Drake Park Neighborhood Historic District
Encyclopedia
The Drake Park Neighborhood Historic District is located adjacent to Drake Park
near the historic downtown area in Bend
, Oregon
, United States
. Because of the unique and varied architecture in the Drake Park neighborhood and its close association with the early development of the city of Bend, the area was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 2005.
; Tumalo Avenue on the south; Broadway Street on the southeast; and Franklin Avenue on the northeast corner.
The district is 3623 feet (1,104.3 m) above sea level. The area is relatively flat, sloping gently to the west towards the Deschutes River which runs through Drake Park. Large Ponderosa Pine
trees are scattered throughout the district. Many retaining walls and other landscape elements in the neighborhood are made of local basalt
fieldstone.
, owner of the Pilot Butte Development Company, subdivided the land that is now Drake Park Neighborhood Historic District into residential lots. The area was laid out south of a curving boulevard that followed the Deschutes River. Lots in the subdivision originally sold for $100 to $250, equivalent to $ to $ today. In 1921, 11 acres (44,515.5 m²) along the river, adjacent to the subdivision, were sold to the city of Bend to create Drake Park. That same year, State Street was the third street in Bend to be paved.
The spacious lots were considered highly desirable because they were close to Drake Park, which runs along the east side of the Deschutes River. In addition, many home sites had choice views of the Cascade Mountain
peaks. The area was only a block away from Bend's downtown business district so the city hall, public library, and local Catholic
, Methodist, and Episcopalian churches were within easy walking distance. The district was also within walking distance of the Brooks-Scanlon and Shevlin-Hixon lumber mills. As a result, the Drake Park district quickly became the preferred neighborhood for the city's most prominent businessmen.
Over the years, residents of the district included many prominent business and civic leaders who contributed to the development of the city of Bend and helped make it the commercial hub of central Oregon. The residents included owners and managers of the city's large lumber mills; owners of downtown businesses, hotels, and other enterprises; and professional men and women. In addition, many of the city's mayors, city council members, and Deschutes County
commissioners lived in the neighborhood.
With the exception of three houses, all the homes in the historic district were built between 1910 and 1954. The homes in the Drake Park Neighborhood Historic District are unique, and the area's development parallels the growth of Bend as the city grew from 536 people in 1910 to over 11,000 in 1950. As a result, the Drake Park neighborhood was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2005.
Most of the houses built between 1910 and 1919 are American Craftsman
style homes. In the early 1920s, a number of American Colonial style homes were built in the neighborhood; however, Craftsman-style homes continued to be popular as well. Beginning around 1925, other architectural styles were introduced to the neighborhood, including Tudor
, English Cottage
, Cape Cod
, Dutch Colonial
, and Colonial Revival]] Style architecture designs. During the 1930s very few homes were built, but those that were reflected a variety of tastes. In the 1940s, the residents tended to favor more modern designs. The last two historic homes, both built in the 1950s, are a California Ranch style
design and a post-war modern tract house. Since 1954, the neighborhood has remained relatively stable and has retained its architectural integrity. A total of fourteen architectural styles are represented in the district.
Four houses within the district were previously listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The four previously listed homes are the George Palmer Putnam
House, the Thomas McCann House, the Robert D. Moore House, and the Benjamin Hamilton House. The Putnam house, built in 1911, is an American Craftsman style home located on Congress Street. The McCann house is also on Congress Street. It is a Georgian Revival style home built in 1915. The McCann house was designed by David C. Lewis, a prominent Portland architect who also designed the European Building for the 1905 Lewis and Clark Exposition. The Moore house is a Colonial Revival style home built on Congress Street in 1921. The Hamilton house, on State Street, is a one-story Craftsman-style bungalow built in 1923.
