Dr. Luke A. Port House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Deepwood Museum & Gardens
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U.S. Historic district
Contributing property |
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| Location | 1116 Mission Street, SE Salem, Oregon |
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| Area | 4 acres (1.6 ha) |
| Built | 1894 |
| Architect | William C. Knighton; Lord & Schryver |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne |
| Part of | Gaiety Hill – Bush's Pasture Park Historic District (ID86002849) |
| NRHP reference No. | 73001581 |
| Added to NRHP | October 2, 1973 |
Deepwood Museum & Gardens, also called Deepwood, is a beautiful old house in Salem, Oregon. It was built a long time ago, starting in 1893 and finished in 1894. Today, a group called the Friends of Deepwood helps take care of it, and the City of Salem owns it.
The house was designed by William C. Knighton, who was a famous architect. The amazing gardens were planned much later, starting in 1929, by a company called Lord & Schryver. The house is built in the Queen Anne style, which means it has lots of fancy details. Inside, you can see pretty stained glass windows made by Povey Brothers Studio. Building the house cost between $12,000 and $15,000 back then.
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Who Lived at Deepwood?
Deepwood has been home to a few different families over the years. Each family added their own touch to the house and gardens.
The Port Family (1894-1895)
Dr. Luke A. Port was the first owner of Deepwood. He was born in England but grew up in Ohio. Dr. Port moved to Salem in 1884 and opened a drugstore. He started building Deepwood in 1893. However, he only lived in the house for about a year. In 1895, Dr. Port sold the home to Judge George G. Bingham.
The Bingham Family (1895-1924)
Judge George G. Bingham moved into Deepwood with his wife, Willie E. Harris, and their young daughter, Alice. They lived in the house for almost 30 years. The Bingham family loved to have guests over and entertain in their home. George Bingham also enjoyed gardening. He had a small fruit orchard, a large vegetable garden, and even some farm animals on their four-acre property.
After George and Willie passed away, their daughter Alice inherited the house. Alice later sold Deepwood to Clifford and Alice Brown.
The Brown-Powell Family (1924-1968)
Clifford and Alice Brown bought Deepwood and spent a year making many updates to the house before moving in with their two sons. Sadly, Clifford Brown passed away in 1927.
Alice Brown became the person who lived at Deepwood the longest. In 1929, she hired Elizabeth Lord and Edith Schryver's company, Lord & Schryver, to design the beautiful English-style gardens you see today. Alice Brown is also the one who gave the property its name, Deepwood.
In 1945, Alice Brown married Keith Powell. They were married right there in the Deepwood gardens. They continued to live in the house until 1968, when they moved to a smaller home nearby.
Saving Deepwood for Everyone
After the Brown-Powell family moved out, there was a chance Deepwood might have been torn down. Many people wanted to build businesses on the land because it was close to downtown Salem.
However, a strong group of people in the community worked hard to save Deepwood. They believed the house and gardens were important and should be kept for everyone to enjoy.
Deepwood Today (1971-Present)
Because of these efforts, the City of Salem bought the house in December 1971. Since 1974, a non-profit group called the Friends of Deepwood has helped manage the house and gardens. They run Deepwood as a house museum, a public garden, and a place for special events. The City of Salem, along with two other groups called the Deepwood Gardeners and the Lord & Schryver Conservancy, help take care of the gardens and property.
