennel serving both large and small animals, and a fenced area for their exercise. (This modern building construction is seen below.)

The Pierce House, West Salem, D

2011-12-15T14:30:00.000-08:00

Cornelia Marvin, our first Oregon State Librarian, married Walter M. Pierce. He served one term as governor and went on to the US House of Representatives where he served 1932-43. In 1954 they retired to this home along Rural Route #4, now Highway 22, just to the west of Eola School. On April 5 1957, the house was photographed (above) for an article in the Capital Journal as Home of the Week. An interior is included in the Oregon Historical Photograph Collection of the Salem Public Library.
The house has had alterations and additions, but retains the charm of a country home and the gardens are still evident. Below is an aerial view with the school at right (white building) and the roof of the Pierce home at the left:

425 12th Street

2011-06-22T06:29:00.000-07:00

Is this the oldest residence in Salem? Some evidence indicates this house was built on Ferry Street in the 1860's (probably behind the site of the Methodist Church) and was moved to its present location about 1900. The owner is now conducting further research.

Waln, 5363 Tanoak Ave. SE, (South Gateway)

2011-05-26T13:49:00.000-07:00

This 1919 residence was moved to the present location around 1961 on the back of a flatbed truck (and the garage was dragged here) from two blocks away on what is now Valleywood Drive SE.

The house built as a replacement for the Waln family's first house, built in the late 1880s. The family had a land grant for this area and L. A. Waln still had property west of Grabenhorst Fruit Farms #2 in 1929. Lon's Hill Fruit Tracts, a plat divided into 18 sections may have been part of their large property.

The present owners shared a photograph of the house in its original location (below), then outside the city limits. Annexed in the 1960s and 1970s, this is now a part of South Gateway, a Salem neighborhood of suburban residences. Waln Creek, the only present landmark remembering the family, runs through that area today.

Perkins, 198 21st Street NE, (LL)

2010-07-30T14:09:00.000-07:00

This house stands on a quiet two-way residential street among others of its age. The property was part of the Waller Donation Land Claim that was subdivided, but never recorded. The owner and resident from the early 1930s was Granville Perkins who worked in the canning industry.

Church of God of Oregon, 1760 State Street, (D)

2010-04-21T11:46:00.000-07:00

In 1900 , C. N. Potter and wife deeded this land, a part of the A. F. Waller Donation Land Claim, to the Evangelical Lutheran Christian Church of Salem, Oregon, a corporation, and to D. G. and A. W. Granger. It is assumed the church was built soon after that date. The style is similar to other churches built in the late 1800s in the Salem area. In 1966, the land was acquired by State Street Baptist Church. The transfer to the present congregation was in 1976.
(NEN)

Marion Apartments, 610 Commercial Street NE. (D)

2010-04-21T11:22:00.001-07:00

Research is beginning on this 1920 apartment building at the northeast corner of Commercial and Union Streets. The Sanborn map of 1926 shows the footprint as the building today, although the L section at the rear appears to have been constructed at a slightly different, lower elevation. The City Directory shows 16 apartments from the earliest listings.
The apartments show an elegant style that would have been attractive for short stays, such as 1920s state legislators or someone needing temporary quarters, or even the more prosperous commercial travelers: they might have been designed as suites rather than apartments. The rooms have high ceilings, large windows, wooden floors (under carpets), alcoves without doors for closets (some with small windows), small bathrooms and kitchens. Fireplaces are in some units. However, one unit has built-in storage drawers and a roll-out bed behind glass doors.
In 1989, the apartments were sold by Betty Louise Bradshaw, as a personal representative of Elma Childs, to C. Rex and Ruth M. Layton of Marion County. It passed into the ownership of the Boys and Girls Club and then to the present owner.
(CAN-DO)

Spring Valley Church, Brush College Road, (D)

2010-03-25T09:01:00.000-07:00

This area north of West Salem was an important part of the early Salem settlements, close family ties and agricultural history unites these two communities. The old Spring Valley Presbyterian Church was erected by volunteer labor in 1859, the lumber transported by boat to the town of Lincoln on the Willamette River. The bell came from England around Cape Horn to Oregon. It has long been a beacon for worship and its cemetery is still a place for commemorating those who lived in the community in the past.
(West Salem)

Wild/Erb, 573 19th Street NE, (LL)

2010-03-24T09:45:00.000-07:00

Ira Erb came to Salem in 1890 from Ohio. He was a Civil War veteran and made his living as a carpenter. He and his wife Hattie are recorded as living here in 1902. He worked many years for various contractors, including Front Street businesses. Mrs. Erb died in 1941 and this house was sold.
(NEN)

Fawk, 310 Lincoln Street S, (NR)

2010-03-23T08:54:00.000-07:00

The 1902 Fawk House at 310 Lincoln Street sits on a prominent corner overlooking Lincoln and Fir Streets. It has a Dutch Colonial gambrel roof and a stone chimney which serves three rooms inside. Henry Fawk was a well-known contractor and livestock broker. Eventually, this was the boyhood home of Ross McIntyre, Surgeon General of the United States and physician to President Franklin Roosevelt. It is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
(SCAN)

St. Paul's Rectory, 1510 Davidson Street SE, (GH/BPP)

2009-06-27T14:08:00.000-07:00

A 1953 photograph of Fr. George H. Swift and his wife Alice shows them standing in front of this St. Paul’s Episcopal Church Rectory, possibly built in 1923. It was located adjacent to the new church at 540 Chemeketa St. NE. The church has moved and so has the rectory, now a private residence in the Gaiety Hill/Bush's Pasture Park Historic Residential District. None of the exterior features seem to have changed and the bright blue paint gives the bungalow a cheerful, contemporary appearance without forgetting its important place in our community’s past.
(SCAN)

Jarman, 567 High Street SE, (NR)

2009-06-09T07:49:00.000-07:00

This unique 1929 Spanish Colonial home, also photographed circa 1960, was designed by Glen C. McAllister of Santa Monica. The gardens were designed by Lord and Schryver. Daniel P. Jarman, the original owner, was a J.C. Penney executive. The second owner, Louis Lachmund, was a prominent businessman and former mayor. (His previous Piety Hill home had been purchased and removed from its Court Street site by the state for the construction of the North Capitol Mall in 1938.) This residence is on the National Register of Historic Places.
An interesting historical note: this building replaced the home of John Hughes, well-known merchant whose daughter Lulu married A.N. Bush, the son of Asahel Bush. The Asahel Bush family lived lived just south of this location at their residence, now Bush House Museum.
(SCAN)

