| SUMMARY
The Monteith National Register Historic District was listed on the 29th of February, 1980, and is located in the western portion of downtown Albany (Figure 1). Nominated under Criterion A and C, the original Monteith Historic District included a total of 381 properties constructed during the period of significance, 1849-1915. In 2000 the National Register nomination was amended to adjust the period of significance to include the years from 1915 to 1945, thus adding single- and multi-family residences constructed in the district as infill during WWI through the end of WWII. These resources included excellent examples of Craftsman, Bungalow, Colonial Revival, Minimal Traditional, and Depression/World War II-Era Cottage styles. The 2000 amendment also included updated survey and rating data. The 2000 amendment identified 418 resources within the original Monteith Historic District boundary. A total of 330 resources were contributing under the new period of significance, 1849-1945.
The adjusted period of significance allows for the consideration of residential areas to the south and west of the district that were previously excluded because the construction dates of the resources did not fall within the period of significance specified in the 1980 historic district nomination. Many of these properties were constructed between 1915 and 1945, and reflect the continuing growth and development of Albany through the first half of the twentieth century. The purpose of this second amendment is to include the previously excluded properties that now fall within the amended period of significance for the Monteith Historic District. This document also provides additional context for resources constructed after 1915, which was not provided in the 1980 National Register nomination. See Figure 2 for a map of the current National Register district and the proposed expansion area.
The area originally known as Monteith’s Southern Addition, platted by the Monteith brothers, abuts the existing district at its southwest edge. The boundary of the expansion area includes approximately four blocks, as well as portions of an additional nine blocks within Monteith’s Southern Addition plat (Figure 8). An additional lot located on the southeastern corner of 6th Avenue SW and Elm Street is included within the expansion area. Within the identified area there are a total of seventy-eight new resources with 59 percent, forty-six total, of these contributing to the historic character of the district (Figure 3). Architectural styles include examples of Queen Anne, Craftsman, Bungalow, Minimal Traditional and Ranch styles. Construction dates for this area range from 1900 to 1970: 25 percent of the buildings were constructed between 1900 and 1919, 34 percent between 1920 and 1939, and 23 percent between 1940 and 1945. Less than 21 percent of the resources were constructed between 1947 and 1957.
ALBANY AND THE MONTEITH DISTRICT
Albany spans Linn and Benton Counties in the heart of the Willamette Valley. The city lies on the banks of the Willamette River, just below the mouth of the Calapooia River. Albany is the county seat of Linn County, which was established in 1847. Almost two decades later, Albany incorporated in 1864. Today, the city is the largest in Linn County with a population of 47,470, and the city limits that include an area of eighteen square miles.
The area that would become the City of Albany was initially settled in 1848 when Walter and Thomas Monteith arrived in the area and purchased the Smead claim. The two settlers platted about sixty acres near the river into lots, forming the original Albany town plat. The Monteiths named Albany after their hometown in New York. A few years later, in 1850, Abner Hackleman platted seventy acres of land in the eastern part of Albany, known as Hackleman’s First Addition. Early commercial, industrial, and residential development occurred within the two initial land claims of the Monteiths and the Hacklemans. First Avenue between Ferry and Calapooia Streets formed the early commercial core, while most of the early industrial development was located along the river, near the commercial center. In the mid-nineteenth century, residential development in Albany was initially concentrated around the city center, with farms located further out. As the town grew, Albany developed in a radiating pattern from the city center.
Albany currently includes four National Register Historic Districts: Monteith, Hackleman, Downtown Commercial, and a portion of the Albany Municipal Airport (See Figure 16 for a map of Albany's central area Historic Districts). The Monteith district is located in the western portion of Albany, and is composed primarily of one- and two-story wood-frame residences built between 1849 and 1945. As described in the original nomination, the architectural styles represented in the Monteith Historic District include examples of Gothic Revival, Italianate, Queen Anne, French Second Empire, Stick Style, Georgian Revival, Italian Villa, and Rural Vernacular. The original district included approximately fifty city blocks, each measuring 220 by 260 feet. The district is roughly bounded on the north by 2nd Avenue and the Calapooia River. The eastern boundary is Lyon Street. The boundary on the south is 9th Avenue with an extension reaching to 12th Avenue between Ferry and Calapooia Streets. The western boundary is Elm Street.
