HomeMy WebLinkAboutNotes, Work PLANNER 11/18/2009
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County Lane County
Theme
Residential
Historic Name
House
Stewart
Address 214 ~"A.. $-t.
Springfield, OR 97477
Present Owner Milton
and Arlene Joranger
Address 214 :;1..1\,1 <t
Sp:dngfiel.G, UK '1j i4I7!
Original Use
'R1OC';"lOnr>o
Date of Construction
1906
STATE OF OREGON INVENTORY 141
HISTORIC SI~, AND BUILDINGS
State Historic _~eservation Office
Oregon State Parks, Salem, Oregon 97310
Physical.description of property and statement of historical
significance:
The Harry Stewart House lies on the site of the original
Elias Briggs land claim and right next to the original Spring.
The house offers a unique contribution to the community archi-
tecturally, rests on a site which marks the historic founding
of the community, and was the home of an early pioneer.
1
Mary and Elias Briggs, the founders of Springfield, arrived
in the winter of 1848. They took up a donation land claim on the
banks of the Willamette River, where a bubbling Spring furnished
a ready water supply. Here, Elias Briggs soon established a
ferry crossing at the Willamette River.
Leaving Joplin, Missouri in 1852 to make the westward trek
to Oregon, Joseph Stewart arrived shortly after the Briggs.
Stewart obtained land from Elias Briggs, including the Spring.
Joseph built his original house near what is currently the
right away for south "A" Street. That house has since been
moved to 2nd and liD" Streets and has numerous additions.
Joseph Stewart married Elizabeth Evans, the daughter of another
pioneer family, and operated a general merchandise store on
Mill Street, which was the downtown center in the early days.
------------------___________~_____________________________~INUED
Recorded by B. Graham, E. Kotz Date July 1980 Sources consulted:
State Historic Preservation Office Maury Stewart
Mr. & Mrs. Clar
"Springfield Histori'
by Baraara Graham
For
Map Designation and Numb~r
3a /79
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142
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Stewart House
214 N. liB" Street
Springfield, Oregon 97477
In 1906, Joseph's son, Harry, built his residence on the
Stewart property right next to the original Spring. Harry M.
Stewart split the lot in half, selling one side to his sister
Ethel and her husband, James Clark. The residnece was originally
red with green trim. Edgar Collins, a builder from Springfield,
built both the Stewart house and the adjacent James Clark house
(destroyed in 1975 by fire). Parts of the interior trim, like
the venetian blinds (wooden), were imported form the east.
A wooden staircase proceeding in three stages to the second
floor dominates the central hall. Upstairs are three bedrooms,
a bathroom, and the sleeping porch. To the side of the house
is the original carriage entry. According to the 1907 Spri~g-
field News, Harry purchased a new buggy for his carriage entry;
l'Harry M. Stewart decided not to be outdone by others and Monday
went to Eugene and purchased a fine rubber tire buggy. He now
has one of the swellest turnouts in the City."
The interior of the house contains a variety of elaborate
details with original brass fixtures and window details. The
house includes transition style windows with one-over-one panes
as well as windows with shingle style panes. The stairs have
hand-carved posts and bannisters. Carefully designed interior
doors grace the parlor. Handles and locks are original brass
with impressed d signs. The original stone fireplaces connect
the parlor with the living area.
The Spring (from which Springfield got its name) was
located between the Stewart house and the neighboring Clark
house. Harry Stewart included the Spring in the' portion of
the property which he sold to his brother-in-law. The Stewart
house is also a significant corner-post of the former downtown
district. In the town's earliest days, Mill Street formed the
business district, and the Stewart house was one of the promi-
nent nearby residences.
Like his father, Harry Stewart played a significant role
in the early formation of the town. He owned a general mer-
chandising store on the Old Mill Street and served as post
master for the town.
