Mol Walking Map.qxd

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Molalla State Bank
102-104 E. Main Street
Classic Revival ~ 1913
Built as the first fire-proof concrete commercial building
during City incorporation in 1913, the former bank building retains its anchor position at the historic corner of S.
Molalla Avenue and Main Street. Well-known Molalla
store-owner, Levi Wayne Robbins, was the first bank
President. The Temple-front form of Classical architecture
became popular in the early 1900s, especially in the construction of bank buildings on corner lots. Contractor
Frank Dodge had teams haul the gravel for the concrete to
be prepared on-site. The interior features the original oak
trim. The Molalla State Bank was advertised as "A good
bank in a good town" in 1916, and by 1918 it became the
First National Bank of Molalla.
Man's Shop
1Commercial
8 The
106 E. Main Street
~ 1941
The Man's Shop was built by Robert L. Ireland, also known
as "Bill Sr.," as a men's clothing and furnishing shop.
Popular were men's dress clothes, work clothes, shoes, and
hats. Bill Sr.'s son Elwin J. (Bill Jr.) took over the business
and today it is operated by Bob Ireland, the son of Bill Jr.
The exterior of the building is very similar in appearance to
the original construction and the interior retains the look of an architect-designed
remodel that was done in 1967.
© 2009 Judith Sanders Chapman and Lois E. Helvey Ray
Charles H. Albright and Ralph L. Holman purchased
Cole's Garage in 1920 and in 1922 became the Ford sales
and service dealers for Molalla by forming the Albright and
Holman Ford Agency. They also sold Ford-Ferguson farm
implements. Ralph L. Holman was the father of Ralph M.,
a prominent lawyer and a judge of the Oregon Supreme
Court, and Charles, who became the dean of medicine at the University of
Oregon Health Sciences Center. Albright and Holman became the Holman &
Williams Motor Co. in late 1949 when Paul Holman became a partner with Bill
Williams. By the 1950s, the building had been redesigned and expanded. The old
gas pumps are no longer present and several businesses have used the building,
such as the Marshall-Wells Store, an appliance and hardware source, and later
Western Auto, Coast-to-Coast, and Ace Hardware.
www.mthoodterritory.com
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Dicken & Co. Dry Goods started when Frank Dicken
purchased the former P.C. Ferman & Co. store on S.
Molalla Avenue in 1915. Dicken had worked for the
Robbins General Merchandise store for ten years in
Molalla prior to opening his own dry goods store.
Although he built a new store building in this Main Street
location in 1940, it burned in 1944, after which a new section was quickly rebuilt.
Construction on a new store started at the end of World War II in April 1945,and
Dicken reopened adjoining the new Orcutt Drug Co. building in 1946, at which
time he expanded the grocery business. His son Ron joined him after returning
from the military. Dicken & Co. was known as "The Store of Quality and Service."
In 1955, Dicken sold the Dry Goods section to his daughter Betty and her husband George Guild. The grocery later became Dicken Thriftway, and when it
moved, the former building was remodeled in 1979 into a modern office suite by
Gary and Joan Deardorff.
Lodging in Molalla:
Stagecoach Inn Motel, 415 Grange Avenue, 503-829-4382
Rosse Posse Acres Bed & Breakfast, 32690 S. Mathias
Road, 503-829-7107
Albright and Holman Ford Building
106-112 W. Main Street
Brick Commercial ~ circa 1922
& Co. Dry Goods and Grocery Store
1Remodeled
7 Dicken
103-105 E. Main Street
Commercial ~ 1946
Area Historical Society Museum Complex
1OpenMolalla
600-620 S. Molalla Avenue
March-November, Fridays and Saturdays, 1 to 4 pm
Frank and Bertha Dicken House
5
102 5th Street
English Tudor Revival ~ 1927
The museum complex consists of four buildings, and a shed
that shelters farming and logging equipment. The center of
the museum is the Horace L. Dibble House, which was completed in 1859 using hand-hewn posts and beams and handplaned board siding. The six-room house with buttery and
cellar is one of few true Saltbox-style houses remaining from
the pioneer period in Oregon. The Dibble family produced grain crops and apples,
and made cheese on their farm. The house is decorated in period style and open
to the public. The nearby Vonderahe House and Summer Kitchen were built in the
1860s and were moved to the museum complex from the Carus area near Oregon
City. The house served as a stagecoach stop along the Portland to Salem route
(present OR 213) in the late 1800's. The house is an early and excellent example
of Federal-style architecture in Oregon. The house is used for museum events and
contains an archival research library. The Ivor Davies Hall was built in 2002-2003
using stylistic architectural elements from the 1926 Molalla Union High School
building, which was damaged in the 1993 earthquake and demolished. Bricks from
the school were used as walkways on the museum grounds. Ivor Davies was a
Molalla resident and benefactor who helped fund the construction of the building.
