Blog Archives

Deepwood Museum & Gardens -- Lynne Richardson

9/26/2015

Courtesy of Deepwood Museum & Gardens

September 24, 2015 Episode.

What do the FBI, Monticello, the Smithsonian, the National Museum of Natural History, the Autry Museum of Western History, and our own Deepwood Museum and Gardens have in common? Why, curator-art theft expert-executive director Lynne Richardson of little old Salem!

Lynne is an energetic, enthusiastic, charismatic, natural teacher-type person who has taken over the reins as the executive director of Deepwood Museum & Gardens, formerly Historic Deepwood Estate. One of her first recommendations to their board of directors was to change their name to better describe the character of Deepwood.

Lynne Richardson entertaining the children at a recent Deepwood event.

Lynne described some of the ways they are opening up Deepwood to welcome visitors of all ages: fancy teas, educational programs for kids, Christmas open houses, heritage talks, informative nature trails through the Lord & Schryver gardens, wine & brew festivals, vintage flea markets, and even a spectacular Halloween Party on October 31! They are following the tradition of previous owners of Deepwood (Dr. Luke Port house, originally) through the years by opening their doors and gates to entertain the folks of Salem.

After talking with her today, it was so very evident that we in Salem are extremely lucky to have her in our midst! Check out their website to see what fun things are coming your way!

Historic Preservation Update--What's New in Salem History?

9/19/2015

1876 Artist's View of Salem (Salem Public Library)

September 17, 2015 Episode.

Our good friend Kimberli was back with us today to let us all know that historic preservation is not stagnant in our fair city. Kimberli reported that a group of neighbors had recently organized the Friends of Court-Chemeketa Historic District. The group hopes to revive their annual Christmas Open Houses event that we all once eagerly anticipated during the holiday season. This year the Open House will be held Sunday, December 13. Watch for more information on this as the event nears.

SESNA Logo

The City has designated its second Heritage Neighborhood, the South East Salem Neighborhood Association (SESNA), whose boundaries are generally State Street on the north, 12th Street on the west, then south along the railroad tracks to Madrona Avenue and up to Highway 22, and the I-5 to Lancaster Drive area on the east. You will remember all the neighborhood-strengthening activities and projects undertaken with the residents of Grant Neighborhood last year and the positive impact yet resounding through that neighborhood. We're excited to follow this program with SESNA!

Capitol & Circuit Rider Statue (Salem Public Library)

The first promotion video in the Capitol Cornerstones series being developed by the All-Star Forum will focus on the State Capitol Building. We learned a bit about the different buildings that were our Capitol over the years, and even more about the major conflagration that destroyed the building in 1935. We will have more information about the Capitol Buildings on our Spotlight on History page.

We added another entry into our Guess the Location contest! Click here to go to our contest page!

See you next week! Take care--and take time to check out all our historic treasures--they're all around you!

Post-War Influences in Salem Buildings-Deb Meaghers

9/13/2015

1869 Pearce Bldg., (l), 1874 Breyman Bros. Bldg. [White's Corner], (r), c1930. (V.Green coll.)

Pearce Building, c2010. Breyman Bros. building (off to right) now houses Shryock's Menswear. (T.Green)

1889 Breyman-Bush, Brey Buildings, c1920. (V.Green coll.)

1880 Capital National Bank, 1889 Bush-Breyman Bldg., c2010. (T.Green)

1916 Hughes-Durbin Building, c2005. (T. Green)

State Capitol, US Post Office, Marion Co. Courthouse, First Methodist Church, c1900 (V.Green coll.)

September 10, 2015 Episode:

Today we talked about the repercussions of the First and Second World Wars on the commercial scenery of Salem. The impacts wrought across Europe by a rapidly changing political scenery were soon felt in our West Coast towns.

Following WWI--the war to end all wars--monumental changes began occurring in the mostly agrarian communities in the United States: transportation options were improving; people were leaving the farms for work in the industrial factories that sprang up during the war effort; women were beginning to vote and launch "careers." Europe had long been our architectural inspiration point and now the Art Nouveau movement was highly popular. Many of the older Commercial-style buildings were remodeled to sport smooth-faced facades with intricate, geometric decorations made of expensive materials.

Following WWII, the desire to return to "life" and to build a better world with new families and new ideals lead to the residential movement from town centers to suburban communities, with shops and services to service this new clientele. To compete, many of the ornate buildings built in Gothic, Italianate, Greek Revival, Commercial styles found in downtown Salem were remodeled again--this time with the new International Moderne, or Modern-styled touches. Wartime discoveries lead to new building materials--concrete, steel, glass--being available to area contractors. Several of our downtown buildings were totally replaced (Pearce, Hughes-Durbin buildings) with modern-styled buildings; even more building owners remodeled their ground-floor storefronts again to showcase sleek, shiny materials and large glass windows, all in an attempt to compete with the new suburban shopping centers.

