1966: How Mansions Turned into Church and School

As you may recall, the center of Laurelhurst was originally composed of three houses. Since it was reportedly the most "sightly" part of the development, the plan was to have four oversize grand houses with huge yards in that block.

The above design for laying out a block for residence sites at Laurelhurst and drawn by Thomas Hawkes, landscape architect. The idea of C.K. Henry, O.W. Taylor, C.V. Cooper and Dr. H.I. Keeney, owners of the block, was to have the block laid out on a consistent plan and to place the residences and arrange the grounds so as to preserve the beauty of the site. Instead of having unsightly garages on the sidewalks, as is seen in Irvington and other fine residence districts, the owners have decided upon a community garage in the center of the block. The numbers indicate where the residences will be built, as follows: No. 1, C.K. Henry's residence; No. 2, O.W. Taylor's residence; No. 3, C.V. Cooper's residence; No. 4, Dr. H.I. Keeney's residence; No. 5, general garage.

In May, 1910, it looks like they were all in:

Charles K. Henry is having plans prepared for a $15,000 home on Laurelhurst Avenue and Dr. Homer I. Keeney will start in the immediate future to build a $7000 home on this same avenue. Among other residences planned to be erected this Summer are those for Francis Dubois Jr., to cost $5000; W.S. Hurst, a $5000 home; A.E. Kern, $5000; Grant Foster, between $4000 and $5000; H.C. Gresel, $5000; Charles V. Cooper, $10,000; C.S. Russell, $7000; and O.W. Taylor, $10,000. 

In Jun 1911, apparently he was still planning to build:

The Oregonian 25 Jun 1911 

O.W. Taylor to Build 

O.W. Taylor has had plans made for a fine residence in Laurelhurst. The house will contain seven rooms and a sleeping porch and will be two stories high. H.P. Barnhart prepared the plans and has been given the contract to build the house. The building will cost $5,000.

However, in 1917, I find he has sold a residence at 1035 Davis Street.

The Oregonian, 29 Jul 1917
The home of O.W. Taylor, of the Gearhart Park Land Company, located at 1035 East Davis street, corner of Floral avenue, was sold to J.E. Ellison, manager of the Ellison-White Chautauqua Company, at a reported consideration of $16,000. O.V. Badley acted as the agent in the transaction.
This residence was built a few years ago by Dr. W.A. Wise on two large lots of 250-foot frontage and commanding a pretty view. It contains 12 rooms and is supplemented with a large double garage. The yard has an abundance of flowers and choice foliage.

I'm not really sure what made him back out of building the other house. Perhaps it's because he found another he liked more, or maybe it was a better deal? We'll never know.

In any case, that fourth lot stayed vacant in the center of the development. C.K. Henry sold his house to Mrs. Scott in 1913 and retired to Pasadena, California.

Apparently, in Jun 1914, Laurelhurst company sold the lot to All Saint's Church to build a church.

1913 Updates

The Sunday Oregonian, 26 Jan 1913
Many Beautiful and Costly Homes Built Recently in Laurelhurst

Nearly 500 Dwellings, Modern and Distinctive in Design, Are Completed Since This Fine Addition Was Opened.

Many of the most beautiful homes in Portland have been erected in Laurelhurst in the past year and the district now contains between 400 and 500 homes of the best character. The foregoing pictures illustrate types of some of the dwelling of recent construction in this residence district. Many prominent Portland men have homes in this district. The homes of W.L. Saunders, D.H. Brown, recently of Saginam, Mich., Herr Waidemar Lind, and the residence erected by Frank A. Steele for the Chapin-Harlow Company and the home of H.R. Albee are also types of construction in this addition erected the past year.

Mar 1912: Big Strides

The Sunday Oregonian, 24 Mar 1912
Big Stride Made at Laurelhurst
City’s Premier Addition Scene of Remarkable Activity in Dwelling Construction
BEAUTIFUL HOMES RISE
More Than 200 Residences Started Since January 1 and Plans Are Made for Immediate Erection of 225 More Buildings

Laurelhurst, one of Portland’s finest residential districts, has been making remarkable strides since the first of this year. In less than three months there have been planned and completed more than 200 residences, representing an aggregate expenditure of over $1,000,000. Some of the dwellings underway will be among the most attractive and striking in the city and will range in cost from $15,000 to $30,000. Many of the houses will cost from $7500 to $12,000 and scores of fine homes are in course of construction will cost around $5000.