Inside the hall are exhibits showcasing Molalla's history.
A superior example of the English Cottage style, this stucco house has been modified but retains important elements of its style. Notable are the decorative gable-end
half-timbering, which gives the house a Tudor appearance,
the arched window and door openings, the stucco finish,
and English garden landscaping. The house was built by
Frank Dicken, who was well known in Molalla as the founder and proprietor of
Dicken & Co. Dry Goods and Groceries. The plans for the house were drawnup by Raymond Hatch, a Portland architect who also designed the 1926 high
school building (no longer standing across 5th street). The Dickens lived in the
house for over 60 years. Their store evolved into Dicken's Thriftway, which only
recently changed hands. Bertha Adams, Frank's wife, was descended from the
Robbins family. As a pastime, Frank and Bertha enjoyed tending their roses at
their Shady Dell log cabin on the Molalla River.
W.W. Everhart House
2
603 S. Molalla Avenue
Craftsman Bungalow ~ 1913
Photographs by Lois E. Helvey Ray and Judith Sanders
Chapman, except historical photos.
A plaque within the park on S. Molalla Avenue provides a concise history of the
development of Molalla, starting with its pioneer roots in the 1840s up to the
development of the town proper. The lot became a park once the 1947 IOOF
#184 lodge building and furniture store succumbed to damage from the 1993
earthquake. The Martin Furniture and Appliance Co. store occupied the spacious ground floor, while the Lodge, established in Molalla in 1905, occupied the
upper floor. A Rebekah Lodge plaque is also located in the park.
W. C. Orcutt was a well-known Molalla druggist. He built
this new store one year after a large fire leveled the
previous drug store. As a Rexall dealer, the store served
the greater Molalla area with prescription service and also
supplied sick-room needs, stationery, school supplies, gifts,
cosmetics, toiletries, and magazines. A spacious storefront
window provided display, and the interior featured a soda fountain and tile floor.
The 1945 hollow-tile building with glazed-brick facing has been remodeled with a
rock-face surface over the original glazing. The trim on the original decorative
awning has been removed. The Orcutt Drug Co. was later owned by Jim and
Irene Jolley, then John and Cheryl Cutter.
Printed by
Your Town Press
Park
1 2 Pocket
S. Molalla Avenue
Drug Co. Building
1Commercial
6 Orcutt
101 E. Main Street
~ 1945
This walking tour brochure was created in cooperation
with the City of Molalla, the Molalla Area
Chamber of Commerce, and the Molalla Pioneer.
The two-story, tile and concrete building was built in 1928
by contractors Birkemeir & Saramel with materials supplied
by the Molalla Brick and Tile Company. The building had
two sound-proof booths for the switchboard operators,
large, plate-glass windows, living quarters in back and
upstairs, and a basement. The telephone company originated in this location in the former 1875 Molalla School building, which was moved
here to use as a dwelling and phone office. The former school was moved again,
in 1928, to Hart Avenue to make way for the new telephone building. The Molalla
Telephone Company, which continues in operation today as Molalla
Communications Company, was incorporated in 1912 with 335 stockholders.
Molalla: Self-Guided Walking Tour
Telephone Company Building
1Commercial
1 Molalla
115 W. Main Street
~ 1928
Designed by
Molalla Pioneer
Safeway moved from Main Street to this new building
around 1940, but left town in 1953, then returned 50 years
later to the outskirts of Molalla. Gregory & Company
operated their grocery business here for many years,
moving from S. Molalla Avenue. Also within the building
was the Bus Depot Café, later known as Mary's Café.
