National Register of Historic Places listings in Marion County, Oregon facts for kids

The National Register of Historic Places is like a special list of buildings, places, and objects in the United States that are important to history. When a place is on this list, it means it's worth protecting and remembering because it tells a story about the past. In Marion County, Oregon, there are many amazing places on this list, from old houses and churches to bridges and even parts of old railroads! These places help us learn about how people lived, worked, and built communities long ago.

Historic Places in Marion County

Marion County, Oregon, is full of fascinating historical sites. Let's explore some of them!

Homes with History

Many old homes in Marion County are on the National Register because they show us different styles of building and how families lived.

• The Louis J. Adams House and Louise Adams House in Silverton are two examples of historic homes. They were added to the list in 2011 and 2015.
• The Frederick Bents House near Aurora was built in 1887. It's special because it was expanded many times, showing how farm life and money changed over the years in the Willamette Valley.
• The Asahel Bush House in Salem, added in 1974, is another important home.
• The Sam Brown House in Gervais, listed in 1974, is also a notable historical residence.
• The Alexander Daue House in Salem, from 1985, and the June D. Drake House in Silverton, from 2011, are more examples of unique homes.
• The Magnus and Emma Ek House in Silverton, added in 2013, is part of a special group of historic places in Silverton.
• The Gordon House in Silverton, listed in 2004, is a very unique home.
• The Daniel B. Jarman House and Garden in Salem, from 1979, shows us not just the house but also its historic garden.
• The Jason Lee House in Salem, listed in 1973, is now part of the Willamette Heritage Center. It's a great place to visit and learn about early Oregon history.
• The McCallister–Gash Farmhouse near Silverton, from 1980, gives us a glimpse into farm life.
• The John and Douglas Minto Houses in Salem, listed in 1981, are another pair of important homes.
• The William Riley Scheurer House in Butteville, from 1981, is located right along the Willamette River.
• The Jesse H. Settlemier House in Woodburn, added in 1974, is a well-known historic home.
• The Peter and Bertha Soderberg House in Silverton, from 2013, is another example of Silverton's historic homes.
• The John Stauffer House and Barn near Hubbard, listed in 1974, includes both a historic house and its barn.
• The William Lincoln Wade House in Salem, from 1978, is also on the list.
• The Casper Zorn Farmhouse near St. Paul, from 1980, is another historic farm building.

Important Buildings and Districts

Beyond individual homes, many other buildings and even whole areas are recognized for their historical value.

• The Adolph Block in Salem, listed in 1980, is a historic building.
• The Aurora Colony Historic District in Aurora, from 1974, is a whole area that shows what life was like in an old colony.
• The Bank of Woodburn, listed in 1996, is a historic bank building.
• The R. P. Boise Building and Boon Brick Store in Salem, from 1981 and 1975, are old commercial buildings.
• The Bush and Brey Block and Annex and Bush–Breyman Block in Salem, from 1981 and 1978, are more examples of historic business blocks.
• The Chemeketa Lodge No. 1 Odd Fellows Buildings in Salem, from 1988, are important community buildings.
• The Court Street – Chemeketa Street Historic District in Salem, from 1987, is a large area with many historic buildings.
• The Deidrich Building in Stayton, listed in 2006, is a historic commercial building.
• The Elsinore Theater in Salem, from 1994, is a beautiful old theater.
• The Farrar Building in Salem, from 1982, is another historic building.
• The First Methodist Episcopal Church of Salem, listed in 1983, is an important religious building.
• The Gaiety Hill – Bush's Pasture Park Historic District in Salem, from 1986, includes a park and surrounding historic area.
• The J. K. Gill Building in Salem, from 1980, is a historic commercial building.
• The S. A. Manning Building in Salem, from 1987, is another historic building in the city.
• The Old First National Bank Building in Salem, from 1986, is a significant old bank.
• The Old Garfield School in Salem, from 1981, is a former school building.
• The Old Woodburn City Hall, listed in 1979, served as the city's government building.
• The Oregon State Capitol in Salem, from 1988, is where Oregon's government works.
• The Oregon State Forester's Office Building in Salem, from 1982, is a historic government building.
• The Oregon State Hospital Historic District in Salem, from 2008, is a large area with historic hospital buildings.
• The Christopher Paulus Building in Salem, from 1992, is another historic building.
• The Reed Opera House and McCornack Block Addition in Salem, from 1978, is a famous historic entertainment venue.
• The Salem Downtown State Street – Commercial Street Historic District in Salem, from 2001, covers a large part of downtown Salem. It shows how the city grew as a farming and business hub. The buildings here show many different building styles from the 1860s to the 1950s.
• The Salem Southern Pacific Railroad Station in Salem, listed in 2010, is a grand train station built in 1918. It's the third station on this spot and has been used for train service since 1871!
• The South First National Bank Block and Starkey–McCully Block in Salem, from 1983 and 1979, are more historic commercial buildings.
• The Waller Hall, Willamette University in Salem, from 1975, is a historic building on the university campus.
• The Windischar's General Blacksmith Shop in Mount Angel, from 1980, is a historic shop where metalwork was done.
• The T. M. and Emma Witten Drug Store – House in Jefferson, from 1999, is a historic store and home.