In addition to the pronounced building activity there has been a brisk demand for homesites. Since January 15 there have been sold 225 lots to homebuilders exclusively. All these lots will be improved with modern homes during the year. From present homes during the year. From present indications there will be erected in Laurelhurst within the next six months at least 400 homes and before the close of the year it is predicted that this addition will have over 700 homes.

Admirably located, with a delightful view of the mountains and containing all standard street improvements, Laurelhurst has always attracted a fine class of homebuilders. Nearly every house that has been built of modern construction and of a distinctive type of agriculture. While building restrictions are nominal. It seems to be tacitly understood among purchasers of lots and builders that houses costing less than $5000 would not quite come up to the standard of construction that has been established in the district. There have been built several pretty bungalows which cost, perhaps, less than $5000, but owing to this attractive type of architecture the general appearance of the addition has not been lessened but, in reality, has been improved. A substantial and home-like atmosphere prevails and home-like atmosphere prevails that will always make this addition one of attractiveness and character.

Homesites Most Attractive
To homesites in Laurelhurst compare favorably with residence lots in the highest-class additions of cities much larger than Portland. In fact, there are few cities in the United States that can boast of additions that are more inviting of more modern than Laurelhurst, yet the values in this addition are much lower in comparison. According to statistics that have been compiled, there are 13 cities between 100,000 and 400,000 in population in which prices for homesites are from 50 to 400% higher than prevail in Portland. Compared with the location of Laurelhurst, the great majority of the high-class residence districts in those cities lie further out from the business centers.

With the immense growth that Portland is making and with the great activity in home-building in Laurelhurst, it is predicted that lots in this addition will be selling at an advance of 25 to 50% by the first of next year.

That tourists who visit Laurelhurst are delighted with the high standard of development there is shown in the statements expressed by a large party of travelers who were conducted through the district last week. The visitors were from Chicago. One of the members of the party said:

“Laurelhurst is, indeed, a revelation to me. One can travel all over the country and never see a finer residential district. Everything is modern and of a substantial character. The class of homes one sees there, taken as a whole, cannot be surpassed in any city of the country. The view is inviting and the air is pure and invigorating. The addition has everything to make it an ideal residential district. It is certainly a great credit to Portland.”

Oct 1911: Big Progress

The Sunday Oregonian, 15 Oct 1911
Big Progress is Made

Laurelhurst Addition Was Opened 2 Years Ago Today
Transformation of Farm into Beautiful Residence District Completed at Great Cost

Today is the second anniversary of the opening of Laurelhurst, Portland’s largest residence addition. Just two years ago this property, then known as the Hazelfern Farm, was purchased from the Ladd Estate Company by a syndicate of Seattle and Portland capitalists for a consideration in the neighborhood of $2,000,000. At the time it was the largest realty transaction that had ever been made in Portland, and while many large realty deals have been made here since the Laurelhurst sale, none have approached it, so far as the size and consideration is concerned.

Laurelhurst today presents a vastly different appearance from the Ladd dairy farm of two years ago. The tract is now a magnificently improved high grade residence addition, and is rapidly filling up with superior class of attractive, up-to-date homes. Nearly $2,000,000 has been expended in the last 18 months improving Laurelhurst. There are now in the addition 26 miles of asphalt streets, 52 miles of cement sidewalks, nine-foot parkings, shade trees and a greater part of the addition has cluster curb lights on both sides of the street. During the first year there have been erected nearly 100 residences from $3500 to $25000.

The tract was originally laid out after the most approved scientific landscape architecture. The streets were made to conform to the contour of this ground, with the result that although the tract is of rolling character there is no unsightly fills and cuts in the streets.

Mead & Murphy, selling agents for Laurelhurst, have extended an invitation to the automobilists of the city to use the streets of Laurelhurst throughout the rainy season for pleasure motoring. The property is reached from the center of the city over the Burnside bridge and East Burnside street, which is hard surfaced to and through the addition. The 26 miles of asphalt streets in Laurelhurst, together with the hard surface of East Burnside, will afford the automobilists several hours of pleasant motoring during the Winter afternoons.

Laurelhurst is the scene of unusual building activity, and has been throughout the Summer and Fall, nearly 100 new homes having been completed there this year.