Mary's Café was Molalla's largest and most popular restaurant after it opened in
1946, with Mary L. Zuber as proprietor. The place served home-cooked meals
with specialty-made pies, cakes, and cookies. The New Lyric Theatre opened at
the west end of the building along W. Main Street in about
the same place as the former wood-frame 1915 Lyric building. George E. Dickinson owned the New Lyric in 1940
and later Ernest W. Clark and A. M. Roberts operated the
theatre. Western movies were always popular in Molalla,
including venues featuring Johnny Mack Brown and
Randolph Scott.
Molalla
Self-Guided
Walking Tour
The James Franklin Adams house is a classic box form
exemplified by its truncated pyramidal roof form and fulllength front porch, although the front porch is a later
addition. The original front porch was two stories with a
balcony. Other additions are new exterior siding and
window updates. Frank Adams and his wife Mary
purchased the land for this house in 1898. Frank, a carpenter, was the son of
William Adams, who was also a well-known carpenter in Molalla. Mr. Wright
lived in the home around 1922 while he operated the old Lyric Theatre in town.
Researched and written by
Judith Sanders Chapman
Lois E. Helvey Ray
and Lyric Theatre
1Commercial
5 Safeway
115 N. Molalla Avenue
~ circa 1940
This walking tour of downtown Molalla is designed to be a selfguided tour of the more significant and interesting historical sites
and buildings. You can choose to walk, drive, or bike the entire
route. Molalla residents and visitors alike will be rewarded with
historical facts and information about the development of this
small country town, and learn about its vernacular architecture
and the people who made it come alive. There are many things to
see and do in and around Molalla. The Molalla Area Historical
Society maintains a large collection of archival documents,
antiques, artifacts, and historical photographs relating to the pioneer roots and subsequent development of the area. Molalla's
scenic recreational areas can be accessed from the Molalla River
Corridor located in the foothills of the Cascade Range. Molalla
comes to life as a Western town every Fourth of July for the
famous Molalla Buckeroo rodeo.
Most all of Molalla's original false-front, wood-frame business
buildings have been replaced, but Molalla still has a lot to offer in
its second generation of commercial buildings, with many dating
to the 1910s and 1920s. Settlers first arrived in the area in the
1840s to farm the prairie but the focus has changed over time
from agriculture to lumber. Named for an indigenous Indian
tribe called the Molala, the town has seen railroads and sawmills
come and go. Town spurts occurred in 1913, when the City of
Molalla was incorporated and subdivisions were added, and again
in the late 1940s when growth developed after World War II,
fueled by the lumber industry.
Many of the historical houses on the tour are in Molalla's earliest subdivisions. Subdivisions were generally planned and
designed as a single development, requiring developers to file a
plat and prepare plans for improving the land with streets, sidewalks, and utilities. In Molalla, the most common examples of
suburban architecture are Craftsman Bungalows from the 1910s
and 1920s, and Ranch-style houses from the 1950s that were built
during the lumber era. A few English Tudor Revival style houses
from the 1920s are attributed to an early architect's work in
Molalla.
Franklin Adams House
1Foursquare
0 James
214 S. Molalla Avenue
Craftsman ~ circa 1900
W.W. Everhart was elected Molalla's first mayor in 1913
and his Craftsman-style home set the tone for new residential construction along S. Molalla Avenue. At the time,
the home and a barn (no longer standing) were called
Ashdale Farm. The house was acclaimed as a "modern
seven room bungalow on [Everhart's] beautiful farm just
outside the city." Design elements include a low-pitched gable roof, overhanging
eaves, exposed rafters, knee braces, dormer windows, and a large front porch
with the original exterior door. The interior features a bay window with a window
seat in the dining room and stained wood surfaces, a brick fireplace, and leaded
glass. Everhart served on the Molalla School Board and worked as a land agent.
The house was later owned by Sid and Anita (Cole) Powers. Sid was a Molalla
postmaster and Anita was the Molalla Buckeroo Queen in 1925. The property is
noteworthy for the older tree specimens on the large landscaped lot.
Everman and Clara Robbins House
3
521 S. Molalla Avenue
Craftsman Bungalow ~ 1915
This home is similar to the W. W. Everhart house in terms
of design elements, although the façade, including the two
upper dormer windows and the front porch, has been
altered from its original appearance. The house interior
features open rooms, leaded glass windows, the original
front door with brass hardware, a fireplace with dentil
decorations, built-in cabinetry, a pink tile bathroom, French doors, and a full
basement. An upstairs apartment with exterior stairs was added in the 1960s,
while the main kitchen was remodeled in the 1970s. The concrete curbing at the
sidewalk in front of the house demonstrates the fine level of workmanship used
in the landscaping.