Unique and Special Places

Some places on the list are truly one-of-a-kind!

• The Aurora Colony Historic District in Aurora is a large area that tells the story of a unique religious community that lived there.
• The Champoeg Cemetery in Aurora, listed in 2004, is a historic burial ground.
• The Champoeg State Park Historic Archeological District near St. Paul, from 1984, is an important archaeological site.
• The Chemawa Indian School Site in Chemawa, listed in 1992, is a historic school site.
• The Gaiety Hollow in Salem, added in 2014, includes a home and six gardens designed by Edith Schryver and Elizabeth Lord. They were the first women to own a landscape architecture firm in the Pacific Northwest and used these gardens to try out new ideas!
• The Gallon House Bridge near Silverton, from 1979, is a historic bridge over Abiqua Creek.
• The A. C. Gilbert's Discovery Village (also known as the Andrew T. Gilbert House) in Salem, from 1980, is a children's museum. It's named after A. C. Gilbert, who invented the Erector Set!
• The Lee Mission Cemetery in Salem, from 1978, is a historic cemetery.
• The Thomas Kay Woolen Mill in Salem, listed in 1973, is now part of the Willamette Heritage Center. It was a very important mill that made wool products.
• The Miller Cemetery Church near Silverton, from 1978, is a historic church near a cemetery.
• The Joseph Henry Moser Barn in Silverton, from 2013, is a historic barn.
• The Odd Fellows Rural Cemetery in Salem, from 2013, is another historic cemetery.
• The Olallie Meadows Guard Station in Mount Hood National Forest, from 2015, is a historic building in a beautiful natural area.
• The Oregon Pacific Railroad Linear Historic District is a 20-mile section of an old railroad grade between Idanha and the Cascade Range summit. It tells the story of a man named Thomas Egenton Hogg who tried to build a railroad all the way to the Oregon Coast in the late 1800s. Even though his company went bankrupt, the remains of the track and construction camps give us a unique look at how railroads were built back then and what life was like for the workers.
• The Oregon State Fair Stadium and Poultry Building Ensemble in Salem, from 2002, includes historic buildings from the state fairgrounds.
• The Pleasant Grove Presbyterian Church in Salem, from 1974 (and relisted in 1987), is also part of the Willamette Heritage Center.
• The Queen of Angels Priory in Mount Angel, from 1982, is a historic religious building.
• The St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church in Mount Angel, from 1976, is another historic church.
• The St. Paul Historic District and St. Paul Roman Catholic Church in St. Paul, from 1982 and 1979, show the history of this community.
• The Silver Creek Youth Camp – Silver Falls State Park near Sublimity, from 2002, is a historic youth camp.
• The Silver Falls State Park Concession Building Area near Sublimity, from 1983, includes historic buildings in the popular state park.
• The Silverton Commercial Historic District in Silverton, from 1987, includes 27 buildings in downtown Silverton. They show how water power and businesses helped this small town grow between 1870 and 1936.
• The Union Street Railroad Bridge and Trestle in Salem, from 2006, is a historic railroad bridge.
• The Victor Point School near Silverton, from 1996, is a historic school building.
• The Willamette Station Site, Methodist Mission in Oregon near Gervais, from 1984, is a historic site related to an early mission.

Former Listings

Sometimes, places are removed from the National Register if they are changed too much or destroyed.

• The Breitenbush Guard Station near Detroit was removed in 2011.
• The George F. McCorkle House near Silverton was removed in 1984 because it was changed a lot.
• The Paris Woollen Mill in Stayton was removed in 2008.
• The Wilson–Durbin House in Salem was a beautiful Gothic Revival house built in 1861. Sadly, it was destroyed by fire in 1990. A new version of the house was built in 1999 and is now part of A.C. Gilbert's Discovery Village.

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Oregon
• Listings in neighboring counties: Clackamas, Jefferson, Linn, Polk, Wasco, Yamhill
• Historic preservation
• History of Oregon
• Lists of Oregon-related topics

External links

• Oregon Parks and Recreation Department, National Register Program
• National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places site