Palmer House (Dayton, Oregon) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Palmer House
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Front of Palmer House, seen from Ferry Street
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 Location in Dayton OR
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| Location | 600 Ferry Street Dayton, Oregon |
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| Area | 4.1 acres (1.7 ha) |
| Built | 1857 |
| Architect | (unknown) |
| Architectural style | Classical Revival |
| MPS | Dayton MRA |
| NRHP reference No. | 87000403 |
| Added to NRHP | March 16, 1987 |
The Palmer House is a very old and important home in Dayton, Oregon. It was once the home of Joel Palmer (1810–81). He was a famous pioneer who helped start the town of Dayton.
This house is located at 600 Ferry Street. It is known as one of Oregon's best historic homes. The Palmer House has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1987. It is also on the Oregon Historic Register. It was the first of 48 buildings in Dayton to be listed. It is also the oldest building still standing in the town.
A Pioneer's Journey
Joel Palmer first came to the Oregon Country in 1845. He claimed land for himself near Corvallis, Oregon. He also claimed land for his brother-in-law near Dayton.
Palmer then went back to Indiana to get his family. He returned to Oregon in 1847. When he arrived, he found that someone else had taken his land claim. His brother-in-law decided not to come to Oregon. So, Palmer settled on his brother-in-law's land claim instead. This land was about 6 miles (10 km) south of Dayton.
Palmer's Role in History
Around December 1847, Palmer was called away. He became the "Commissary General" for the Oregon Territory army. This meant he was in charge of getting supplies for the soldiers. They were fighting in the Cayuse War at the Whitman Mission National Historic Site. This was a conflict between settlers and the Cayuse people.
After the war, Palmer left for the California Gold Rush. While he was away, his daughter Sarah got married. She settled on her husband's land near the Yamhill River.
Founding Dayton
Palmer came back in February 1850. He bought part of his son-in-law's land. He combined it with his brother-in-law's claim. He also added land from his son and daughter-in-law. This created a large area of about 465 acres (188 hectares). Palmer then planned out this land to create the town of Dayton.
The first building Palmer owned in Dayton was a hotel. It was in the middle of the new town. He ran it for a few years. Then, he built the Palmer House. This happened in either 1852 or 1857. The house was built near the edge of the town.
The House Today
The Palmer House has seen many years pass. It has survived several big floods. It has also survived at least one major fire.
The house is located close to where the Yamhill River meets the Willamette River. It is also near Palmer Creek. This creek was important in early times for powering machines. Joel Palmer ran a sawmill, a hotel, and other businesses nearby.
Since 1996, the Palmer House has been a fancy restaurant. It serves creative dishes made with local food.