1893 Salem City Hall, c1959; demolished 1972. (V.Green coll.)

Marion Co. Courthouse, 2008. (T.Green)

Our public buildings were not overlooked in this modernization movement which resulted in the demolition of many highly ornate historic buildings. The Richardson Romanesque Salem City Hall and the High Victorian Marion County Courthouse are examples of buildings replaced with the now-vogue styles of Brutalism-Monumentalism and International--concrete, glass, and marble-like monuments in which the industrial production techniques and marks are highlighted and incorporated into the design. Many of the fine older homes of the Piety Hill area are demolished and replaced with the modern-designed State buildings of the Capitol Mall: Public Services Building, 1949; Transportation Building, 1951; Labor & Industries Building, 1961.

It will be interesting to see what architectural styles will be tagged as signature styles within our lifetime. The Ranch style of the 1970-80s is now old enough for historic designation. Perhaps it will be the French Normandy or Provincial, hipped-roof style of the 1990-00s, or the return to the Arts & Crafts styling found in the early 21st century. Whatever it will be, some of us will love it and some of us just won't be able to appreciate it at all. Fortunately for our future generations, historic preservation is charged to protect them all.

Historic Woodburn - Beverlee Jory Koutny

9/3/2015

The Settlemier Family (French Prairie Hist. Soc.)

September 3, 2015 Episode.

The little burg of Woodburn in the northern Willamette Valley played second fiddle to the thriving crossroads town of Belle Passi, a community began by early trappers in the area then known as the French Prairie--until an enterprising young man named Jesse Settlemier relentlessly pursued his dream. Today, all that most of us can recognize of Belle Passi is the cemetery on the road of the same name.

Beverlee Jory Koutny has a long history in the Salem area, being part of one of the original homesteading families, the Jorys (Jory Hill, Jory soil, the state soil, no less), and a long history teaching in area schools. Due to her long roots and knowledge of the area, she was asked my members of the Woodburn historical community to compile this photographic history book, Images of America: Woodburn, for Arcadia Publishing.

Beverlee accounted that Jesse Settlemier was a very young man who, with his brother, began a nursery at Tangent, just north of Albany in the center of the Willamette Valley. They took turns walking back home to the Mt. Angel area on the weekends (a trek of about 20-25 miles) for home-cooked meals and clean laundry. When Jesse discovered this parcel of land in what is now Woodburn, his dream of owning his own nursery began. He moved his family to the area he was developing, and offered plots of land to others who would settle there. He was integral in persuading the railroad folks to build their line through his town, securing its future. Unable to enjoy this success, however, his clear right to own the developed property was challenged all the way to the highest court of the land, and he was forced to purchase the property all over again, at inflated prices, of course. Even following the tragic suicide of his wife, leaving him with seven children to raise, he kept his eye on his goal and carried on.

Over the years Woodburn has embraced other visionaries from disparate worlds. Russian Old Believers, scattered across the world to escape religious persecution began coming to the area where they heard other "Molokans" were living. These folks formed a tight-knit community around their church and held closely to their traditions, even to this day. Another foreign group, the "braceros", were transported here every year from Mexico to help with the massive harvest of the crops growing in this fertile valley, after which they would return to their homes in Mexico. Over the years, some began staying year-round in the area creating a Latino community with its own strong traditions. A third group was introduced when folks from up and down the west coast were enticed to move here to be part of a new and innovative housing concept, a retirement community centered around a golf course--Woodburn Estates.

Beverlee's book chronicles the history of this burgeoning town as well as documenting the growing pains and efforts of bringing these individual "communities" together to build the Woodburn we see today. You can purchase the book locally at the Woodburn Library, the World Berry Museum, and the French Prairie Historical Society/Settlemier House in Woodburn.

Postcard of Settlemeir House (FPHS)

Deepwood Museum & Gardens -- Lynne Richardson

Historic Preservation Update--What's New in Salem History?

Post-War Influences in Salem Buildings-Deb Meaghers

Historic Woodburn - Beverlee Jory Koutny

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Deepwood Museum & Gardens -- Lynne Richardson

Historic Preservation Update--What's New in Salem History?

Post-War Influences in Salem Buildings-Deb Meaghers﻿

Historic Woodburn - Beverlee Jory Koutny

Your Hosts

You Can Join in the Fun!

Archives

Post-War Influences in Salem Buildings-Deb Meaghers