Harding, 1043 High Street SE, (NR)

2009-06-09T07:33:00.000-07:00

This Italianate residence was built in 1884 for lawyer, state legislator, and U.S. Senator Benjamin F. Harding (1823-1899) in what was then a suburb of Salem. The architect is speculated to be W. F. Boothby, also known for his designs of several of Salem's fine older downtown buildings. Jacob and Lou Amsler owned this house beginning in 1903. Jacob was an important employee of the Bush family, later acting as chauffeur and assistant for Miss Sally. His family owned several properties in early Salem. This house was also photographed by Bob Koval in 1978. It was accepted into the National Register on December 21, 1981 and is in the Gaiety Hill/Bush's Pasture Park Historic District.
(SCAN)

South First National Bank, 241-247 Commercial Street NE (NR)

2009-06-09T07:26:00.000-07:00

South First National Bank Block of 1887 is shown here at right with awnings. Originally two buildings, changes in 1923 incorporated a central stairway for access to offices on the second floor. It is the only remaining building designed by Holly Cornell (1859-1911), a local architect who also designed the residences of Governor Zenas Moody and Werner Breyman ~ both now demolished. For many years, Benjamin Forstner and his family operated a store in the south section of the building. A photograph was taken in 1992. This building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is in the Salem Downtown Historic District.
(CAN-DO)

Starkey-McCully Building, 223-233 Commercial Street NE, (NR)

2009-06-09T07:21:00.000-07:00

Only 70 feet of this 1867 Italianate Starkey-McCully Building building remain, the northern, two-story section of a five-story business block. The cast iron decoration is believed to be the oldest of its kind in Oregon. It was built by Asa McCully and John L. Starkey who had formed a partnership and moved to Oregon after their success in the California Gold Rush. Another photograph shows the appearance of the building circa 1950. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
(CAN-DO)

Odd Fellows Hall and Annex, 181-195 High Street NE, (NR)

2009-06-09T07:13:00.000-07:00

The original Richardson Romanesque design of this 1900 building included a central bell tower, now gone, but the integrity of the building remains. As the “Mother Lodge” in the Northwest of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, this site provided member benefits and community services. The theater closed in 1950, however renovation in the 1990s (see photograph before renovation) brought new life to this historic downtown intersection. We thank the owner, Carole Smith, for the photograph above.
The 1921 Central Stage Terminal and Hotel is Mediterranean style building, constructed by the Odd Fellows Fraternal Order. It had a restaurant entrance on the south, a hotel bus depot in the center and a store entrance to the north. The second floor contained offices and hotel accommodations. The Chemeketa Lodge utilized the hotel to finance their charitable activities. The buildings are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
(CAN-DO)

Reed Opera House and McCornack Building 177-189 Liberty Street NE, (NR)

2009-06-09T07:05:00.000-07:00

The Reed Opera House, built in 1869-70, originally housed the Oregon Supreme Court and State Library on the third floor, a 1,500 seat auditorium on the second, and seven stores at street level. A photograph shows it in 1888. It closed in 1900 after the opening of the Grand Theater. The interior was redesigned in 1936 for Joseph Meyers and Sons (and later Miller’s) Department Store. It was renovated in 1976.
The McCornack Building was constructed in 1902 on the south wall of the Reed Opera House by the owner, E. P. McCornack, an addition intended as a furniture store. After twenty years, the stock was replaced and it became “Worth’s Department Store”. In the 1930s it was regarded as one of the best retail stores in Salem.
They are listed together on the National Register of Historic Places.
(CAN-DO)

Manning Building 210 State Street, (NR)

2009-06-09T06:56:00.000-07:00

This property was originally owned by the pioneer Holman family. It was sold to S. T. Northcutt in 1889 who built a wooden structure for blacksmiths and carriage makers. In 1908 the present Manning Company Building was constructed for Samuel A. Manning’s automotive and farm equipment business. It was purchased by the Derby family for use by the Salem Seed and Implement Company of 1932-53. (See 1990s photograph,) The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
(CAN-DO)

Smith and Wade Building, 229 State Street (LL)

2009-06-08T23:14:00.000-07:00

The 1870 Smith & Wade Building retains its 1910 appearance with slight modifications of the 1980s.
The earliest building on this site sold “agricultural implements” according to a newspaper account. Reuben Boise bought it in 1890 and sold it to his daughter, Mae Lauterman in 1910. By the mid-1920s, one half of the building was George Water's wholesale cigar store, the other half occupied by the “Gospel Mission”. The Lauterman family retained an interest in this Local Landmark property until 1962.
(CAN-DO)

McGilchrist Building, 102 Liberty Street NE, (SDHD)

2009-06-08T23:12:00.000-07:00

This 1916 Revival style building is inscribed with the builders name in bas relief on the upper level. The elder generation of the family operated the “White House Restaurant” on State Street. Son James, also owner, established a furniture, restaurant and real estate business. He became the first Capitol guide, a position he held until 1953. Located on one of Salem's most historic downtown corners, this building is designated as a Local Landmark. (See 1950s photograph.)
(CAN-DO)

Ladd and Bush Bank Building, 302 State Street, (LL)

2009-06-08T21:39:00.000-07:00

Salem's first financial institution, the former Ladd and Bush Bank, was founded in 1869 by Asahel Bush, II (1824-1913), a prominent figure in Salem's financial and political history. (See 1880s photograph.) In 1967 the interior was renovated, the building expanded on State Street and additional cast iron decorations from the demolished Ladd and Tilton Bank of Portland were applied on the exterior. This building is designated as a Local Landmark.
(CAN-DO)

United States National Bank/Pioneer Trust 109-117 Commercial Street NE, (LL)

2009-06-08T21:32:00.000-07:00

This 1909 Commercial style building was the first steel and concrete, fire-resistant building in Salem and included all the latest banking conveniences when built by J. P. Rogers, owner of the US National Bank of Salem. (See 1930 photograph from State Street.) In 1940 when Ladd and Bush Bank became part of U.S. National Bank, the trust division survived in this building as the Pioneer Trust Bank.
(CAN-DO)

Pomeroy Building, 379-83 State Street, (LL)