9~1~ R~:_I II / ~I 0(./
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THE STEWART HOUSE
The Harry Stewart house lies on the site of the original Elias
Briggs land claim and right next to the original Spring, The
house offers a unique contribution to the community architecturally,
rests on a site which marks the historic founding of the community,
and was the home of an early pioneer.
Mary and Elias Briggs, the founders of Springfield, arrived in
the winter of 1848. They took up a donation land claim on the
banks of the Willamette River, where a bubbling Spring furnished
a ready water supply. Here, Elias Briggs soon established a
ferry crossing at the Willamette River.
Leaving Joplin, Missouri in 1852 to make the westward trek to
Oregon, Joseph Stewart arrived shortly after the Briggs. Stewart
obtained land from Elias Briggs, including the Spring. Joseph
built his original house near what is currently the right away
for south "A" Street. That house has since been moved to 2nd
and "D" Streets and has numerous additions, Joseph Stewart
married Elizabeth Evans, the daughter of another pioneer family,
and operated a general marchandise store on Mill Street, which was
the downtown center in the early days.
In 1906, Joseph's son, Harry, built his residence on the Stewart
property right next to the original Spring. Harry M. Stewart
split the lot in half, selling one side to his sister Ethel
and her husband, James Clark. The residence was originally red
with green trim. Edgar Collins, a builder from Springfield,
built both the Stewart house and the adjacent James Clark house
(destroyed in 1975 by fire). Parts of the interior trim, like
the venetian blinds (wooden), were imported from the east.
A wooden staircase proceeding in three stages to the second
floor dominates the central hall. Upstairs are three bedrooms,
a bathroom, and the sleeping porch. To the side of the house
is the original carriage entry, According to the 1907 Spring-
field News, Harry purchased a new buggy for his carriage entry:
Harry M::Stewart decided not to be outdone by others and Monday
went to Eugene and purchased a fine rubber tire buggy, He now
has one of the swellest turnouts in the City.
The house was originally heated by wood and contained two fire-
places, one in the parlor and one in the main room, The house
has been characterized by the historic inventory survey (City
of Springfield, 1979) as a "transitional box" style house.
The interior contains a variety of elaborate details with original
brass fixtures and window details. The house includes "transition"
windows with one-over-one panes as well as windows with shingle
style panes, The stairs have hand-carved posts and bannisters,
Carefully designed interior doors grace the parlor, Handles
and locks are original brass with impressed designs. The
original stone fireplaces connect the parlor with the living
area,
Date Received.
Planmlr; T J
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The Spring was located between the Clark and the Stewart house.
Harry Stewart included the Spring in the portion of the property
which he sold to his brother-in-law. The Stewart house is also
significant corner-post of the former downtown district. In
the town's earliest days, Mill Street formed the business
district, and the Stewart hOuse was one of the prominent nearby
residences,
Like his father, Harry Stewart played a significant role in the
early formation of the twon, He owned a general merchandising
store on the Old Mill Street and served as post master for the
town.
The Stewart house pOssesses the characteristics which establish
the building's eligibility to become a City Historic Landmark:
1. It is representative of a period or style of architecture.
2. It is the work of a builder whose individual work has in-
fluenced the development of the community,
3, It has a significant relationship to the broad cultural
history of the community.
4. It is identified with a person who has contributed significantly
to the history of the City.
5. It is a unique object representing an aesthetic or educational
feature of the community,
Owned by Mr. & Mrs. Milton &
Arlene Joranger
214 N. 2nd Street, Springfield,
Oregon 97477
\ I {. Ibl O~
Data Reoe\ved:~
Planner. T J
7. Description
Condition
_ excellent
_ good
_fair
_ deteriorated
_ ruins
_ unexposed
Check one
_ unaltered
_ altered
Check one
_ original site
_ moved date
D..cribe the present and original (if known) physical appearance
The Stewart House is representative of the "Transitional Box" style (1890-1910). The
house is 2\ stories and faces squarely towards the east on its original site, an 18,800
square foot city lot. It is characterized by its box shape; an average-pitched hip
roof with two hip-shaped dormer windows; a 2nd story sleeping porch; an open front porch
which extends across the front of the lower floor; an exterior chimney, made of layered
red brick, which leads to two interior fireplaces; a shingled carriage entry attached
to the south side of the house; regular shingled siding made of asbestos material; and
two types of windows, including "transitional" windows with one-over-one panes and
windows with shingle style panes, both types secured by lead. The front porch contains
the ori9inal swin9ing bench located near the front door steps.