Summer 1911 Updates

The Sunday Oregonian, 7 May 1911
Charles Ringler Buys Home
Real Estate Dealer Purchases Fine Property on East Glisan
Charles Ringler last week bought from P.A. Carlander, a fine nine-room house on Hazelfern Place, near East Glisan street, Laurelhurst, and will make his home there. The consideration was $7000. He also has bought two lots on Laurelhurst avenue for $3000.

Charles Ringler & Co. report the following sales in Laurelhurst in the last few days:

1. Six room bungalow owned by G.A. Cooper, sold to A. Grey for $5000. Mr. Grey is assistant freight agent of the Great Northern Railroad and bought the property for a home.
2. Six room bungalow, owned by I.E. Fenton, sold to F. Newman for $4500. (Probably 3405 NE Clackamas.)
3. Lot owned by Joseph Basler, sold to Mrs. Julia Lawton for $1650. This lot commands a fine view and Mrs. Lawson intends to build a residence.
4. Three lots sold to V.S. Wisner for $4775. Mr. Wisner bought on speculation.
5. Lot sold to F.A. Carlander for $1500. Mr. Carlander is a builder and intends to erect a residence.

Oct 1910: Last Plat on Market

Oregonian 2 Oct 1910
Last Section Put on Market
Southeast Quarter of Laurelhurst Is Offered for Sale
What is called the southeast quarter of Laurelhurst was placed on the market last week. In reality it is considerably less than a quarter of the addition, but it contains about 450 lots, and some of them are said to be in as good locations as any in the tract. This is the last part of the addition to be offered for sale.

About a third of the area of this section lies along Ladd Park, on its East 39th Street side. The improvement work in this part has been taken up last of all, but it is said to be well along now, and on any lot in it water can be drawn. The grading for the streets is finished and the underground work is almost done. All the improvement work in the addition is announced in such condition that the contractors will have it completed by early Spring. Building is becoming more and more active and houses are rising in all parts of the tract.

Residences just begun with the cost of each are announced as follows: Mrs. Harriet P.S. Webster, $4500; B.I. Howland, $5000; E.E. Goff, $4200; C.A. Hoy, $4700; E.M. Rasmussen, $3800; Captain J.S. Michaels, $3700; H.S. McCutchan, $5500; and C.H. Page, $3800.

4th Plat Map, from The Oregonian 16 Apr 1910

More Ida McCain Research

I've been working on more research for Laurelhurst trying to fill in some of the later history. In my search, I am always looking for more details about Ida McCain and her family. For those who have recently joined our blog, Ida McCain is the woman who built our house in 1911.

First off, I am grateful to the Multnomah County library which provides access to the paid NewsBank service for free. Also, another site that rocks is Historic Oregon Newspapers, which includes good quality scans of the papers. So, I was able to successfully search for newspapers in NewsBank, which had fairly low quality scans, and when there was pictures, I could go to the University of Oregon site and look up the date and download the pages.

I'm not going to repeat all my earlier information, but I do want to add more details I found in the last week during my latest bit of delving through old Oregonians. I'm not going to include pictures of the houses as I've already published them in an earlier post.

The Oregonian, 27 May 1909

Ida McCain came here with her family and formed Spencer-McCain in mid-1909. The earliest ad I found was May 27, 1909. They were advertising daily for work and got some.

It looks like they designed a house for E.L. Pope.
“The Oregonian, 22 Aug 1909:
E.L. Pope, an Easterner, who recently bought a five-acre tract overlooking the Willamette River about three and one-half miles this side of Oregon City, is having the Spencer McCain Company prepare plans for a handsome rustic bungalow. The bungalow will be 33x40 feet in dimension, and will contain seven rooms, a reception hall and a sleeping porch. It will be sided with resawed rustic, with buffet and mantle inbuilt in the walls. Furnace heat will be provided. The bungalow will cost about $3500. Mr. Pope intends to move into his new home with his family this Fall.”
     I don't know if they actually built it. I have no record of her working out of Oregon City. I did look up Pope and he ended up being sort of a big deal. He lived in Parkplace and ended up a judge.

The Oregonian, 29 Aug 1909

They did get a building job in Portland. They pulled a permit on the 27th of August: “Talbot Road, near Summit Avenue--R.W. Shepherd; builder Spencer, McCain & Co.; erect two-story frame dwelling; $4500.” This house is located at 2647 SW Talbot Rd (was 761 Talbot Rd).