Fred M. and Nellie Henriksen House
4
524 S. Molalla Avenue
English Tudor Revival ~ circa 1926-27
This excellent example of an English Tudor-style house has
a steeply-pitched gable roof, multiple windows, brickarched front entry, and decorative motifs in the front gable
end. The house, built of brick with a stucco finish, was
built for Fred and Nellie Henriksen. Fred was the
proprietor of the Molalla Hardware & Implement Co.,
which he established in 1913 on the corner of S. Molalla Avenue and 2nd Street
after purchasing the implement department from the Robbins Bros. Store.
Henriksen's popular store sold Studebaker wagons and buggies, and later was a
center for sporting goods and supplies. Henriksen was a long-time Molalla businessman, Mayor, Buckeroo President, City Councilman, and all-around Molalla
booster. The Henriksen's sold the house to William and Nina Orcutt, who moved
to Molalla from Portland and were proprietors of the Orcutt Drug Company
store. Doctor Dale Robinson later occupied the house and remodeled the basement into a chiropractic office. Notable trees on the property are large spruce,
sequoia, cedar, and fir specimens.
Park
6 Fox
S. Molalla Avenue
Fox Park is the former location of the Renaissance/Tudor-style Molalla Union
High School building, which was Molalla's finest building. The school, designed
by Portland architect Raymond W. Hatch, was demolished after it was severely
damaged in a 5.7 earthquake centered at nearby Scotts Mills in 1993. Later, the
public library was moved to an undamaged portion. Today, there are several tree
specimens landscaping the park, many planted by the high school students in
1926 when the building was completed.
Dr. Elmer R. and Cora Todd House
7
102 3rd Street
Craftsman Bungalow ~1912
Dr. Elmer Todd's house is an excellent example of the
Craftsman Bungalow style of architecture. The house was
built in 1912 in the newly-platted Gregory Addition. The
house retains many defining architectural features that
make it one of the best-preserved houses in Molalla. A
low-pitched roof, knee brackets, multiple gables, stained
interior woodwork, leaded windows, and built-in bookcases grace the home. Dr.
Todd was well known in Molalla as a "horse and buggy" doctor and served as the
town's first and sometimes only doctor for many years. He
was born near Molalla in 1880, graduated from the
Willamette University Medical School, and started his
medical practice in Molalla several years later. He was
elected Molalla's mayor in 1948, the year he died, and
previously he was a councilman. He had married Cora
Moore in 1905 and they adopted their son, Robert.
J. H. Vernon House
8
124 3rd Street
Craftsman ~ 1912-1913
J.H. Vernon started a drug store business in Molalla at
around the same time he built this excellent example of a
Craftsman-style house.
The current owners, the
Crawfords, found clues to the construction of the house on
a section of bathroom molding. Written in pencil is "Feb.
1, 1913, Bathroom, Cook and Sawyer Builders-John H.
Vernon 1912-1913." The house has characteristics of the Craftsman style including a front-gable roof form, wide overhanging eaves, exposed rafters under the
eaves with decorative brackets, double columns at the front porch, and doublehung sash windows. Members of the Sawtell family and later Larry Robbins, who
worked at Avison Lumber Co., formerly lived in the Vernon House.
Thomas and Mary Ridings House
9
221 S. Molalla Avenue
Craftsman Bungalow ~ 1920/1928
This exceptional example of the Craftsman Bungalow style
is distinguished by its multiple front gables, large knee
brackets, and decorative gable supports and brick piers at
the front entry porch. The front facing windows are
replacements. Thomas Ridings, who was a farmer, and his
wife Mary, may have been the original owners of the
house. Thomas was living with his parents and siblings in Marquam during the
1880s when he was a child. Harold (Red) Ridings, a son of Thomas and Mary,
and his wife Dorothy Dell, who were married in 1929, later lived in the house.