There are a number of other distinguished homes in the district including the John and Jennie Keyes House, built in 1913. It is a two-story Craftsman style home located on Riverside Boulevard. The home was designed by Bend’s most prominent architect of the time, J. W. Dimick. The James and Ruth Overturf House was built in 1916. It is another craftsman style bungalow located on Congress Street. In 2002, the house was carefully restored to its original architectural design. The Samuel Blakely House was built in 1919. It is a restored Craftsman bungalow located on Congress Street. Finally, the Fredrick and Myrtle Lieuallen House on Riverside Boulevard is a beautiful Tudor-style home built in 1926.
Drake Park
Drake Park is a 13-acre park located in Bend, Oregon. Drake Park Neighborhood Historic District is located adjacent to the park....
near the historic downtown area in Bend
Bend, Oregon
Bend is a city in and the county seat of Deschutes County, Oregon, United States, and the principal city of the Bend, Oregon Metropolitan Statistical Area. Bend is Central Oregon's largest city, and, despite its modest size, is the de facto metropolis of the region, owing to the low population...
, 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...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Because of the unique and varied architecture in the Drake Park neighborhood and its close association with the early development of the city of Bend, the area was 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...
in 2005.
Location
The Drake Park Neighborhood Historic District is located in Bend, Oregon. It includes 17 city blocks with 83 individual residential lots. The streets that constitute the boundaries of the district are Riverside Boulevard on the north and west next to Drake ParkDrake Park
Drake Park is a 13-acre park located in Bend, Oregon. Drake Park Neighborhood Historic District is located adjacent to the park....
; Tumalo Avenue on the south; Broadway Street on the southeast; and Franklin Avenue on the northeast corner.
The district is 3623 feet (1,104.3 m) above sea level. The area is relatively flat, sloping gently to the west towards the Deschutes River which runs through Drake Park. Large Ponderosa Pine
Ponderosa Pine
Pinus ponderosa, commonly known as the Ponderosa Pine, Bull Pine, Blackjack Pine, or Western Yellow Pine, is a widespread and variable pine native to western North America. It was first described by David Douglas in 1826, from eastern Washington near present-day Spokane...
trees are scattered throughout the district. Many retaining walls and other landscape elements in the neighborhood are made of local basalt
Basalt
Basalt is a common extrusive volcanic rock. It is usually grey to black and fine-grained due to rapid cooling of lava at the surface of a planet. It may be porphyritic containing larger crystals in a fine matrix, or vesicular, or frothy scoria. Unweathered basalt is black or grey...
fieldstone.
History
In 1910, Alexander M. DrakeAlexander M. Drake
Alexander M. Drake was an Oregon pioneer.He was instrumental in creating and developing Bend, building the Central Oregon Canal and Pilot Butte Canal which later led to a population boom from rapid agricultural development. Drake Park is named after him...
, owner of the Pilot Butte Development Company, subdivided the land that is now Drake Park Neighborhood Historic District into residential lots. The area was laid out south of a curving boulevard that followed the Deschutes River. Lots in the subdivision originally sold for $100 to $250, equivalent to $ to $ today. In 1921, 11 acres (44,515.5 m²) along the river, adjacent to the subdivision, were sold to the city of Bend to create Drake Park. That same year, State Street was the third street in Bend to be paved.
The spacious lots were considered highly desirable because they were close to Drake Park, which runs along the east side of the Deschutes River. In addition, many home sites had choice views of the Cascade Mountain
Cascade Range
The Cascade Range is a major mountain range of western North America, extending from southern British Columbia through Washington and Oregon to Northern California. It includes both non-volcanic mountains, such as the North Cascades, and the notable volcanoes known as the High Cascades...
peaks. The area was only a block away from Bend's downtown business district so the city hall, public library, and local Catholic
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
, Methodist, and Episcopalian churches were within easy walking distance. The district was also within walking distance of the Brooks-Scanlon and Shevlin-Hixon lumber mills. As a result, the Drake Park district quickly became the preferred neighborhood for the city's most prominent businessmen.
Deschutes County, Oregon
-National protected areas:* Deschutes National Forest * Newberry National Volcanic Monument-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 115,367 people, 45,595 households, and 31,962 families residing in the county. The population density was 38 people per square mile . There were 54,583...
commissioners lived in the neighborhood.