Ida McCain

So, besides being sick for the last several days, I've been obsessed with trying to figure out Ida McCain's story. (As a reminder, for those just now dropping by—she was the female architect who designed our home in 1911.) I broke down and re-subscribed to Ancestry.com for six months, primarily because I have so many people from Laurelhurst I want to research. (I'm getting quite the collection of family trees of people who aren't related to me.)

In my research, I discovered through old directories and census records that Ida McCain was the architect of the firm Spencer-McCain, and she was only 25 or so when she was here in Portland.

Arthur, her brother, worked as a meat cutter before arriving in Oregon, and then described himself as a contractor for the 1910 census. Their business partner, Charles Spencer, was a bricklayer and reported contractor on the 1910 census. He was also married to Eda McCain, Ida and Arthur's sister. (Their mother Hannah King was also here with them.)

Besides our house, I've found 10 houses they completed here in Portland (that haven't been torn down). In March 1912, this sentence was published in The Oregonian, ". . . the Spencer-McCain Company will build on seven lots [in Laurelhurst] this summer."

I've identified maybe four of these houses, so there might be three more. Or maybe they just abandoned their plans for seven houses to return to California. Or maybe they didn't plan to build that many homes but said they were because they were trying to create interest; I'm trying to figure it out. So, I am irrationally going through lot-by-lot making an "inventory" of all the houses in Laurelhurst including the builders, when I can find the information at portlandmaps.com. (What an amazing resource we have!) This will also help to match up old photos when they only identify the owner (or builder) name.

Anyway, I can usually get through 100 to 150 a day during my goof off in front of TV time, so at this rate it will take me something like a month or two to make the full list. But, if Spencer-McCain built more houses in Laurelhurst, I am determined to find them. =)

Oh, and since I'm taking over the Laurelhurst newsletter this spring, I should have some good material for history-based articles. At least I hope so.

This is a concept drawing for a house they were planning to build for Hannah King, their mother, in Alameda Park. Though, I think they actually built it (or its twin) in Laurelhurst on Senate Street.

AHC Library Visit

Because our kitchen was on their Kitchen Tour last April, we were gifted with a free membership to the Architectural Heritage Center (AHC), so I was determined to take advantage of my ability to research through their records before our membership expired. We made an appointment for last Thursday and got to take a look at their collection.

While, they did have three sales brochures I had never seen before, and a large map, their collection on the Laurelhurst neighborhood was—disappointing. They didn't have any pictures of individual houses (other than those in the sales brochures) and nothing resembling architectural plans.

Because of my recent efforts digging through the Oregonian archives, I have better information. So, I've sort of taken on the challenge of improving their records for Laurelhurst. Over the next couple of years I am going to put together my Oregonian articles into a transcribed document with whatever photos I have been able to glean and put them all together in binders. (I've already started—I've put together 1908 through 1910.)

Although, the one high point of the visit was getting some more information on our house's builders; Spencer & McCain were listed in "Architects of Oregon" by Richard Ellison Ritz. The partnership included Arthur W. McCain, Ida F. McCain and Charles Spencer. And once I had their full names, I was able to find more information . . . at least for Ida.

I found an article published by the San Francisco Chronicle on Ida McCain, "Renegade Ida McCain brought character to hundreds of homes for the Bay Area's middle class." The wide columns on the basic bungalow pictured looks just like our house's. Apparently the McCain family breezed up to Portland in 1909, designed a bunch of homes, then breezed back down to Los Angeles by 1914. Then a year later, Ida was in San Francisco where she had a successful career for a number of years, until the mid-1920s . . . then she establishes herself as an independent architect and builder. It's not clear how successful she was after that. She moved around a number of cities, but I don't see much information about many houses being built.

She also appears in a recent book: "Early women architects of the San Francisco Bay Area : the lives and work of fifty professionals, 1890-1951" by Inge S. Horton. I've ordered a copy through the interlibrary loan system.

I don't know why I get so obsessive about things like this; it sort of becomes like a game to see how much information I can find. Google is really invaluable to provide leads. And while I'll probably never find a good picture of our house from the 1910s or 1920s, it is fun to try. So my quest continues; next up, the Oregon Historic Society.