Everhart Funeral Home
220 E. Main Street
Bungalow-style ~ 1926
22
William Adams Building
112-114 S. Molalla Avenue
Vernacular ~ circa 1875-1880s
27
Harvey N. Everhart purchased a furniture and undertaking business from W. D. Adams
in 1909 and operated on N. Molalla Avenue for many years. He built the present
funeral home as well as the Chapel at Canby in 1943 and operated the Miller funeral
home in Aurora. He sold the furniture aspect of the business and was joined by Jack
Kent in partnership in 1947, but retired from active business that same year. Everhart
served as mayor of Molalla in the early 1930s, he was a Clackamas County Fair director
for several years, and he was a service board member in Oregon City during World War II. He was a member
of Molalla IOOF lodge in 1927 and was a charter member of Molalla Grange #310.
A rare wood-frame commercial building in Molalla, this vernacular store was built
circa 1875-1880, reportedly by George W. and Sarah Shaver, who purchased the
property in 1867. It is the best-preserved wood-frame commercial building in
Molalla, and one of few (if only) that date before the City's 1913 incorporation.
William Adams operated a cabinet and coffin business here and in 1909 Harvey
Everhart purchased the business and added furniture and a funeral parlor. In 1913,
W. W. Everhart had a real estate office in the building. The upper floor was used as a schoolroom and lore
suggests a speakeasy operated during Prohibition. George Case Plumbing was in the one-story wing from
the 1920s to the 1970s.
Rob
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Stre
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This Foursquare house is an early and rare example of this style in Molalla.
Hallmarks of this style of architecture are the square plan, the two-and-one-half
story height, a central dormer, and a large front porch with wide stairs. The boxy
shape provides a maximum amount of interior room space. Gas was installed for
room lighting when the house was built. Mahogany woodwork and crystal-glass
doorknobs are featured on the interior. The old building at the back was a former
sewing factory for military garments during World War II; later it was used for boy-scout troop meetings
and it has been used as a summer kitchen. The house was built by carpenter Oliver Willard Robbins for
his brother, Levi Wayne Robbins and Levi's wife, Ione Rivers Robbins. They married in 1899, had four
children, and in the 1920s she was the official buyer for the Robbins Bros. store in Molalla. The home was
affectionately referred to as "the house on the hill."
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J. D. Peterkin and Son
118-122 S. Molalla Avenue
Utilitarian Commercial ~ 1929
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1936 Buckeroo
1923
1924
1925
1926
1928
1939
1943
Ford dealership comes to Molalla
Eastern and Western Lumber Co. moves into the area
Improved stadium on the northwest corner of Molalla and Main streets hosts the Round-up
rodeo event
Molalla Union High School built; Chevrolet dealership comes to Molalla
Molalla Buckeroo Association forms
Ostrander Railway and Timber Company established on Dickey Prairie
Canby-Molalla Forest (Logging) Road built; Crown Zellerbach buys out Ostrander
1944
1947
1955
1962
1970s
1980s
1993
Major fire destroys several buildings in downtown Molalla
Molalla Theatre opens on Main Street
New City Hall/Fire Station/Library built
Arrowhead Golf Club built
Molalla Buckeroo rodeo moves to new stadium northeast of town
Lumber industry declines
5.7 Earthquake damages 1926 Molalla High School building; the school is later demolished
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aluminum finish.
Brief timeline of town history
1840s-1850s Pioneers settle the Molalla Prairie
1852
Molalla Post Office established at Liberal
1860
A. J. Sawtell starts a teasel farm outside Molalla
1870s
Frank W. McLeran opens Wilhoit Springs Resort
1913
Town Incorporates; first train arrives; first town electricity; first Molalla Pioneer newspaper;
Molalla Telephone Company incorporates; first western rodeo event
1916
First city-sponsored Round-up rodeo
9
Berk
ley
Ave
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Welding and blacksmithing since 1929, J. D. Peterkin and Son continues to do
repairs on farming and logging equipment as well as heavy equipment of all kind.
The business is comprised of three older buildings and the circa 1920 building on
the corner is covered with the original wood-shiplap siding. In 1947, Peterkin and
Son doubled their workspace with the addition of a new drive-in repair shop alongside the old shop building. This tall central building still sports the original sheet
Stagecoach
Motel
14 18 19
Ave
nue
One of the finest examples of architecture in Molalla, the First Methodist Church was the
third church the Methodists built in the community. The first church was south of town
at the corner of Sawtell and Herman roads and later the congregation met in the old log
schoolhouse at the east end of town. This church was built by local carpenter and builder
Oliver Willard Robbins in the Gothic Revival style and features pointed-arch windows, a
shingled tower and open fretwork designs. No longer used as a
church, the stained glass window panes have been moved to the new Methodist Church
east of town. A small, white cottage that was formerly used as the town library is located next to the church. The library was a cozy building sporting window boxes and the
interior smelled of old books, wood smoke, and oiled wood. Patrons were greeted at the
door by a tinkling bell and by Mrs. Bessie Pemble, the librarian.
