National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
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NFS Form 10-900 OWB Mo. 10244018 (Rev. 8-66) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Registration Form This form is for use in nominating or requesting determinations of eligibility for individual properties or districts. See instructions in Guidelines for Completing National Register Forms (National Register Bulletin 16). Complete each item by marking "x" in the appropriate box or by entering the requested information. If an item does not apply to the property being documented, enter "N/A" for "not applicable." For functions, styles, materials, and areas of significance, enter only the categories and subcategories listed in the instructions. For additional space use continuation sheets (Form 10-900a). Type all entries. 1. Name of Property historic name Chown. Francis R.. House other names/site number 2. Location street & number 203Q SW Main Street no* f°r publication city, town Portland vicinity state Oregon code OR county Mnltnomah code zip^code 97205 3. Classification Ownership of Property Category of Property Number of Resources within Property fxl private ET1 building(s) Contributing Noncontributing I I public-local I I district 1 ____ buildings I I public-State I_I site ____ ____ sites I I public-Federal I I structure ____ ____ structures I I object ____ ____ objects _1___ n Total Name of related multiple property listing: Number of contributing resources previously _________N/A___________ listed in the National Register 4. State/Federal Agency Certification As the designated authority under the National M^storia Preservation Act of 1966, as amended, I hereby certify that this nomination LJ request for determination df 6li eets th ocumentation standards for registering properties in the National Register of Historic Places and mensV \th ofessional requirements set forth in 36 CFR Part 60. In my opinion, the property LXJ meets LJd Register criteria. EUsee continuation sheet. Signature of certifying official Date Oregon Stare Historic Preservation State or Federal agency and bureau In my opinion, the property LJ meets LJdoes not meet the National Register criteria. LjSee continuation sheet. Signature of commenting or other official Date State or Federal agency and bureau 5. National Park Service Certification I, hereby, certify that this property is: Rational Register Qj entered in the National Register. I I See continuation sheet. I I determined eligible for the National Register. I I See continuation sheet. I I determined not eligible for the National Register. I I removed from the National Register. O other, (explain:) ___________ Signature of the Keeper Date of Action 0 6. Function or Use Historic Functions (enter categories from instructions) Current Functions (enter categories from instructions) s ingle dwelling___________ Domestic; multiple dwelling________ 7. Description Architectural Classification Materials (enter categories from instructions) (enter categories from instructions) foundation brick High Victorian Italianate walls __ wood:weatherboard roof _ asphaltt sh ingle/hot-tar other Describe present and historic physical appearance. continuation sheet NP8 Form KWOO-* OW0 Appvvtf No. 10844018 (840) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number 7 Page 1 The Francis B. Choom House : Built in 1882, this house was occupied by the Chown family for over 65 years. Frank R. Chown established the Chown Hardware Company in Portland in 1879. The Chown House is located in King's Hill section of Portland, Oregon. King's Hill was a fashionable residential area during the late nineteenth and early twentieth century and remains so. In the immediate King's Hill vicinity are a wealth of National Register and Landmark residences. The Chown House is a Rank-II on the Historical Resource Inventory of 1982. The Chown residence is the only surviving High Victorian Italianate example in the King's Hill neighborhood and is also considered the oldest house. Neighborhood ; The King's Hill neighborhood, west of Portland's urban core, was one of the first large residential housing areas to be developed on the foothills adjacent to the gently sloping downtown Portland area. In the beginning, shanties and truck farms dotted the foothills and lower slopes. Further early residential development was hindered by irregular topography and it was not until the late nineteenth century that construction began to occur on the steeper slopes of the hill. This period of expansion continued steadily through the 1905 Lewis and Clark Exposition period to about 1916. By this time the King's Hill neighborhood had tripled in housing density and dwelling square footage had more than doubled from the earliest 1870's buildings. During the nineteenth century, as architectural styles evolved in Portland, the Italianate and Queen Anne Style houses with