1841 Methodist Parsonage

This is a 1903 photograph of the 1841 Methodist Parsonage, the second building constructed in Salem. The Jason Lee residence preceded it by just a few months in the same year. The earliest families to occupy the building were those of Reverend Gustavus Hines and Reverend David Leslie who shared it with visiting teachers and circuit riders. It became the official boarding house of the Willamette Station.

The Parsonage was built originally where the water tower stands on 12th Street, north of Mission Mill Museum (now Willamette Heritage Center). This location was convenient to the Institute that was the center of early Methodist educational efforts, now Willamette University. The Parsonage may have served as the Indian Manual Labor School while the Institute was being built.

By the 1920s, the Parsonage had been moved to 1325 Ferry Street, a couple of blocks from its original location. In 1966, to preserve this historic building, which had remained relatively unchanged, the Parsonage was temporarily relocated back to its original site on the grounds of the Thomas Kay Woolen Mill. By 1974, in its present location, the Parsonage was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. Like the Jason Lee House, it is part of the historical exhibits at the Willamette Heritage Center where it appears as seen in the photograph below.