Levi Wayne Robbins House
3
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123 Shirley Street
Foursquare Craftsman ~ 1899-1900
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First Methodist Church
300 E. Main Street
Gothic Revival-Vernacular ~ 1905-1906
Shirl
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Cole St
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This appealing shop was formerly a utilitarian electric store owned by Mr. And Mrs.
Paul E. Jan of Jan Electric Co. In business in Molalla since 1949, they purchased
the building and the business in 1955 from Frank and Hazel Yannessa. The
Yannessa's had also been in the electric business in Molalla for six years before the
Jans took over. The building was built by Vera Wells as an electrical shop in the
1940s. The bracketed cornice and vertical board-and-batten siding, which gives it a
country flair, were added by Gary and Joan Deardorff.
Masterton's Garage was the first brick and structural-clay tile building in Molalla.
The old P.C. Ferman and Co. store building was demolished to make way for the
new garage. W. G. Masterton worked as a blacksmith in a wood-frame building
nearby, starting in 1914. The fireproof building was constructed of clay tile products from the new Molalla Brick and Tile Works northwest of town. Today the
building is intact and original (although one bay is enclosed) and it is the only
Mission-style commercial building in Molalla. The interior warehouse features massive construction
beams. The building was previously used as the Emmert Bros. Freight and Feed Company then the
Foglesong Feed Store before it became Bentley Feed Store.
The City Park, with its old-growth Douglas fir trees, has a long history in Molalla. The park is on land that
was owned for years by the pioneer Robbins family and was deeded to the City in 1925 by Oliver and Mary
Robbins. A few years before, the City had purchased the nearby baseball field and it later became the
Buckeroo rodeo grounds (the old wooden stadium and arena were torn down in the 1970s). The drinking
fountain/birdbath memorial in the park was dedicated in 1940 to "Aunt" Mary Robbins by the Molalla Civic
Club, who maintained the park. Stone for the fountain came from the first pioneer Clackamas County
Courthouse in Oregon City.
Fran
cis
Stre
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George Gregory was a well-known Molalla citizen, town developer, and
businessman who took over the local Sawtell teasel business in 1899. Born
in Somersetshire, England, in 1862, as a boy he came to New York, where
he learned the skill of preparing teasel plants for use in the woolen
industry. He arrived in Molalla in 1898 and married Flora in 1899. The
English style of architecture is evident in
the brickwork, the high-pitched gable roof, the elaborate chimney
on the facade, decorative stringcourses, and window lintels. The
house retains many outstanding interior features, including spacious rooms, original light fixtures, and a fireplace mantel built
from stone sourced in Los Angeles.
Avenue
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Long Memorial Park
3 1 Leonard
S. Molalla Avenue
Masterton's Garage
110 S. Molalla Avenue
Mission/Commercial ~ 1925
George and Flora Gregory House
3
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900 N. Molalla Avenue (Clackamas County)
English Tudor Revival ~ 1927
Swe
Jan Electric Co.
125-147 E. Main Street
Commercial ~ 1944
Oswald "Ossie" Marson moved to Molalla in 1932 and became Molalla's Chevrolet
dealer in 1935. In 1947, he remodeled a 1926 auto garage
into a new building that was described in local newspapers as
"one of the finest auto service buildings in the Willamette
Valley." Marson was well-known and respected by everyone
in town. Aside from operating his Chevrolet business, Ossie
was mayor, Chief of the Fire Department, president of the
City Council, and a member of the Grade School Board. The 1971 monument at
the front of the city fire station across the street is a tribute to Ossie Marson.
la A
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The Molalla Theatre was remodeled to its present appearance in the late 1970s by
Gary and Joan Deardorff. Vestiges of the old theatre can be seen inside today,
including the original stage and the pink-and-black tiled restrooms. The theatre
closed in 1972 due to vandalism, not long after the showing of "The Andromeda
Strain." The former "Quonset-style" theatre was owned and operated by Ernest
Clark, who built the architect-designed building while still operating the New Lyric
Theatre down Main Street.