DEVELOPMENT OF THE EXPANSION AREA
The proposed Monteith Expansion Area is a cohesive collection of early- to mid-twentieth century residential buildings located south and west of the existing Monteith Historic District. The area consists of approximately four blocks, as well as portions of an additional nine blocks within Monteith’s Southern Addition plat (Figure 8). The expansion area is roughly bounded by Elm Street on the west, 12th Avenue on the south, 9th Avenue on the north, and Calapooia Street on the east. (Figure 2). An additional lot is located on the southeastern corner of 6th Avenue SW and Elm Street is included within the expansion area. The expansion area is laid out in a grid pattern that matches the current Monteith Historic District, in contrast to the blocks directly south of this area, which were platted at a later time and are configured with larger rectangular blocks roughly twice the length. The Monteith Historic District and the associated expansion area developed as residents moved out from the original city core. Development closely followed transportation improvements that included streets, the streetcar, the railroad, and the canal, and the location of important institutions. The result was the clustering of older buildings near these features, while later construction occurred toward the southern and eastern edges of town.
Initial development and the physical layout of the neighborhood in the area were influenced by the location of schools. Constructed in 1867 on land donated by the Monteiths, the Albany Collegiate Institute was located on the southern edge of the Monteith Historic District at 9th and Broadalbin. The Monteith brothers drew up the plat for Monteith’s Southern Addition (1872), which was designed around the existing college. The plat included a large block set aside for the school, which they called College Square, bounded on the north by 9th Avenue, the east by Ellsworth Street, the south by 11th Avenue, and the west by Ferry Street. The college eventually outgrew this space and moved farther southwest. A new building to house Central School was constructed on this square in 1915 (Figure 9). A small portion of the existing Monteith Historic District is included in the eastern portion of Monteith’s Southern Addition with the expansion area lying in the western portion of the plat (Figure 8). Except for College Square, Monteith’s Southern Addition is uniformly designed with fifteen equal-sized 220-foot by 260-foot residential blocks that are laid out in a grid pattern. Numbered streets (9th-11th) run east to west, and named streets run north to south (Elm, Walnut, Maple, Vine, Calapooia, Washington, Ferry, Broadalbin, Ellsworth and Lyon). This layout mirrors the original Albany town plat, which is within the existing Monteith Historic District.
As the city grew, developing transportation networks began to shape the city. The streetcar company constructed a regular line down Lyon Street beginning in 1889, which caused development of the southeastern edge of the original district, along Lyon Street from the 1st Avenue in downtown south toward the train depot located at 9th and Lyon. The evidence of this line’s existence is still evident in the built environment. As judged by the age and style of buildings, residential development within the expansion area began at the north and eastern edges, abutting the existing district at 9th Avenue to the north, Calapooia Street to the east, then proceeded to grow west to Elm Street and south to 12th, with 12th Avenue unopened west of Calapooia Street until after 1945.
Another important factor in the development of Albany and the neighborhood was the development of waterways. The Albany-Santiam Canal runs north along Vine Street through the Monteith Expansion Area and the existing Monteith Historic District, to the confluence of the Calapooia and Willamette rivers. This eighteen-mile earthen canal served as a drinking water source for both the Albany and Lebanon communities since the 1880s, and many homes were built along its banks. The Canal has a variable width up to thirty feet and a depth from four to seven feet. In many areas the canal banks are overgrown with trees and brush. Concrete bridges cross the canal throughout the expansion area and the district. The canal is still a prominent neighborhood feature.
Because of the long development period, the expansion area contains a wide variety of residential housing styles and types. The expansion area’s single-family and multi-family residential buildings retain a high level of integrity and range in height from one to two stories in the Bungalow, Craftsman, Minimal Traditional, Depression/World War II (WWII)-Era Cottage, and Ranch styles. All of the structures on the interior streets are single family with duplexes located at the edge of the expansion area on Calapooia Street on the east, and multiple-family housing located at the west end of 10th Avenue toward the exterior street of Elm. All are wood-frame construction with gable, hip or hip-and-gable roofs clad in wood or asphalt-composition shingles. The buildings are generally clad in wood siding of various sorts, but some are clad with asbestos shingle. Windows are typically double-hung wood or fixed-aluminum plate glass. Craftsman-style houses, often built in Bungalow volumes, are located at the northern and eastern edges of the district abutting the existing Monteith District. The later Minimal Traditional, Depression/WWII-Era Cottage and Ranch style houses are located to the southwestern edge of the area reflecting the growth of Albany outward from the city center toward the south and east. Like the rest of the Monteith Historic District, the expansion area is flat, averaging about 218 feet above sea level, which allowed for the platting of regular-shaped lots. The street rights-of-way typically contain a planter strip with street trees, grass, and setback sidewalks. Yards are landscaped with grass lawns and a variety of ornamental trees and foundation plantings.