With the exception of three houses, all the homes in the historic district were built between 1910 and 1954. The homes in the Drake Park Neighborhood Historic District are unique, and the area's development parallels the growth of Bend as the city grew from 536 people in 1910 to over 11,000 in 1950. As a result, the Drake Park neighborhood was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2005.
Architecture
There are 110 contributing structures on 83 residential lots within the boundary of the Drake Park Neighborhood Historic District. The district has an unusually high concentration of diverse architecture with unique cultural value. The neighborhood also has maintained its architectural integrity with eighty-one percent of the homes and sixty-five percent of the non-residential structures contributing to its historic value.Most of the houses built between 1910 and 1919 are 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...
style homes. In the early 1920s, a number of American Colonial style homes were built in the neighborhood; however, Craftsman-style homes continued to be popular as well. Beginning around 1925, other architectural styles were introduced to the neighborhood, including Tudor
Tudorbethan architecture
The Tudor Revival architecture of the 20th century , first manifested itself in domestic architecture beginning in the United Kingdom in the mid to late 19th century based on a revival of aspects of Tudor style. It later became an influence in some other countries, especially the British colonies...
, English Cottage
Cottage
__toc__In modern usage, a cottage is usually a modest, often cozy dwelling, typically in a rural or semi-rural location. However there are cottage-style dwellings in cities, and in places such as Canada the term exists with no connotations of size at all...
, Cape Cod
Cape Cod (house)
A Cape Cod cottage is a style of house originating in New England in the 17th century. It is traditionally characterized by a low, broad frame building, generally a story and a half high, with a steep, pitched roof with end gables, a large central chimney and very little ornamentation...
, Dutch Colonial
Dutch Colonial
Dutch Colonial is a style of domestic architecture, primarily characterized by gambrel roofs having curved eaves along the length of the house...
, and Colonial Revival]] Style architecture designs. During the 1930s very few homes were built, but those that were reflected a variety of tastes. In the 1940s, the residents tended to favor more modern designs. The last two historic homes, both built in the 1950s, are a California Ranch style
Ranch-style house
Ranch-style houses is a domestic architectural style originating in the United States. First built in the 1920s, the ranch style was extremely popular amongst the booming post-war middle class of the 1940s to 1970s...
design and a post-war modern tract house. Since 1954, the neighborhood has remained relatively stable and has retained its architectural integrity. A total of fourteen architectural styles are represented in the district.
Four houses within the district were previously listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The four previously listed homes are the George Palmer Putnam
George P. Putnam
George Palmer Putnam was an American publisher, author and explorer. Known for his marriage to and being the widower of Amelia Earhart, he had also achieved fame as one of the most successful promoters in the United States during the 1930s.-Early life:Born in Rye, New York, he was the son of John...
House, the Thomas McCann House, the Robert D. Moore House, and the Benjamin Hamilton House. The Putnam house, built in 1911, is an American Craftsman style home located on Congress Street. The McCann house is also on Congress Street. It is a Georgian Revival style home built in 1915. The McCann house was designed by David C. Lewis, a prominent Portland architect who also designed the European Building for the 1905 Lewis and Clark Exposition. The Moore house is a Colonial Revival style home built on Congress Street in 1921. The Hamilton house, on State Street, is a one-story Craftsman-style bungalow built in 1923.
There are a number of other distinguished homes in the district including the John and Jennie Keyes House, built in 1913. It is a two-story Craftsman style home located on Riverside Boulevard. The home was designed by Bend’s most prominent architect of the time, J. W. Dimick. The James and Ruth Overturf House was built in 1916. It is another craftsman style bungalow located on Congress Street. In 2002, the house was carefully restored to its original architectural design. The Samuel Blakely House was built in 1919. It is a restored Craftsman bungalow located on Congress Street. Finally, the Fredrick and Myrtle Lieuallen House on Riverside Boulevard is a beautiful Tudor-style home built in 1926.