2009-06-08T21:15:00.000-07:00

The 1925 Pomeroy Building replaced an 1860 rooming house. Charles T. Pomeroy and A. A. Keene purchased the building and remodeled it into two retail stores. A central staircase with skylight divides the two stores. Substantial integrity of design has been maintained with an especially attractive street level facade and entrance. A jewelry store there was managed by Audrey Pomeroy into the 1990s. Her brother had an adjoining optical shop in this Local Landmark. (See 1941 photograph.)
(CAN-DO)

Masonic Building 101 High Street NE, (LL)

2009-06-08T21:07:00.000-07:00

This 1912 Mediterranean/Moorish style building was designed by architect Ellis Lawrence, founder and first dean of the Oregon School of Architecture. Terra cotta is liberally used for exterior decoration. (See 1915 photograph.) Now known as The Franklin Building, it has recently been remodeled and contains offices with a ballroom on the sixth floor.
(CAN-DO)

Greenbaum, South Eldridge Block, 240-54 Commercial Street NE, (LL)

2009-06-08T21:01:00.000-07:00

This 1889 Italianate building of 23 bays originally extended south from Chemeketa Street to the end of the block at Court Street. Wilbur Boothby developed the property in 1890. (See photograph of 1892 Fourth of July Parade street scene.) The present storefront dates from the 1930s. For more than sixty years, this building was occupied by “Greenbaums”, a popular variety store. The third generation of the family continues to maintain a store at this Local Landmark.
(CAN-DO)

Gray Building 105-35 Liberty Street NE, (LL)

2009-06-08T20:41:00.000-07:00

The Gray name and date of construction are written in recessed letters on the upper facade of this 1891 building. The three Gray brothers had early Salem hardware and construction businesses, but left Salem about 1907. By 1900 they sold the building to Russell Catlin and James R. Lynn, hop growers and merchants. The present owners of this Local Landmark are descendants of Russell Catlin.
(CAN-DO)

Gill Building, 356 State Street, (NR)

2009-06-08T20:36:00.000-07:00

Constructed by the prominent Northwest book dealer, J.K. Gill in 1868, this is one of the oldest buildings in the historic district. In 1869, the First Presbyterian Church of Salem was organized on the upper floor. In 1888, Christopher Paulus purchased the property and opened a saloon, beginning a series of establishments serving alcohol at this location. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. (See 1992 photograph.)
(CAN-DO)

Farrar Family Building, 352 State Street, (NR)

2009-06-08T20:31:00.000-07:00

The one-story Farrar Building (to the left above) was built c 1917 and altered in the 1930s. The Midget Market was one of many shops occupying space here. From 1930 through 1981, the store to the east was the Smoke Shop, not only selling cigars, but serving food and drinks at a counter. Billiard and cards were played in the back. It became a community institution, serving farm and transient laborers in the Salem area. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. (See 1992 photograph.)
(CAN-DO)

Elsinore Theater, 170 High Street SE, (NR)

2009-06-08T20:25:00.000-07:00

The Elsinore Theater was built by George Guthrie at a cost of $250,000 and opened on May 28, 1926 (see photograph) with the silent film, “The Volga Boatman” by Cecil B. DeMille. The Elsinore was designed by architect Ellis Lawrence for both stage and film, and movies were often combined with vaudeville. The theater was damaged by the Columbus Day storm of 1962. Community donations funded a renovation in 2004 that restored its Tudor Gothic ornamentation. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
(CAN-DO)

Dearborn Building, 110 Commercial Street NE, (LL)

2009-06-08T19:49:00.000-07:00

The Watkins-Dearborn Building at 110 Commercial Street retained its 1870s Italianate style on the second level through the renovations of 1920 and the 1940s. Originally a harness-making shop, it became Holland Bakery in 1910. When Samuel Adolph and his brother-in-law Edward Rostein opened their Real Estate and General Insurance business in 1931, their office was in this building and remained here until 1963. Tucked between newer buildings, this Local Landmark is hardly noticed among today's businesses.
(CAN-DO)

Catlin Building, 246 State Street, (LL)

2009-06-08T19:22:00.000-07:00

The 1900 Catlin & Linn Building at 246 State Street was constructed on the site of the Tiger Engine Fire House, No. 2, organized in 1869, continuing as a volunteer organization until 1893 when the city created a paid fire department. A garage with concrete floor was a feature of this building through the 1920s, testifying to its early use for auto storage and repairs.
(CAN-DO)

Livesley Building, 388 State Street, (NR)

2009-06-08T17:31:00.000-07:00

The 1926 First National Bank, Capitol Tower is Salem's only skyscraper at 11 stories tall. This building was financed by Thomas A. Livesley, a leading hop grower as well as a Salem politician and entrepreneur. Elaborate ornamentation decorates the exterior of the eleventh floor upward to the parapet: a standing human figure with stylized wings; bearded human faces in relief; statuary of griffins. It stands at one of Salem's most historic commercial corners at State and Liberty Street. (See 1935 photograph taken at Ferry and Liberty.) The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
(CAN-DO)

Boise Building, 217 State Street, (NR)

2009-06-08T17:26:00.000-07:00

The 1913 Boise Building reflects the original design of architect Fred Legg who also designed structures at the State Fairgrounds. The original owner, R. B. Boise, Jr., was a well-known northwest journalist and owner of the Oregon Statesman. It previously served as a farm machinery store, a garage and automotive center and as a steel warehouse. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. (See 1992 photograph.)
(CAN-DO)

Bush-Breyman Block, 135-146 Commercial Street NE, (NR)

2009-06-08T17:00:00.000-07:00

This 1889 Queen Anne style block (to the right) was designed by Walter D. Pugh and built by Asahel Bush and Werner Breyman. It housed retail stores on the ground floor with professional offices on the second floor. The original building was twice the size: the Bush portion north portion was damaged by fire in 1960 and subsequently demolished, leaving only a solitary column. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. (See 1949 photograph.)
To the left in this photograph is the 1880 Capital National Bank Building. This bank was remodeled in 1892 to the Richardsonian Romanesque style. The keystone in the arch has a facsimile of the Oregon beaver dollar of 1849. The building was remodeled again in 1950 by James L. Payne, Salem architect. Placing the modern front onto the building required lifting up the 100 ton stone façade during construction.
(CAN-DO)

Adolph Block, 360-372 State Street, (NR)

2009-06-08T16:41:00.000-07:00

The brick 1880 Adolph Block (the Italianate facades to the left) was constructed by Samuel Adolph after fire destroyed the wooden buildings here. It offered space for three businesses: Smith and Millican, butchers, and Adolph’s saloon were the first two. The third store included jewelers and The White House Restaurant. The Cooke/Henery family has operated a stationery store in the western two stores since 1935. (See 1992 photograph.) The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Gill Building and the former Ladd and Bush Bank complete the photograph.
(CAN-DO)