This Craftsman-inspired Foursquare house is thought to have been built by William
T. Eckerd. The house features a prominent front porch with squared posts that
wraps to the kitchen side wing, and a pyramidal hipped roof with overhanging eaves.
William Eckerd and his son delivered RFD mail for the Molalla post office and their
horses were stabled in a barn (no longer standing) at the rear of the house. Members
of the Eckerd family, including John P. Echerd, lived in the house until the 1950s.
The interior features many period architectural details such as decorative fireplace mantels, classical column posts, ceiling beams, pocket doors, and Victorian-period furnishings and light fixtures.
Chevrolet-Marson's Garage
3
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203 S. Molalla Avenue
Commercial ~ 1947
Chu
rch
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As one of Clackamas County's outstanding houses when built for A. Frank Lowes,
Molalla's best Ranch house was designed by architect Daniel Riggs Huntington of
Oregon City. The house was built with four bedrooms, four bathrooms, a large
living room paneled in Korina wood, and a music room. The basement had a
large lounge and a rumpus room, both with fireplaces, a maid's room, and a study
over the garage. A sunken garden and lily pond were originally in the landscaped
back yard, later turned into a swimming pool, and an outdoor fireplace. Lowes, who owned a major
sawmill in the northwest part of town, was a prominent business and civic leader. He also owned a
tavern in town called Frank's Place (now the Sundowner), which was a popular hang-out during the
Buckeroo rodeo. Lowes had risen from a lumber hand to the top of the lumbering industry. Born in
Detroit, Michigan, he came to Portland in 1926 and worked for the West Oregon Lumber Company.
In 1933, he arrived in Molalla to work for the Molalla Lumber Yard. He purchased his first sawmill
in the early 1940s, and eventually turned A. F. Lowes Lumber Co. into one of the largest sawmills in
the region. He died following a car accident in 1954.
SM
olal
20
William T. Echerd House
2
5
E. Main Street
Foursquare Craftsman ~ 1906
City Hall was built to house the city offices as well as the jail, a meeting hall, the
mayor's office, fire trucks, the ambulance, and the library. The design of the concrete building reflected the post-World War II interest in the International style,
evidenced by its geometric simplicity. When built, the Police Chief was Vern
Pitman. The building was constructed by Fred Blomenkamp & Son, local contractors. New quarters for the Molalla Public Library were dedicated within City Hall
in 1970, when Ethel Blatchford became librarian.
34
Fenton
The Hoffman House is notable as an intact example of carpenter-vernacular architecture built by Oliver Willard Robbins for himself and his family. The house has
intersecting gables, paired, double-hung windows, and decorative porch brackets.
Today, the house is the Hoffman House Restaurant and it retains the atmosphere
of an early Molalla home. The deck on the side has been added, and one of the
original outbuildings remains at the rear. Duane Robbins, Oliver's son and president of the First National Bank, was the last of the Robbins family to occupy the home. The front room
was briefly used for the first library in Molalla from approximately 1900 to 1906.
A. Frank Lowes House
3
3
710 S. Molalla Avenue
Ranch ~ 1950
Grange
Avenue
Built as a furniture store by J. H. Bowlin, this building originally had a double entry
with two, large plate-glass windows and featured artistic design elements on the
poured and pebbled stucco façade. Today, the façade sports an early 1970s remodel, at which time it became the White Horse Tavern. The original store was built by
the same firm that built the 1926 brick Molalla High School and the Molalla
Telephone Company building — Birkemeir & Saremal of
Milwaukie. Bowlin went out of business in mid-May, 1928, soon after his store
became the first electrified storefront in Molalla. The building has contained
several businesses over the years, including Twentieth Century Grocery, Safeway,
the Molalla Coffee Shop, the Electric Shop, J. J. Dann's Frozen Foods locker plant
(later Christiansen's Frozen Food Locker and Meat Shop), the Crème Freze, The
Cone, Burkholder's Café, Bennett's Place and the OK Tavern.
Molalla Theatre
115 E. Main Street
Remodeled Commercial ~ 1947
City Hall
2
9
117 S. Molalla Avenue
Commercial ~ 1955
Lola
Ave
une
Hoffman House
2
4
523 E. Main Street
Vernacular ~ circa 1900
Center
Avenue
Furniture Store
1Commercial
9 Bowlin
118 E. Main Street
~ 1927