1890 West-Klein House

In the original 1890 location at 1118 Oak Street (above), this house was the residence of the John G. West family: the Wests were parents of Oswald West, later governor of Oregon. At the time the family lived here, Mr. West was listed as "drover." In the mid 1890s the house was sold to C. M. Beak and in 1898 to Mrs. A. Klein. The Kleins continued in ownership and residency through the early 1920s; Mr. Klein's occupation is listed as "traveling salesman". Later owners were Harry and Lena Thorsen in the 1920s; in 1926 the house was purchased by Epsilon Delta Mu, a Willamette University living organization. It later reverted to the private ownership of Bertha Brians and Clifford and Agnes White in the 1930s. In 1993 it was divided into six living units. The house was moved to the present location at 2983 D Street in the late 1990s and is a rental property.

1893~1896 German Methodist Parsonage & The Moon House

The photograph above of residences at 772 and 774 Winter Street NE, was taken in the 1990s when these two Local Landmarks were about to be demolished or removed ~ fortunately, they were relocated and restored by the present owners, Sarah and Keith Chilcote. The house on the left was known historically as the 1893 German Methodist Parsonage. The one on the right is the 1896 Moon House. The North Capitol Mall Office Building stands there today. Below are earlier pictures of these houses in this location and ones taken recently on D Street.


This ghostly picture of the Parsonage (above) was reproduced from damaged glass plates recovered when the house was moved. It must have been taken in the 1890s when Winter Street was still rural and unpaved. The property was owned by R. P. Boise from the time it was platted until it was sold to the German Methodist Episcopal South Church for use as a parsonage in 1894. The church paid $500 for the property at 772 Winter Street, indicating that there was a dwelling on the property at that time. The photograph was supplied by Keith Chilcote.

Bob Koval took the 1978 photograph (above) in the same location. Except for the change of front porch detail, the house appears to be as built. Winter Street was much changed in 80 years between the pictures ~ by the late 1970s a residential area almost in the core of the city and, of course, the street was paved.

Below is a 2009 photograph in its restoration at 2981 D Street.


The Moon House
Next door to the Parsonage in the 1990s photograph, was a residence built c.1896 for Amos Long, a teacher in the North Salem School. Oscar Moon bought the property in 1911 and resided there until 1941. After the 1940s the house was a rental. The Moon House photograph below was taken by Bob Koval in 1978. We use his photographs through the courtesy of the Oregon Historical Photograph Collections of the Salem Public Library, Salem, Oregon.

Below is the Moon House in its new location at 2983 D Street with a restoration highlighting the Queen Anne architecture and ornamentation.

1921 Ford and Perry Houses

Ford House (above) and Perry House (below)

The histories of the two houses on Winter Street nearest to the D Street intersection are the least known. On the corner is the Katherine Ford house that was formerly at 894 Summers Street.
To the rear of that house, on Winter Street, is the former home of J. C. Perry, once the owner of a pharmacy on Commercial Street. That house was relocated from 835 Summer Street.
Both of these houses have a recorded construction date of 1921.


With them in the North Mall Heritage Park (above) are five other former residences.
The Irwin (1935) and Adolphson (1936) houses are in their original locations. They are both designated as Local Landmarks.
The Stiff, Huntington and McGilchrist houses are also Local Landmarks. Like the Ford and Perry houses, they were moved for Capitol Mall expansion for the North Mall Office Building in 2000-1, and are described in other posts. The park was completed and dedicated in 2003.