Independence Historic District (Independence, Oregon)
Encyclopedia
Independence Historic District in Independence, Oregon
, United States is a historic district
that was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
(NRHP) in 1989. The roughly 30-block district preserves approximately 250 homes and businesses of a prosperous riverside town of the 1880s.
, is notable as an example of a late-nineteenth/early-twentieth century main street
and features two commercial buildings with prominent Victorian-era
towers. Most of the buildings on Main Street were built of brick between 1880 and 1900.
Independence thrived as a shipping point, by both rail and boat
, for agricultural products and lumber until the 1950s. The city was known for its hops
production from the 1890s through the 1940s, dubbing itself the "Hop Capital of the World." When the demand for hops dropped, the city's fortunes began to decline. One reason Independence is so well-preserved today is that it was bypassed by major freeways in the 1960s, so there wasn't a push to modernize the downtown. Today the historic district is being revitalized as a tourism destination.
Independence, Oregon
Independence is a city in Polk County, Oregon, United States, on the west bank of the Willamette River along Oregon Route 51, and east of nearby Monmouth. It is part of the Salem Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, United States is a historic district
Historic district
A historic district or heritage district is a section of a city which contains older buildings considered valuable for historical or architectural reasons. In some countries, historic districts receive legal protection from development....
that 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...
(NRHP) in 1989. The roughly 30-block district preserves approximately 250 homes and businesses of a prosperous riverside town of the 1880s.
History
Main Street, running along the Willamette RiverWillamette 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...
, is notable as an example of a late-nineteenth/early-twentieth century main street
Main Street
Main Street is the metonym for a generic street name of the primary retail street of a village, town, or small city in many parts of the world...
and features two commercial buildings with prominent Victorian-era
Victorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
towers. Most of the buildings on Main Street were built of brick between 1880 and 1900.
Independence thrived as a shipping point, by both rail and boat
Steamboats of the Willamette River
The Willamette River flows northwards down the Willamette Valley until it meets the Columbia River at a point 101 miles from the Pacific Ocean, in the U.S. state of Oregon.-Route and early operations:...
, for agricultural products and lumber until the 1950s. The city was known for its hops
Hops
Hops are the female flower clusters , of a hop species, Humulus lupulus. They are used primarily as a flavoring and stability agent in beer, to which they impart a bitter, tangy flavor, though hops are also used for various purposes in other beverages and herbal medicine...
production from the 1890s through the 1940s, dubbing itself the "Hop Capital of the World." When the demand for hops dropped, the city's fortunes began to decline. One reason Independence is so well-preserved today is that it was bypassed by major freeways in the 1960s, so there wasn't a push to modernize the downtown. Today the historic district is being revitalized as a tourism destination.
Individual listings within the district
The district includes six buildings separately listed on the NRHP:- Dr. John E. and Mary D. Davidson House (c. 1878)
- Independence National Bank (1891) designed by architect Walter D. PughWalter D. PughWalter D. Pugh was a prominent architect in Salem, Oregon, United States.The son of a carpenter, Pugh began designing buildings in Salem when there were only a few thousand residents, and in nearby Eugene when it had a little over a thousand residents...
- Kersey C. Eldridge House (1914)
- J. A. Wheeler House (c.1880)
- James S. and Jennie M. Cooper House (c. 1875)
- Saint Patrick's Roman Catholic Church (c. 1874)
External links
- http://boundless.uoregon.edu/cdm4/results.php?CISOOP1=all&CISOFIELD1=CISOSEARCHALL&CISORESTMP=results.php&CISOVIEWTMP=item_viewer.php&CISOMODE=thumb&CISOGRID=thumbnail%2CA%2C1%3Btitle%2CA%2C1%3Btitlea%2CA%2C0%3Btitlev%2C200%2C0%3Bnone%2CA%2C0%3B20%3Btitle%2Cnone%2Cnone%2Cnone%2Cnone&CISOBIB=title%2CA%2C1%2CN%3Btitlea%2CA%2C0%2CN%3Btitlev%2C200%2C0%2CN%3Bnone%2CA%2C0%2CN%3Bnone%2CA%2C0%2CN%3B20%3Btitle%2Cnone%2Cnone%2Cnone%2Cnone&CISOTHUMB=20+%285x4%29%3Btitle%2Cnone%2Cnone%2Cnone%2Cnone&CISOTITLE=20%3Btitle%2Cnone%2Cnone%2Cnone%2Cnone&CISOHIERA=20%3Btitlea%2Ctitle%2Cnone%2Cnone%2Cnone&CISOSUPPRESS=0&CISOBOX1=Independence&CISOROOT=%2Farchpnw&Submit=SearchImages of historic architecture in Independence] from the University of OregonUniversity of Oregon-Colleges and schools:The University of Oregon is organized into eight schools and colleges—six professional schools and colleges, an Arts and Sciences College and an Honors College.- School of Architecture and Allied Arts :...
Library digital architecture collection - Independence Historic District listing in the Oregon Historic Sites Database of Oregon Parks and Recreation DepartmentOregon Parks and Recreation DepartmentThe Oregon Parks and Recreation Department , officially known as the State Parks and Recreation Department, is the government agency of the U.S. state of Oregon which operates its system of state parks...
- Historic images of Main Street in Independence from Salem Public Library
- 2009 Statesman-Journal article about the J. S. Cooper House