The house was made of 5 inch wide one-half inch thick, tongue and groove boards that were
nailed onto studs and then given a plastered finish. The house's original color was red
with green trim but it is now a forest green with white trim. The original stone
foundation was dug out in 1938 to make room for a full-sized concrete basement that
features walls a foot thick and approximately six and a half feet tall.
The interior of the house contains a variety of elaborate details which include original
brass fixtures with impressed designs. These can be found on all the windows and doors.
Parts of the interior trim, like the enetian blinds (wooden) were imported from the
east when the house was built. Throughout the house most of the original
The front door opens to an informal greeting hall, consisting of a coat rack area and a
walk-in closet to the immediate left. A wooden staircase proceeding in three stages
to the second floor, dominates the central hall. The stairs have hand-carved posts and
banisters that add a touch of elegance to the house. A heavy, glassed windowed door
leads to a formal dining room area to the right 0 the hallway, where the window as well
as the ceiling fixture have been replaced. To the left of the dthing area is a spacious
living room which is highlighted by the decorative carriage entry door and the stone
fireplace. At one end of the living room, a door connects with' a simple hallway that
is equipped with stairs leading to the basement. The other side of the living room is
graced by carefully designed, sliding, wooden doors that lead to the parloI1:. This
semi-circular room. features three large windows which give a good view of the front yard.
Another stone fireplace in the parlor resides adjacent to the living room fireplace.
The entrance hallway, dining room, living room, and parlor were fully carpeted when the
house was first built but in 1942 Harry M. Stewar decided to install a hardwood floor
made out of narrow, oak stripping to support a gracious main floor.
The kitchen connects with the dining room and its window has also been replaced by a
larger one, presumably to shed more light. Built-in cabinets overhang one side of the
kitchen and underneath there are waist-high cabinets and a countertop. The other side
of the kitchen consists of a large singular sink and counter-high cabinets, The old
wooden drain board counter top has been replaced by formica. Two doorways lead out
of the kitchen; one opens into a converted pantry room where cabinets have been hand-
crafted to match the existing style of the kitchen cabinets. The pantry room used to
be the utility room which .has been moved to the basement. The old pantry room is the
2nd doorway off the kitchen where a bathroom has been installed. / /, 0
Date Received: (( I {J, ~
Planner: T J I
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United States Department of the Interior
Heritage Conservation and Recreation Service
National Register of Historic Places
Inventory":"Nomination Form
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Continuation sheet
Item number 7
Page 2
From. the entrance hall where the staircase elevates upstairs, a beautifully designed
'diamond-shaped window gives onlookers a glimpse outside of where the original spring
that the town was 'named after: used to trickle. To the left, at the top of the stair-
case, the outdoor sleeping porch gives a view of the old downtown, across the front
yard and then offers yet another view of the original spring lot where the James Clark
house once. stood, now crowded with apartments. Next to the sleeping porch is ,the
largest (master) of three bedrooms which contains a walk-in closet as does the
slightly smaller bedroom next door. This room also contains a door that used to
give access to the top of the carriage entry, which once had a two foot high wooden
railing which skirted the edges of the old sun deck. At the opposite end of. the
sleeping porch is the original bathroom and hardware, such as the exposed porcelain
bathtub, sink and toilet. A door next to the bathroom leads up to' the attic which is
partially in use and which has exposed framing material,
how the house was built. The third bedroom is smaller than the other two bedrooms but
has a nice sized window to accommodate the room. The whole upstairs as well as the
staircase is covered by'a low-cut carpet.