RESOURCE TYPES & ARCHITECTURAL STYLES: 1915-1945
Within the existing Monteith Historic District there are ninety-two identified Bungalow and Craftsman houses and thirty-eight identified Depression/WWII-Era Cottage and Minimal Traditional residences constructed between 1915 and 1945. These buildings were constructed largely as infill. Mirroring the ongoing growth of the Monteith Historic District in the early- and mid-twentieth century, the expansion area includes similar buildings. Within the expansion area there are twenty-seven identified Bungalow and Craftsman houses, twenty-two Depression/WWII Cottage and Minimal Traditional houses, and six Revival and Tudor styles.
Bungalow and Craftsman Houses in Albany
The Bungalow and Craftsman styles first appeared nationally in the early 1900s and experienced major popularity between 1910 and 1930. Craftsman and Bungalow style houses began to appear in Albany just after the turn of the century, replacing the Victorian styles of the earlier era.
A Bungalow can be defined as a one-story or one-and-one-half-story structure, with a wide-eaved low-pitched roof, often with dormers that emphasize the general horizontal character of the design. Materials are typically wood and brick, with roof brackets, rafter tails, and exposed beams and pillars. Bands of multi-paned windows, applied decoration, and porches are typical design features. A Craftsman is typically one-and-one-half- to two-stories with hipped or gable dormers. Pyramidal roof forms are common, as well as broad and wide eaves. The Craftsman typically has a prominent porch with pillars and symmetrically arrayed multi-paned windows. In Albany, Bungalow and Craftsman styles remained a prevalent building style throughout the 1930s, with fewer being built as World War II approached. Several good examples of Bungalows can be seen on the east side of the expansion area, just west of Central School, such as 1136 Calapooia Street SW (1915) and 1140 Calapooia Street SW (1920). In Albany, Bungalows were constructed for working-class families and speculative developers. Builders even promoted “Bungalow Blocks,” which were entire subdivisions of Bungalow homes that offered developer-sponsored financing. Additionally, since the Bungalow style became the dominant housing type during a period of economic prosperity in Albany, some earlier Victorian-era structures were renovated to include Bungalow-style features. For example, the houses at 539 and 630 5th Avenue SW, and 639 5th Avenue SE include added Bungalow-style front porches.
Bungalows are found throughout Albany, and specifically have been identified through Kramer’s Albany Bungalow and Craftsman Context, as well as through survey and inventory associated with the establishment of Albany’s historic districts. A total of 204 Bungalows and seventy-one Craftsman houses were identified in Albany, but it is quite likely that there are many more. Bungalows were constructed as infill within parts of Albany that developed earlier, such as the Montieth Historic District, and as new construction within plats that were developed during the period between 1910 and 1935, as is seen in the expansion area.
Colonial Revival and Tudor Styles (1910-1950)
Colonial Revival houses started appearing around the turn of the century in Oregon. The full complement of classical decorative elements were often used and applied to symmetrical forms. The style is symmetrical and detailed with classical elements, but its verticality and massive front gable show its chronological ties to the Queen Anne. In the 1920s, Colonial Revivals found their way into catalogs in a bungalow form. Naturally symmetrical with minimal classical detailing, they usually were side-gabled with multi-light sashes. Interest in reviving the nation’s heritage at Williamsburg maintained the Colonial Revival’s popularity through the 1930s.
Designers in the late 1930s and 1940s used the Colonial Revival style by either applying its elements to Minimal Traditional dwellings or recreating colonial antecedents. The Cape Cod variant was a generally smaller, one- to one-and-one-half story, side-gabled house, three bays wide with a central entry. It often had multi-light windows, shutters, and exterior chimneys. The Williamsburg variation is basically a Cape Cod with gabled dormers. Colonial Revivals are still being built today, although with minimal detailing. There are two properties that could be classified as Colonial Revival in the expansion area. They are 625 12th Avenue SW (c.1922) and 823 9th Avenue SW (c.1940). A later version of this style can be found in the Neo-Colonial residence located at 728 10th Avenue SW (c.1952).