Bayne Building 335-349 State Street, (LL)

2009-06-08T16:35:00.000-07:00

The 1902 Bayne Building was constructed by two brothers, John and George Bayne, who selected a prominent Salem architect, William Knighton, to design their building. Alterations in recent years have restored much of the original integrity. It housed a bakery and the Little King Restaurant in the east side. For over a hundred years a barber shop (now the OK Barber Shop) has occupied the western half. It is designated a Local Landmark.
(CAN-DO)

Bush-Brey Building, 179 Commercial St. NE, (NR)

2009-06-08T16:22:00.000-07:00

The Bush and Brey Block and Annex was built in 1889, altered c. 1918 and again in the 1970s. It displays the Italianate style of architect Walter D. Pugh, retaining its original ornamentation with few changes. Clothing stores were traditionally located here along with Busick and Sons, Grocers(1924-1970) on the corner. Busick Court Restaurant continues the family business around the corner on Court Street. Professional offices and civic institutions were established upstairs when downtown was the center of Salem civic activities. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. (See 1991 photograph.)
(CAN-DO)

Buttercup Hill, 4515 Sunnyside Road, (D)

2009-05-23T06:51:00.000-07:00

A viewer wonders whether anyone knows who built this house at 4515 Sunnyside Road, now the Buttercup Hill preschool. The Kennel family owned the property in 1876. Obidiah Kennel sold the property to Robert L. and Laura (Robert's aunt) Chambers in 1887. Chambers sold the property to William and Anna Garnjobst in 1900. The Garnjobsts sold the property to William Grabenhorst and Co. in 1934.
(South Salem)

Gerth, 296 Gerth Street., (LL)

2009-05-01T15:08:00.000-07:00

The Gerth house was built for Walter and Grace Gerth in 1908. They operated their Edgewater Street store for 35 years, from 1911 to 1946 during which time he served several terms as mayor of West Salem. One of West Salem's most enthusiastic citizens; he built the first two-story commercial building in West Salem, started the first grocery delivery in the town, and loaned the city money to pay its bills.
(West Salem)

Armpriest, 332 24th Street NE, (D)

2009-04-17T09:42:00.000-07:00

This handsome house in the NEN neighborhood was built in 1916, on the corner of 24th and Walker Streets, next door to the Walker House. Its imposing appearance and prominent location, led us to believe it was the home of the second generation of the Walker family. However, the earliest record of ownership found so far indicates Carl Armpriest and his wife Constance purchased the property in 1919 from Portland Mortgage Co. for $10 "and other good and valuable considerations". The Armpriest family lived there until at least 1941. More information is welcome.
(NEN)

This 1975 photograph is reproduced by courtesy Salem Public Library Koval Collection

Walker, 308 24th Street NE, (D)

2009-04-17T09:23:00.000-07:00

In December of 1901, E.M. Croisan and his wife Ella deeded to Sarah Walker for twelve hundred dollars land beginning at the east end of the A. F. Waller Donation Land Claim and extending to the southeast corner of the Croisan property. It is possible this home was built even before that date: a 1934 obituary states that W.W. Walker, Sarah's husband, lived here "in the same house for 44 years" . Sarah died in 1940 at the age of 89. This NEN neighborhood property may have passed out of the family at that time. Further information is invited.

Phillips/Barker, 6565 Spring Valley Road NW, (NR)

2009-03-27T17:44:00.000-07:00

Above: the Phillips/Barker House from a 1950s photograph. The damaged tree endangered the house after the 1963 wind storm and was cut down. The rings revealed its age as over 300 years.

The West Salem residence has been unoccupied since the property sale in 2002. This historic 1853 vernacular Greek Revival house was built for pioneer John Phillips, who came to Oregon via the Oregon Trail in 1845. He finished his journey to Oregon on the Meek Cutoff as part of Stephen Meek's "lost wagon train".
Born in 1814, Phillips was a native of Wiltshire England who came to the U.S. in 1834 and married Elizabeth Hibbard in 1839. He came to Oregon and bought the Turner donation land claim in Polk County for $100. The locale was once known as Spring Valley Ranch. John Phillips' daughter Hannah married Samuel Barker. The grandson, Samuel E. Barker and his wife Velma were the last occupants. Their niece remembers stories that the local Native Americans would come in the back door to warm themselves by the pot-bellied stove.
In 1976 the house was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. In 2009 it is the oldest residence in Polk County and was owned for 156 years by the same family.
(West Salem)

Spring Valley School, 8295 Spring Valley Road, (D)

2009-03-06T15:36:00.000-08:00

The former 1907 Spring Valley School, now a Community Center, celebrated its 100 year history in July 2007 with a program recalling the past and a feast of home-grown berries over ice cream. Seniors had special parking privileges and many in attendance told stories of their youthful adventures at this elementary school.
See 1954 photograph.
(West Salem)

Josh Purvine, 7555 Spring Valley Road, (D)

2009-03-05T16:18:00.000-08:00

As seen from the exterior the Joshua Purvine House is "picture-book" perfect in retaining its original appearance. Built in 1887 and occupied by three generations of this Purvine family, this Italianate styled, Victorian home one of several properties in the Spring Valley neighborhood that once belonged to this pioneer family. Changes that are not apparent include back rooms added at two levels and a ladder entrance from the tool room to an upstairs apartment. See 1965 photograph.
(West Salem)

Calaba, 2475 Mountain View Drive, (D)

2009-03-05T14:19:00.000-08:00

In 1926, when this property was outside the city, it was listed as the home of Anna and Frank Calaba. Jerry Calaba, their son, grew up on this farm and later told neighbors the location of the barn and well. He lived here until 1974. His brother Rudy was a prominent Salem realtor with Ohmart and Calaba.
In 1977, City View Cemetery purchased the property and has rented it.
(South Salem)

Boot, 2545 Birdshill Drive, (D)

