Capt. George Raabe House
Encyclopedia
The Capt. George Raabe House in southeast Portland
in the U.S. state
of Oregon
is a 1.5-story dwelling listed on the National Register of Historic Places
. Built in 1902, it was added to the register in 1989.
The house, which combines elements of the American Craftsman
, Shingle
, and Colonial Revival
architectural styles, was home to Captain George Raabe, who piloted steamships on the Columbia
and Willamette
rivers for the Oregon Railroad and Navigation Company
(OR&N). Features include a broad side-gable
d roof with a half-tower, classical columns that support the front porch, and fluted pilaster
s by the main entrance. Originally a single-family dwelling, the house was converted to two dwellings in the 1940s. The first floor apartment has five rooms, and the upstairs apartment has three. A second front door, added in the 1983, leads to stairs to the second floor.
in 1852, moved to California
with his parents in 1866 and to Oregon about two years later, after which he went to work for OR&N. Raabe was made captain of the steamship Old McMinnville; later he supervised construction of William H. Hoag. In 1880, he built Salem and later commanded Multnomah
. In 1898, he went to Alaska during a gold rush
to pilot steamers on the Stikine River
.
Returning to Portland in about 1900, Raabe bought the house from the estate of James C. Hawthorne
, a prominent East Portland
physician. Once again piloting steamers on local rivers, Raabe lived in the house until he sold it to John H. James in about 1907. He later returned to Alaska to pilot boats on the Yukon River
between White Horse
and Dawson.
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
is a 1.5-story dwelling listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
. Built in 1902, it was added to the register in 1989.
The house, which combines elements of the American Craftsman
American Craftsman
The American Craftsman Style, or the American Arts and Crafts Movement, is an American domestic architectural, interior design, landscape design, applied arts, and decorative arts style and lifestyle philosophy that began in the last years of the 19th century. As a comprehensive design and art...
, Shingle
Shingle Style architecture
The Shingle style is an American architectural style made popular by the rise of the New England school of architecture, which eschewed the highly ornamented patterns of the Eastlake style in Queen Anne architecture....
, and Colonial Revival
Colonial Revival architecture
The Colonial Revival was a nationalistic architectural style, garden design, and interior design movement in the United States which sought to revive elements of Georgian architecture, part of a broader Colonial Revival Movement in the arts. In the early 1890s Americans began to value their own...
architectural styles, was home to Captain George Raabe, who piloted steamships on the Columbia
Columbia River
The Columbia River is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The river rises in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia, Canada, flows northwest and then south into the U.S. state of Washington, then turns west to form most of the border between Washington and the state...
and Willamette
Willamette River
The Willamette River is a major tributary of the Columbia River, accounting for 12 to 15 percent of the Columbia's flow. The Willamette's main stem is long, lying entirely in northwestern Oregon in the United States...
rivers for the Oregon Railroad and Navigation Company
Oregon Railroad and Navigation Company
The Oregon Railroad and Navigation Company was a railroad that operated a rail network of of track running east from Portland, Oregon, United States to northeastern Oregon, northeastern Washington, and northern Idaho...
(OR&N). Features include a broad side-gable
Gable
A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of a sloping roof. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system being used and aesthetic concerns. Thus the type of roof enclosing the volume dictates the shape of the gable...
d roof with a half-tower, classical columns that support the front porch, and fluted pilaster
Pilaster
A pilaster is a slightly-projecting column built into or applied to the face of a wall. Most commonly flattened or rectangular in form, pilasters can also take a half-round form or the shape of any type of column, including tortile....
s by the main entrance. Originally a single-family dwelling, the house was converted to two dwellings in the 1940s. The first floor apartment has five rooms, and the upstairs apartment has three. A second front door, added in the 1983, leads to stairs to the second floor.
History
Raabe, born in NorwayNorway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
in 1852, moved to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
with his parents in 1866 and to Oregon about two years later, after which he went to work for OR&N. Raabe was made captain of the steamship Old McMinnville; later he supervised construction of William H. Hoag. In 1880, he built Salem and later commanded Multnomah
Multnomah (sternwheeler)
The sternwheeler Multnomah was built at East Portland, Oregon in 1885 and operated on the Willamette and Columbia Rivers until 1889 in the United States...
. In 1898, he went to Alaska during a gold rush
Gold rush
A gold rush is a period of feverish migration of workers to an area that has had a dramatic discovery of gold. Major gold rushes took place in the 19th century in Australia, Brazil, Canada, South Africa, and the United States, while smaller gold rushes took place elsewhere.In the 19th and early...
to pilot steamers on the Stikine River
Stikine River
The Stikine River is a river, historically also the Stickeen River, approximately 610 km long, in northwestern British Columbia in Canada and southeastern Alaska in the United States...
.
Returning to Portland in about 1900, Raabe bought the house from the estate of James C. Hawthorne
James C. Hawthorne
Dr. James C. Hawthorne was an American physician and politician in the states of California and Oregon. A native of Pennsylvania, he was the founder of the Oregon Hospital for the Insane in East Portland, Oregon...
, a prominent East Portland
East Portland, Oregon
East Portland was a city in the U.S. state of Oregon that was consolidated into Portland in 1891. It was founded on a land claim by James B. Stephens in 1846, who bought a land claim from John McLoughlin of the Hudson's Bay Company...
physician. Once again piloting steamers on local rivers, Raabe lived in the house until he sold it to John H. James in about 1907. He later returned to Alaska to pilot boats on the Yukon River
Yukon River
The Yukon River is a major watercourse of northwestern North America. The source of the river is located in British Columbia, Canada. The next portion lies in, and gives its name to Yukon Territory. The lower half of the river lies in the U.S. state of Alaska. The river is long and empties into...
between White Horse
Whitehorse, Yukon
Whitehorse is Yukon's capital and largest city . It was incorporated in 1950 and is located at kilometre 1476 on the Alaska Highway in southern Yukon. Whitehorse's downtown and Riverdale areas occupy both shores of the Yukon River, which originates in British Columbia and meets the Bering Sea in...
and Dawson.