The house was well built for its time and Harry M. Stewar paid about 2600 dollars
in labor and material: It has had few alterations and no major changes with the
.exceptio.n....oLthe. basement add i t i on and the replacement of, two 1 a rgerwi ndows.., in....the
dining room and kitchen. The house was first heated by the two stone fireplaces.
Later in the early twenties a wood circulator was installed, Then, after the basement
was' dug out in 1938, a furnace was installed and sawdust was burned. From this period
. on it was converted to oil, back to sawdust and is presently being heated by natural
gas, The plaster finish has either been repainted or dressed with decorative wallpaper
on the inside, and the outside siding appears to be in fairly good shape. The front'
porch area was rebuilt when the old one was damaged by water. Many of the bushes and
tr:ees.th.at .Harry M. Stewar planted still surround the house today, Since the house
sits in the front of the lot and next to a moderately heav' .
.hedge.-liQes the property to provide a buffer zone from today's traffic.
Decei"ed:~
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Planner. ,.
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Sta tement of sig! ~ cance
The Harry stewart House, built in 1905, lies on the site of the:
,
original Elias Briggs land claim and right next to the original spring
,
which Springfield, Oregon was named from. The house offers a unique con-
tribution to the community architecturally in that it has been character-
ized as a "Transitional Box" style house. It is the work of Edgar Collins,
a builder whose individual ~ork has influenced the development of the comm-
unity. The house; '\lhich -rests'on a site that marks'the 'historic'.foundii1g of
the community, \JaS the home of Harry M. Ste\lart ~ho along '.lith his family
has played a significant role in the communitids development. The Ste\lart
..
house \JaS an important corner-post of' the former dowtow district. The house
;"
~as one of the prominent nearby residences, ~here the socially inc1hled ste\IaTt
family wuld often entertain fello\l towspeople. This house adds not only
aesthetic but educational value to the community as ~ell.
The founders of Springfield, Mary and Elias Briggs, arrived in the \lintcr of
1848. They took up a donation land claim on the banks of the l.illamette river,
\lhere a bubbling spring furnished a ready \later supply. It \JaS this "spring in
the field" that gave Springfield its' name, and eventually the same area the
Stevart house \JaS built on. Shortly after the Briggs arrived, the Ste\,lart family
made the ~est\lard trek to Oregon from Joplin, Missouri in 1852. Elias 8l.so know
--
as Eben ste\Jart \JaS a native of Virginia \lhen he moved to Macoupin county, Illin-
ois, \lhere he met and married Elizabeth England. They lived a good portion of their
early lifes in Illinois before venturing to the Northwst \lith their children and
team of oxes. During their journey, sadness struck the family as the mother succumbed
to cholera \lhen they \lere crossing the plains, and \laS laid to rest on tho \lestern
priaries. Upon the arrival of the family into Oregon territory, Elias ste\lart filed
on a donation land claim of three hundred and twnty acres on the Willamette river,
and so :this lIiaxked the first of four generations of stewrts in the Willnmette valley.
Elais later traded this land to Charnell Mulligan for a tract of the same size in the
general area where Eugene is nO\l located. Elias
ste\lart resided on this land claim
Date Received: { I ( (~ //'\~
Planner: T J '
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until his death on the 241... day of April, 1897. Of the six ..rviving children,
the oldest \l8.S Joseph ~I. Stev.u-t born in Mancoupin county, Illinois, Sept. 13th.