2009-03-05T14:09:00.000-08:00

The earliest known owners of the 1901 house are William H Boot and wife Bertha. In 1911, two year after they moved here from Portland, their 21 year old daughter Margaret Lynn Boot married Asahel Bush, IV. The young Bush couple made their home on Bellevue Street and traveled extensively. She died in 1934, her husband a year later.
The original farmhouse has been remodeled several times. The first entrance was from the north (now City View Cemetery) leading to a carriage house, now a residence. The property has been divided and now comtains only a fraction of its acres as a prune orchard. There is a panoramic view to the west over the Willamette River and the to the coastal mountains beyond.
The owner from from 1952 to 1977 was Dilbert Milne. Hans and Helen Linde purchased the property and lived there 30 years.
(South Salem)

A. J. Purvine, 6990 Spring Valley Road NW, (D)

2009-03-04T22:50:00.000-08:00

Andrew Jackson Purvine lived in another house to the east and set back from the present road, possibly along the wagon trail from the river. After the death of his wife, he remarried and had a second family. In 1890, at 65, he built this large residence that contrasts with his brother Joshua's home by being in a Craftsman style of architecture, perhaps Victorian originally. The stained glass in the front stairway, was brought "around the Horn”. The floor plan retains the original character of this home.
(West Salem)

Francis Smith, 578 Cascade Drive NW, (D)

2009-03-04T22:33:00.000-08:00

This is the only West Salem house designed by noted local architect Clarence L. Smith. The original owners of the home, Francis and Bernice Smith, had the cedar shingled, English cottage constructed in 1937 to provide a view of Salem and the Cascades. The house's placement on the lot was completed before the landscape designers, Elizabeth Lord and Edith Schryver, began their work. An interesting detail is the iron railing along the driveway. When it was removed from the Pioneer Cemetery, it was transferred to this property.
(West Salem)

Eola School, Highway 22 NW, (D)

2009-03-04T22:30:00.000-08:00

Old Eola School, built in 1858, at the present 2nd & Mill Streets in West Salem, was a community center for over a hundred years. A photograph in the Salem Public Library Historical Collection shows a student and two teachers/advisors posing on the occasion of the May 28,1958 graduation of the 100th graduating class. The country school was enlarged as the years passed and enrollment increased, but closed when city schools began serving this area. The building, now adjacent to a busy highway, has been adapted to other occasional uses.
(West Salem)

West Salem City Hall, 1320 Edgewater Street NW, (NR)

2009-03-04T22:28:00.000-08:00

West Salem was incorporated in 1914, but this community building was not constructed until 1936. It served the municipality until 1949 when the city was incorporated into Salem itself. Chemeketa College held its first classes here.
(West Salem)

Wallace, 2900 Oakcrest Drive NW, (D)

2009-03-04T22:24:00.000-08:00

In 1885 Robert Wallace took the advice of his doctor to give up his stressful life as a commodity broker in Chicago and moved to Salem. In 1889, he built this home for his family at the orchard in Polk Country which is still an integral part of the Salemtowne buildings. Today it is known as the "Farmhouse". He died in 1891 at the age of 41.
(West Salem)

Schindler, 1936 Orchard Heights Road NW, (D)

2009-03-04T22:22:00.000-08:00

This attractive and spacious 1926 home, has had several former owners including the Olds, Speckerman and Schindler families. The present owners have made some landscape changes, but the house retains its original appearance and its site is relatively undisturbed although housing developments have grown up to the left (east) side of the property.
(West Salem)

Harritt, 2280 Wallace Road NW, (NR)

2009-03-04T22:20:00.000-08:00

This oldest house in West Salem has been extensively remodeled. Originally an 1858 log cabin, it was built by Jessie and Julia Harritt. Jessie so profited by his California gold mining, that he was able to build his wife this Colonial style house reminiscent of the plantation homes in her native Kentucky. The original kitchen has been added to the house for a recent business, Julia’s Tea Parlor. It is on the National Register of Historic Properties.
(West Salem)

Quarry, 1340 Wallace Road NW, (LL)

2009-03-04T22:18:00.000-08:00

At the present time, there is no known information about the original owners of this property, built circa 1910, or this vernacular residence.
(West Salem)

Fennell, NW 576 McNary Street NW, (LL)

2009-03-04T22:13:00.000-08:00

Thomas and Mary Fennell were West Salem farmers who owned the property in 1905 and probably built the south addition with a kitchen and bathroom in 1910. They sold the house and some land to Ellsworth Pickel in 1913, but bought the property back six months later. When Mary Fennell died in 1922, Thomas sold the house to Ellen Kessell, a teacher at the West Salem Grade School, for $1.00. In 1926 Thomas Fennell again held the title to the property and in 1935 sold it to Glen and Vivian Tupper.
(West Salem)

Tandy, 528 Gerth Street NW, (LL)

2009-03-04T22:09:00.000-08:00

This lot was sold in 1920 for $300.00 and again in 1922 to G. E. and Lura Tandy who lived there for the next 25 years. More information about this c.1915 house or owners and residents has not been researched.
(West Salem)

Breckenridge, 1515 Elm St. NW, (LL)

2009-03-04T22:04:00.000-08:00

The original owner of this 1905 bungalow, Grace Breckenridge, worked for nearly 40 years as a bookkeeper for the State Board of Control retiring in 1956. When she died in January 1965, her will revealed that all but $2,000 of her $23,000 estate was bequeathed to the State of Oregon. The balance was to be used to buy an organ for the House of Representatives. The new organ was ordered and received in August 1965. This organ is still in place today, and is played at the governor's inaugural ceremonies.
(West Salem)

Piasecki, 591 Cascade Drive NW, (LL)

2009-03-04T22:02:00.000-08:00

Edward and Kathryn Piasecki were the original owners of this period style English Cottage, one of the first houses built in the Kingwood Heights area of West Salem. The Piaseckis moved to West Salem in 1920 when the house was built. A boating tragedy on the Oregon coast near Newport claimed the life of Edward and another Salem attorney in August of 1952 when he was 72 years old. Kathryn Piasecki continued to live in the house until 1965 when it was sold to the present owners.
(West Salem)

West Salem Methodist Church, 1219 3rd. Street NW, (LL)

2009-03-04T21:57:00.000-08:00

The congregation was organized in 1910, conducting services in a one room schoolhouse and community center. In 1921 Mrs. Joseph T. Hunt donated two lots that were later sold for the lots where the church is now located. Rev. Alexander Hawthorne was pastor of the church between 1921 and 1923 and headed the drive for building funds. Construction started in the winter of 1921 with a volunteer crew with teams of horses to dig the basement. The first 1925 meeting was held in the basement. The building completed in 1926.
(West Salem)

Stoller, 1162 2nd.Street NW, (LL)

