List of the oldest buildings in Oregon

This article lists the oldest extant buildings in Oregon, including extant buildings and structures constructed prior to and during the United States rule over Oregon. Only buildings built prior to 1860 are suitable for inclusion on this list, or the building must be the oldest of its type.

In order to qualify for the list, a structure must:

  • be a recognizable building (defined as any human-made structure used or intended for supporting or sheltering any use or continuous occupancy);
  • incorporate features of building work from the claimed date to at least 1.5 metres (4.9 ft) in height and/or be a listed building.

This consciously excludes ruins of limited height, roads and statues. Bridges may be included if they otherwise fulfill the above criteria. Dates for many of the oldest structures have been arrived at by radiocarbon dating or dendrochronology and should be considered approximate. If the exact year of initial construction is estimated, it will be shown as a range of dates.

List of oldest buildings

Building Image Location First built Use Notes
Molalla Log House near Canby, Oregon 1790s Residence Unknown who constructed the structure (possibly trappers, Native American or Russians). Building was moved to a new site in 2021 in the Hopkins Demonstration Forest.[1]
Jason Lee House Salem, Oregon 1841 Residence One of the oldest frame building remaining in the state
Methodist Mission Parsonage Salem, Oregon 1841 Residence One of the oldest frame building remaining in the state
Francis Ermatinger House Oregon City, Oregon 1843 Residence Long thought to be the oldest house in Clackamas County[2]
Delaney–Edwards House Salem, Oregon 1845 Residence Currently a Bed & Breakfast
St. Paul Roman Catholic Church (St. Paul, Oregon) St. Paul, Oregon 1846 Church Oldest church in Oregon and oldest brick building in Pacific Northwest
McLoughlin House National Historic Site Oregon City, Oregon 1846 Residence Home of John McLoughlin a leader of the Hudson's Bay Company and the "father of Oregon"
John D. Boon House Salem, Oregon 1847 Residence
Butteville Jail Champoeg, Oregon 1848 Jail
Silas Jacob N. Beeks House Forest Grove, Oregon 1848 Residence
Watson–Price Farmstead Barn Benton County, Oregon 1848 Barn
William L. Holmes House Oregon City, Oregon 1848 Residence
Dr. Forbes Barclay House Oregon City, Oregon 1849 Residence
Thomas and Walter Monteith House Albany, Oregon 1849 Residence
Dayton Common School Dayton, Oregon 1850 School
Granville H. Baber House Linn County, Oregon 1850 Residence
Malcolm A. Moody House The Dalles, Oregon 1850 Residence Oldest house in The Dalles
Morton Matthew McCarver House Oregon City, Oregon 1850 Residence
Tualatin Academy Forest Grove, Oregon 1850 University Building Oldest university building in the state
White–Kellogg House Oregon City, Oregon 1850 Residence
Capt. John C. Ainsworth House Oregon City, Oregon 1851 Residence
Hamilton Campbell House Marion County, Oregon 1851 Residence
Knighton House St. Helens, Oregon 1851 Residence Oldest house in Columbia County[3]
Levi Hagey House Dundee, Oregon 1851 Residence
Matthew Murphy House St. Paul, Oregon 1851 Residence
Hiram Brown House Astoria, Oregon 1852 Residence A part of the Shively–McClure Historic District
Mountain House Ashland, Oregon 1852 Residence
Robert Newell House Champoeg, Oregon 1852 Residence
Watson–Price Farmstead Benton County, Oregon 1852 Residence
Amos Cook House Dayton, Oregon 1853 Residence
John Phillips House Polk County, Oregon 1853 Residence
Lane County Clerk's Building Eugene, Oregon 1853 Residence
Washington County Jail Washington County, Oregon 1853 Jail
West Union Baptist Church Hillsboro, Oregon 1853 Church
Andrew Jackson and Sarah Jane Masters House Aloha, Oregon 1854 Residence
Creed Floed House Roseburg, Oregon 1854 Residence
Jacob Conser House Jefferson, Oregon 1854 Residence
Daniel and Catherine Christian House Eugene, Oregon 1855 Residence Oldest house in Eugene
James Mechlin Anderson House Marion County, Oregon 1855 Residence
John Fiechter House Corvallis, Oregon 1855 Residence
Patrick F. McManus House Phoenix, Oregon 1855 Residence
Tigard-Rogers House Portland, Oregon 1855 Residence Oldest house in Portland
Alvin T. Smith House Forest Grove, Oregon 1854-1856 Residence
Bybee–Howell House Sauvie Island, Oregon 1856 Residence
Charles Applegate House Yoncalla, Oregon 1856 Residence [4]
Fort Yamhill Blockhouse Dayton, Oregon 1856 Blockhouse
Hiram A. Straight House Oregon City, Oregon 1856 Residence
Horace Baker Log Cabin Carver, Oregon 1856 Residence
Mt. Pleasant Presbyterian Church Linn County, Oregon 1856 Church
Burford-Stanley House Monmouth, Oregon 1857 Residence
Charles Gaylord House Corvallis, Oregon 1857 Residence
Fort Dalles Surgeon's Quarters The Dalles, Oregon 1857 Residence
Fort Hoskins Commander's House Benton County, Oregon 1857 Residence Moved back to the fort from Pedee Creek Road; only surviving structure of the fort
Hallock–McMillan Building Portland, Oregon 1857 Commercial Oldest surviving commercial building and oldest brick building in Portland
Hannah and Eliza Gorman House Corvallis, Oregon 1857 Residence
Jesse H. Caton House Corvallis, Oregon 1857 Residence
Palmer House Dayton, Oregon 1857 Residence
Sam Brown House Gervais, Oregon 1857 Residence
Fulton–Taylor House The Dalles, Oregon 1858 Residence
Jesse and Julia Harritt House Salem, Oregon 1858 Residence
John P. Walker House Ashland, Oregon 1858 Residence
John Sweek House Tualatin, Oregon 1858 Residence
Pleasant Grove Presbyterian Church Salem, Oregon 1858 Church
Rock Creek Methodist Church Clackamas County, Oregon 1858 Church
Stephen and Parthena M. Blank House Forest Grove, Oregon 1858 Residence
Andrew Smith House Dayton, Oregon 1859 Residence
Augustus Fanno Farmhouse Beaverton, Oregon 1859 Residence
Butteville Academy Champoeg, Oregon 1859 School
First Wasco County Courthouse The Dalles, Oregon 1859 Courthouse
Horace L. Dibble House Molalla, Oregon 1859 Residence
Hugh Fields House Linn County, Oregon 1859 Residence
John B. White House Jackson County, Oregon 1859 Residence
Spring Valley Presbyterian Church Zena, Oregon 1859 Church
333 NE First Street Oakland, Oregon 1859 Residence Moved from Old Town Oakland in the 1870s to its current location; part of the Oakland Historic District
Waller Hall Salem, Oregon 1867 University building Oldest university building in use on West Coast[5]
Cape Blanco Lighthouse Curry County, Oregon 1870 Lighthouse Oldest remaining lighthouse in the state

See also

References

  1. ^ Denham, Danielle (8 January 2021). "The Unsolved Mystery of the Oldest Standing Structure in Oregon". That Oregon Life. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
  2. ^ Hawkins, William John; Willingham, William F. (1999). Classic Houses of Portland, Oregon: 1850–1950 (1st ed.). Timber Press. p. 37. OCLC 40948520.
  3. ^ "Oregon Historic Sites Database".
  4. ^ Carter, Liz. "Applegate House". Oregon Encyclopedia.
  5. ^ "Willamette University - Historical Tour". myatlascms.com. Retrieved 19 February 2024.