their then modern Eastlake detail replaced older shanties and truck farmsteads on King's Hill. By the late 1880's the newer homes were larger and more spacious. As the twentieth century approached, even more spacious buildings in revival styles appeared in the neighborhood. Many of Portland's most notable citizens, now eager for accessibility to downtown and for mountain and city views located in the King's Hill neighborhood. As a result, a range of architectural styles developed including Italianate, Queen Anne.and the later turn of the century Jacobethan, Classical and Colonial Revival In spite of more recent in-fill of multi-story apartments, the predominant character of the neighborhood remains an historic architectural composition of gracious amenity. The Oregonian Newspaper editor, Mr. Harvey W. Scott observed in 1890, that "by popular consent, King's Hill shall forever be dedicated to dwellings of wealth and elegance." NP8 Form 1MOO* (M6) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number 7 Page —I __ The Chown House is detached and sits up 12' high above Main Street. The house is situated adjacent to the Gaston-Strong and Reed Houses, both of which are currently being nominated to the National Register as well The Chown House was included as historically significant in a proposed King's Hill Historic District in the late 1970's. But for various reasons unrelated to its architectural and historical integrity and merit, it was never designated. Nevertheless, the necessary components remain, as does an avid revitalization interest among King's Hill residents. Significantly, there are over 11 resources in the King's Hill neighborhood listed as city landmarks and 17 properties that have been entered on the National Register of Historic Places. Among these are Samuel King, Durham, Wortman, W. R. MacKenzie, Cornelius, Lang, J. E. Young, Levi Heiter, Wilcox, Honeyman, and Schnabel .Houses.. Building and Site : The Chown property was subdivided into a lot in 1866 by Amos N. King. Block 10 of Amos N. King's Addition was sold to Dr. William A. Watkins M.D. in 1867 for $700.00. Doctor Watkins sold the block to Amanda and John Bloomfield in 1874 for $5,000. The Bloomfield's were interested in building a farmstead to retire on, but John Bloomfield died shortly after the purchase. Amanda C. Bloomfield built on Lot 6 (601 x 104'} an Italianate house for $5,400.00 in February 1882. The as yet unoccupied house was sold to the Chown's in 1884 for $8,250.00 including an interior furnishings loan of $700.00 from Mr. Sampson Humphreys, capitalist. The 104.3' i 59.3* lot originally also had a 25' i 25* two and a half story Italianate carriage house with living quarters above. Additionally a two story pump house for the well stood adjacent to the carriage house. The 1882 Chown House achieves significance as an excellent and early Portland example of residential architecture in the High Victorian Italianate style. The Chown House is also one of the few remaining examples of Italianate architecture in the city of Portland. Other examples of fine High Victorian Italianate residences include the 1882 Morris Marks House and the 1882 Sprague-Marshall-Bowie House. Italianate Style : The first Italianate style houses in the United States were built in the late 1830's on the east coast of the United States. The style was popularized by the influential pattern books of Andrew Jackson Downing published in the 1840's and 50's. During the post American Civil War period the style completely overshadowed its earlier companion, the Gothic Revival. Most surviving examples date from the 1878-1884 period in the western United States. NPS Form 1MOO* °*" Appro** No. United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number 1 Page — 2 —— The decline of the Italianate Style on the east coast began with the financial panic of 1873, while on the west coast the decline began after the collapse of the Railroads and subsequent depression of 1882-3. When prosperity returned late in the decade, new housing fashions -particularly the Queen Anne Style- rose quickly to dominance. The Chotim House: The salient features of the Chown House are typical of the High Victorian Italianate Style. The primary Main Street facade of the Chown House displays the characteristic bracketed cornice, a single two story polygonal bay on the front facade with pilaster window surrounds of the Italianate style typical of architectural plan pattern books from 1876 to 1882. The original entry porch was replaced in 4904 by the large square hipped roof porch that still stands. The porch is accessed by wide wooden stairway with stepped close rails. Round fluted posts are set on bases and pedestals supporting the hipped porch roof. The columns have simple rounded capitals and front brackets which extend to the projecting cornice. The porch balustrade features simple top and bottom rails and square 2" i 2" balusters.