2009-03-04T21:55:00.000-08:00

This house, circa 1880, appears to be one of the oldest in the neighborhood with very simple construction including a one-story el on rear of house. An early owner of the property was Gottlieb Stoller was purchased it in 1908 and sold it in 1919 to N. S. and Ella Wood.
(West Salem)

Duff, 1143 2nd. Street NW, (LL)

2009-03-04T21:52:00.000-08:00

Early records show the property (and probably the circa. 1890 residence) was owned by Mrs. Agnes Duff, a nurse, around the turn of the century. A later owner was George J. Barnard, listed in Salem City Directories as a laborer. In the early 1930s the property was owned by A. N. and Emma Becker. They sold the property to H. L. Anderson in 1932 and in 1946 it was purchased by the Mennonite Brethren Church.
(West Salem)

Lindbeck, 1417 Orchard Heights Road NW, (D)

2009-03-04T21:48:00.000-08:00

Very little past ownership information of this 1870 house is available until further research. The previous owners were the Bouffleur family, prominent growers at this location as long ago as the 1930s. In 1967, John Lindbeck retired from the US Navy and returned to his hometown to purchase this property. With his wife Carolyn, they continued the sale of fruit from this 36 acre orchard. They sold the property in 2007 for a
development of a retirement community. Perhaps the 1870 historic house will be saved, but it is uncertain.
(West Salem)

Wingett, 2322 Kuebler Road SE, (D)

2009-03-04T20:04:00.000-08:00

The original owner of this 1924 house probably built it as a farm residence on the dirt road leading down to a sawmill at Croisan Creek Road, just to the west. In 1961 Bill Wingett and his wife Peg bought the house and acreage from Lloyd Clark. The present owners of this house are proprietors of the Mud Pie Gallery located near the house. The attractive appearance of the property displays their appreciation of this beautiful site.
(Sunnyslope)

Shipley, 260 Washington Street S, (NR)

2009-03-04T19:59:00.000-08:00

The well-known nurseryman Ernie Lufer, designed the gardens of this 1926 English Cottage built for the Shipley family. When the Depression forced the closing of their business, the house was sold to Cora Kay, the widow of Thomas Kay, the mill owner. She lived here until her death in 1944. The landscaped grounds with the original underground watering system and rock gardens were restored in 1984 by Mrs. Kay’s grandson, W. K. Huntington for the present owners.
(SCAN)

Thompson, 3575 Liberty Road S, (D)

2009-03-04T19:53:00.000-08:00

This former 1905 residence was built by Frederic Thompson for his parents. Later owners included Jacob and Elva Fielder who operated a store on the premises. When Jack and Lillian Beck acquired the house in 1963, they renovated it for a decorating business. It housed Realty World Homeland and Peter’s Little Bavaria before opening as McMenamin’s Thompson Brewery and Public House in 1990.
(South Salem)

Taylor, 3915 Liberty Road S, (D)

2009-03-04T19:50:00.000-08:00

This hilltop bungalow was probably in the midst of an orchard of many acres when it was built in 1903. In 1929 the house belonged to R. Chapman and in 1951 was the home of Robert D. Taylor and his wife Hope. He was president of the Salem Brake and Wheel Alignment Company. By 1976, he had retired and this was the last year his name appeared at this address.
(South Salem)

Salem Heights School, 3495 Liberty Road S, (D)

2009-03-04T19:48:00.000-08:00

The 1907 Salem Heights School was established on land purchased from Phil Thomas. A photograph shows the location in 1914. In 1930 the original school was torn down and rebuilt. The many activities of the early years are described in the 1997 booklet published by the school on its 90th anniversary. When the new building was erected in 1930, the school bell was moved to the Community Hall. It has now been returned to the school was reinstalled for the school’s 100th anniversary celebration in the spring of 2007.
(South Salem)

Salem Heights Hall, 3505 Liberty Rd. S, South Salem (D)

2009-03-04T19:44:00.000-08:00

In the 1920s this building was part of a self-contained rural neighborhood centered by a school and grocery store. The Hall was used for community suppers, school assemblies and movies. Fires resulted in closure and repairs during the 1960s and it was moved slightly when Madrona Avenue was widened. A sign was placed on the building in 1963. This land, donated by Fred Thompson, must always be used as a community hall or the property will revert to his heirs.
(South Salem)

Pioneer Cemetery, Hoyt & Commercial Street SE, (LL)

2009-03-04T19:32:00.001-08:00

Originally the 1841 burial ground for the Rev.David Leslie family, it was enlarged and became known as the Odd Fellows Community Cemetery. The cemetery has a wealth of unusual and impressive gravestones, many recently replaced in their original positions. The City of Salem became owner of the cemetery in 1985 and the volunteer Friends group has been instrumental in the restoration of the cemetery, continuing their work to the present time. Many historical photographs of tombs and persons buried here are found on Oregon Historical Photograph Collections.
(South Salem)

Nohlgren, 345 Salem Heights Road S, (D)

2009-03-04T19:25:00.000-08:00

Previous neighbors remember this as the 1926 Nohlgren farmhouse, surrounded by fruit orchards. On the walls of the old, abandoned barn nearby, high school kids used to paint its walls with “Happy Birthday” messages to their friends. As the neighbor remembers, that was in the innocent years before such displays became the graffiti of today. A 1954 photograph of the restaurant associated with this family is found here.
(South Salem)

Falk, 210 Candalaria Blvd. S, (LL)

2009-03-04T18:59:00.000-08:00

The Falk house was reportedly built by a member of the Fabritus Smith family. In 1891 Samuel A. Clarke is noted in the Salem City Directory as residing in this location. Clarke is believed to have named his fruit farm "Candalaria. A later resident was Adam Ohmart, son-in-law of Fabritus Smith, who lived there in 1902. Long-time owners Conrad and Nellie Falk lived here in 1909; the Falks had a prune orchard on the property and continued to live there through the late 1940s.
(South Salem)

Pringle School, 4985 Battle Creek Road SE, (D)

2009-03-04T18:46:00.000-08:00

In 1856 Clark Pringle donated two acres to create one of Salem's first schools. The early school was photographed in 1891. The present structure was built in 1921. Two rooms were added in 1935 and further expansion was possible in 1946 when the Pleasant View School was divided onto two sections and dragged two miles up Boone Road to be attached to Pringle School. (See school in 1956.) In 1987 the school was moved to its new location and this property was bought for a private school.
(SGNA)