1835. After living on his fatheis farm in -Eugene for"B. feu years, Joseph moved to
Springfeild in 1863 and had kept a general merchandising store on Mill street for
nearly 40 years until he retired. He \l8.S an alert, enterprising man uho \l8.S shrew
and \lise \lith business transactions, uhich made him one of the most successful business.
men on the east side of the Willamette river. He \l8.S one of the represenative pioneer
merchants of the country and one of the most substantial citizens. Politically he uas
a Democrat and held various local office positions for the city of Springfield. He \l8.S
honorable, upright and one of the most trustwrthy man in the valley. His death on
October 25th, 1903 refiected his attitude towrd the development of the community. While
trying to assist some men in removing a log that \l8.S lodged in a gate of the Mill race
at Washburne's mill, he \l8.S accidentally hit in the head by a fiying cable and killed.
Married t\lice, his first \life \l8.S Miss Julia Walker a native of Greene county, Missouri,
uho came to Oregon in 1854 \lith her parents. She passed avay in August of 1874 leaving
Joseph and twchildren. On December 2nd, 1875, Joseph stevart remarried to a Miss
Elizabeth M. Evans uho \l8.S born in Baltimore, Maryland, March 17, 1852. Of the three
children born to Joseph and Elizabeth, the youngest, "Ha=}' M. (born.:1J:l 1882) folloued
his father.' s footsteps in the mEl6mtile business and continued to operate his father's
~ store after he had retired. After the marriage of Harry M. to Elsie C. Boutin of Bayrie:
Wisconsin on January 1 1995, they hired Edgar Collins of Springfield to build a house
i
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; -2 on property bought from Joseph stevart, uho acquired it from Elias Briggs sometime
afte:
-,
1852. Harry M. split the lot in half, selling the half idth the original spring to his
sister Ethel Clark and her husband James}'Collins built a similiar styled house on the
adjacent Clark property( destroyed by fire in 1975), before completing the Stevart hous
in early 1906.
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Like his father, Harry M. played a significant role in the early formation of the to\;
Besides owing and running his fathers merchandising store on Mill street, the business
district of old tow
Springfield, he held the postmasters job as long as there
oateR~:~tft
Planner. T J
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Democrat in the , .ll office. In the days of the l>" lis system alid since he \/as a
Democrat,' his job as a postmaster depended on hov the results of the presedential
campaign L~ merited. When he va~robligating his efforts to being a postmaster he
. '.,:- and a partner ran a fuel business by selling cords of scrap wad from the nearby miD.
,.
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to O\JIlers of homes that had wad-burning furnaces. He also held numerous office jobs
for.the city of Springfield, including; city councilman and a member of the Chamber of
,,,,,,S
Commerce. During the depression Springfield's Commercial State Bank/'closed due to in-
solvency June 6th, 1931 and in 1940 The Bank of Springfield vas organized and operated
under people like Harry M. Stevart wo vas vic&-president untill the bank \/as sold in
1946 to U.S. National Bank of Portland, Oregon. Before his death in Feb. of 1947, Barr
"__' carried much the same character build-up the community gave his father. His intelligen
f<--'
..- and"stature set'.an "'A_....le-~ all Springfield. citizens. ,Today Harry's son Morris (Morr
,
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" still carries the Stevarl name v.i.th pride. Morris vas born in 1915 in the parlor of
the. Stewr-t House and came back to live in his father's home shortly after Harry H. di
in 1947. He acquired the house in 19'1t from hiB~llZother. 'Elsie aild -.resided their for abo
- ,lv';I'~ this h,'-e,
10 years,.miuT'ying:bis sei:ond..Jrli'e.Katherine_::.......l1~ Morris spent most of his life in
the auto parts business and vhen he married Katherine he'helped her rtm:a'csucceSsrurr
1
estate business untill recent.'..years wen he decided to get back the-:il.uto business by
being a public rEiiations ."'...."'sentative for Hutchins Motors of. Springfield. Morris ane6.s~~
Katherine sold the home in ~ to"i;he presenjoomers Miltoil-A;, 'Jorang=JUld Arlene
Cook Joranger.
Date ReceiVed' Ir /1 tE /oq
Planner: T J .