Schimmel Hall, 5000 Deer Park Road SE, (D)

2009-03-04T18:01:00.000-08:00

In 1894 this new home for The Oregon Institute for Deaf-Mutes was constructed. It was photographed in 1908. However, the school's isolation due to inadequate roads and proximity to the "bad influence" of the reformatory were early problems and the institution moved. The school building became the Oregon State Tuberculosis Sanitarium that opened in 1910. In 1969, after the Salem facility closed, the site with its buildings was purchased by Western Baptist College, now Corban College. As Schimmel Hall, it now serves multiple uses.
(SEMCA)

Orientator, McNary Airfield, Turner Road, (D)

2009-03-04T17:57:00.001-08:00

With funds raised by the American Legion, Lee Eyerly purchased a five acre plot of land on which he established Salem’s airport. By 1929, he founded an aviation school, and later, the first aircraft service station on the west coast. During the Depression of the 1930s, he took his invention, a trainer plane named the Orientator, to several fairs as an amusement ride. It became a success and was re-named the Acroplane. The last remnant of an Acroplane is now located at McNary airport on view from Turner Road.
(SEMCA)

Pleasant Grove Presbyterian Church, 1313 Mill Street SE, (NR)

2009-03-04T17:55:00.000-08:00

In 1984, this 1857 church was moved from its original location near West Stayton, a small community several miles west of Stayton in Marion County, Oregon. Photographs of the church can be found here. Just before it was moved, historian/photographer George Strozut took aerial photographs of the church in its original location. He also crawled beneath the building to photograph the original hand-milled beams which, protected from the elements, retained a fresh-hewn appearance.
(SESNA)

Methodist Mission Parsonage, 1313 Mill Street SE, (NR)

2009-03-04T17:51:00.000-08:00

The Methodist Mission parsonage of the 1840s was designed to be divided into apartments for missionaries. Originally located where the water tower is now on Mission Mill Museum Property (this may be the parsonage in original location), it was moved to 13th and Ferry Streets. In 1963 it was moved to its present location on the museum property. It is now, like the Jason Lee house renovated and furnished with items similar to those of the pioneer time in Salem. It has been moved to this location. Photographs in its earlier location are found here.
(SESNA)

John Boon, 1313 Mill St. SE, (NR)

2009-03-04T15:05:00.000-08:00

This simple home was built for the Boon family on property next to Boon’s store on Liberty Street. It is furnished largely from the Ruth Powers collection representing the styles of 1845-1900. Earlier Boon House photographs are found here.
(SESNA)

Thomas Kay Woolen Mill, 1313 Mill St. SE, (NR)

2009-03-04T15:01:00.000-08:00

This four and one-half acre site, once an important industrial area for woolen manufacture in Salem, has been restored for use as a historical museum. Also on the property are several representative buildings of the pioneer settlement that became Salem. They were moved here for preservation and offer valuable interpretations of local history. See the mill as it appeared circa 1910.
(SESNA)

Zielinski, 212 21st. Street SE, (D)

2009-03-04T14:50:00.000-08:00

Recorded as being built in 1900, original owner of this house is unknown for its first quarter century, but between 1924 and 1932 the occupants were Bert and Ellen Zielinski. Occupants varied over the next thirty years and in the 1960s the house was unoccupied for several years. The exterior of the more than one hundred year old residence appears to have been unchanged through the years except for window replacement and is a prime example of master carpenter craftsmanship for even the most modest homes built in this neighborhood.

Martin, 1548 Lee Street SE, (LL)

2009-03-04T14:43:00.000-08:00

This property and surrounding lots were sold to J. W. Roork in 1891; the same year this lot was sold to F. M. Rinehart, the first of many quick transactions over the next twenty years when the house had nine different owners. Jessie Martin bought the property in 1921 and continued to live here into the 1950s. Miss Martin was a teacher at the Park School. This is a designated Local Landmark.
(SESNA)

Siegmund, 1396 Lee Street SE, (LL)

2009-03-04T14:40:00.000-08:00

An early owner of this house was E. C. Cross, prominent Salem businessman, but records indicate he did not reside here, nor did later owners Gideon and Margaret Stolz and W. T. Rigdon. For many years in the early part of the century it was the home of William M. Siegmund, a blacksmith and later part owner of his own business. By 1932 Mr. Siegmund was the owner of the property. Other residents were Eugenia and Wilda Siegmund, both listed as dressmakers. It is a designated Local Landmark.
(SESNA)

Potter, 420 20th St. SE, (D)

2009-03-04T14:38:00.000-08:00

The 1909 City Directory reference to Alexander Potter at this address identifies him as a carpenter and so we may assume he built this home for himself and wife Helen. As his widow, she remained in the house until at least 1931. By 1951 it had become the Smith Apartments with four tenants and it has continued to be apartments since that year. In 2006, the house underwent extensive restoration. With its recent enhanced landscaping and towering trees, it is a dignified residential apartment site.
(SESNA)

Myers, 1896 Lee St. SE, (LL)

2009-03-04T14:35:00.000-08:00

This house was originally owned by Jefferson Myers, noted political figure in the late 19th century. He served as state representative, 1889, and state senator, 1891-93. He practiced law in Salem from 1894-1901 at which time he moved to Portland where he served as chairman of the State Commission of the Lewis and Clark Exposition. He later served as State Treasurer. Later owners of this property were Alicia Kerrington, G. Baillie, Charles Long, and in the 1950s Mason Chappelle, long-time Salem grocery store owner.
(SESNA)

Mill Race Dam, 21st. & Ferry Street SE, (D)

2009-03-04T14:32:00.000-08:00

Because water power of Mill Creek was important to the early development of Salem, the early pioneers built a dam at this site in 1864 to divert this energy to practical uses. Named Waller Dam for the pioneer missionary who donated the land, this created a new watercourse, south of the original stream. Today this Mill Race flows through Mission Mill Museum, Willamette University and so on to join Pringle Creek and the Willamette River.
(SESNA)

Knight Memorial Church, 19th & Ferry Street SE, (D)

2009-03-04T14:27:00.000-08:00

On February 17, 1926 a Congregational church meeting discussed constructing the present building on the
corner of 19th and Ferry Street to replace an older structure. The congregation voted to name the new church Knight Memorial in honor of an outstanding citizen of Salem who served this church, city and state.
In 2005 the church membership had dwindled to the point that the church structures could no longer be
supported financially. The buildings were sold to the Korean Church of Salem.
(SESNA)

"Grandmother's House", 396 21st. Street SE, (D)

2009-03-04T14:22:00.000-08:00

The first thirty years in the life of this house are unknown. By 1958 Fannie G. Diamit was living here.
Her granddaughter remembers the house well. In 1991 a family with three daughters moved here, also
enjoying happy memories of this home. Additions have been made to the rear of the house, but the front has
remained essentially the same. Of special interest is the decorative metal frieze lining the roofline of this
porch.
(SESNA)

George Eyre, 2093 Mill Street SE, (LL)

2009-03-04T14:18:00.000-08:00

This Vernacular Queen Anne house is sited on part of the Alvin F. and Elepha Waller Donation Land Claim. The lot was acquired by Mrs. Martha J. Atwood and the house was built for her in 1893. Mrs. Atwood's daughter, Linnie, married A. A. Lee in the new house in 1894. Mrs. Atwood sold the property to J. D. Trammel in August of 1903; Mr. Trammel sold it to George and Ida Eyre in 1904. It remained in the Eyre family until sold by the daughter, Mary Eyre, in 1996.
(SESNA)

Duniway/Lachmund, 2430 State St. SE, (LL)

2009-03-04T14:16:00.000-08:00

This 1908 Craftsman house was first owned by Willis S. Duniway and wife Alice. He was the son of Benjamin and Abigail Scott Duniway, early Oregon settlers. Abigail Scott Duniway was a pioneer advocate of women's suffrage. When the residences of “Piety Hill” were demolished for the construction of the North Capitol Mall (1937-57), this one was spared. Then the residence of former Mayor Louis Lachmund, it was moved to Willamette University to serve as residence of the president. It was later moved to its present location for offices and apartments. An earlier SHINE entry about this property is found here.
(SESNA)

Charlton, 234 23rd. Street SE, (D)

2009-03-04T14:10:00.000-08:00

During her 109 years, Luella Charlton lived in only two houses. She was born in the three-storied, cupola-crowned mansion built in 1872 across the street from the Capitol by her great-grandfather, Edwin Cooke. Her second home was this one, built in 1927 by Luella and her husband Carl, where she lived for 80 years. Luella was a great resource for local historians and lived surrounded by the love of her family, her friends, domestic helpers. She had shared more than a century of Salem memories when she died on December 23, 2007.
(SESNA)

Burggraf/Burt/Webster, 901 13th Street SE, (NR)

2009-03-04T14:04:00.000-08:00

This 1895 Victorian Queen Anne residence was designed by architect Charles Henry Burggraf as his own home. It was later the residence of Judge Daniel Webster, Justice of the Peace in Salem 1905-1918. The third owner was Julia Webster, the Judge’s daughter. It was also the home of Thomas P. Burt, a railroad engineer. The former home now serves as offices.
(SESNA)

White's Restaurant, 1135 Commercial Street SE, (D)

2009-03-03T19:53:00.000-08:00

Charles and Myrtle White, and their sons Bob and Kenny, were the first of the family to create and runs this family-style restaurant. For 50 years it was run by the extended family, then the ownership passed to Don Uselman. Dining here continues to be a traditional experience, reminding diners of the décor and menus of restaurants enjoyed three generations ago.
(SCAN)

Wade, 1305 John Street S, (NR)

2009-03-03T19:28:00.000-08:00

This 1869 Gothic style residence was originally constructed at 862 Liberty Street NE by William L. Wade, owner of a dry goods store on the same block at 888 N. Liberty Street. (See 1971 photograph.) The house was later occupied by his son, Murray Wade, a well-known newspaper cartoonist in California and Oregon and publisher of the Oregon Magazine for 45 years. It was moved to John Street by owners Mr. and Mrs Richard Neuman.
(SCAN)

Scovell, 220 Owens Street S, (LL)

2009-03-03T19:21:00.000-08:00

This Italianate/Eastlake house was apparently built for Lewellen C. Scovell. In 1896 Alexander Daue bought the property and lived here with his wife Ida Mae Turner Daue until their new home was built. The Daues owned the property until 1945; during that time it was probably the residence of another Daue family member, Earle Daue and his wife Dorothy. In 1945 the property was sold to Bernard and Bessie Zobel and the lot was divided; the east 60 feet of the lot were sold to Roy and Naomi Shaw in 1949. (See 1978 photograph.)
(SCAN)

Smith/Ohmart, 2655 E. Nob Hill Street SE, (NR)

2009-03-03T19:16:00.000-08:00

Built in the Italianate Bracketed style, this residence, for 73 years, the “home place” for the families of Fabritus Smith, his daughter Velleda Smith Ohmart and his grandson Roy V. Ohmart. Still virtually unaltered from its original appearance, it stands at the top of Nob Hill with a commanding view of urban development where there were once orchards and farmland

Robertson, 460 Leffelle St. S, (NR)

2009-03-03T19:14:00.000-08:00

This 1932 English Provincial house is one of the more significant homes of Fairmount Hill. Designed by Clarence Smith, with gardens created by Lord and Schryver, it has wide views over the city. High on a dead end street, only its hipped roof and front gable are visible beyond the driveway entrance. Dr. Charles G. Robertson, the original owner. was the son of Dr. Charles H. Robertson, who came to Oregon in 1870.
See 1978 photograph.
(SCAN)

Quisenberry, 360 Leffelle Street S, (LL)

2009-03-03T19:11:00.000-08:00

This English cottage was designed by Clarence Smith for P. D. and Clara Quisenberry. The house has an exterior brick chimney, an entry deck with balustrade and a Tudor-arched entry door off deck. The house faces north on steep lot, deep setback with woodsy setting and steep informal steps up to house. Mr. Quisenberry was a Salem pharmacist and operated the Central Pharmacy. The family resided here into the 1940s.
(SCAN)

Pierce/Martin, 1610 Fir Street S, (NR)

2009-03-03T19:07:00.000-08:00

This stone English manor house designed by Clarence Smith, with its elements of Queen Anne style of architecture, is a unique residence in Salem. Built for Edgar and Ursula Pierce at a cost of $17,000, the family lived in the house from 1932 to 1935 and from 1940 to 1942. From 1935 to 1938 the house was rented to Governor and Mrs. Charles Martin. Later residents of the house were Alfred and Dorothy Burgoyne, Norman and Florence "Dolly" Merrill, and Oregon Secretary of State Clay and Elizabeth Myers. See 1978 photograph.
(SCAN)