In addition to revivals of early American building types, beginning in the early 1920s, there was a resurgence of the English Cottage, Tudor Revival and other related “Cottage” styles. These typically have steeply pitched partial-triangle rooflines, brick or stucco and half-timbered walls, and arched- or rounded-top doorways. A variation of the style was the shingled imitation of a thatched roof’s rolled eaves. These residences were particularly popular in the suburbs of the late 1920s through the 1940s. Two examples of this style in the expansion area are at 906 11th Avenue SW (1940) and 1114 Walnut Street SW (1946).
Depression/WWII Cottage and Minimal Traditional Houses in Albany
Depression/World War II styles first appeared nationally in the late 1930s and experienced major popularity between 1936 and 1945. In response to the Great Depression of the 1930s, houses became less elaborate, but still favored traditional forms and influences. Minimal Traditional houses are simplified, less expensive versions of the eclectic period revival houses of the 1910s and 1920s. For example, houses may exhibit Tudor- type roofs with a reduced pitch or feature some simplified classical or colonial detailing. The type remained popular in the period immediately following World War II, when resources were still limited and rapid construction was necessary. Buildings generally have one- or one-and-one-half stories, with low to medium roof pitches and minimal eaves. When structures are side-gabled, they often feature a smaller front-facing gable. Porches are reduced and often limited to a covering over the front door.
The Minimal Tract house appeared shortly before the beginning of World War II and continued to be built in great numbers for many decades. The economic depression of the 1930s led to this simple style of architecture, which often lacked decorative detailing. Minimal Tract homes tended to be relatively small, one-story structures, with hipped or gable roofs. Many versions of this style include a front-facing gable and a large exterior chimney, influenced by the Tudor style. During the war, there was a shortage of materials and housing. After the war and with the peacetime economy just beginning to start up, materials remained in short supply, with demand for housing exacerbated by returning soldiers and their new families. As a response to this situation, new houses were built rapidly and with little ornamentation, often in large subdivisions. These houses were also small, corresponding to the small size of young families, but designed with future additions in mind. Because of their simplicity and low cost, the Minimal Tract homes also made the dream of home ownership possible for an unprecedented number of people.
The Depression/WW II-Era Cottage resembles the Minimal Traditional house. Depression/World War II Era Cottages typically have only one story covered by a hipped or gabled roof with minimal eave overhangs. The overall shape is square or rectangular. In Albany, the volumes of the Depression/WW II-Era Cottage-style buildings are similar to both the Colonial Revival and English Cottage or Tudor types, but with even more minimal decoration. Common features could often include a large exterior chimney located along a side facade, a steeply hipped roof and sometimes a decorative or pedimented overdoor. The Depression/WWII Cottage styles are found primarily along either side of 11th Avenue SW, with 804 and 825 11th being good examples of this style.
Depression/World War II styles are found throughout Albany and specifically have been identified through Albany’s local resource inventory as well as through inventory associated with establishment of historic districts. A total of sixty-one Depression/WWII style resources have been identified throughout Albany. Many plats were developed during this period on the south, east and west sides of Albany especially in response to the need for additional housing caused by the large number of soldiers and their families who were located at Camp Adair. WWII-era homes were predominantly constructed as infill within the earlier developed parts of Albany, and as new development within plats that were developed during the period between 1936 and 1945. Within the proposed expansion area, Depression/WWII styles are found primarily in the southwestern corner of the original Monteith Plat, clustered along the south side of 10th, and along 11th and 12th Avenues, and as infill in the rest of the area.
Ranch (1930s-1950s)
Even though most of the Ranch houses within the expansion area (eight out of ten) are out of period, it is worth mentioning “The Ranch,” which originated with California architects in the mid-1930s and was the most popular style of architecture from the 1940s through the 1960s. Ranch homes tend to maximize facade width; have integrated garages; and appear to “sprawl” out, especially when placed on large lots. The Ranch thrived on the increased dependence on the automobile, as it was no longer necessary to live in proximity to bus and streetcar lines, symbolizing urban sprawl in its very form. The Ranch is characterized by asymmetrical, one-story plans with side entries, low-pitched roofs, and moderate overhangs. Large picture windows in the living area, decorative iron or wooden porch supports, and either wood or brick wall cladding are common features. Roman brick was especially favored. Partially-enclosed patios or courtyards were influences from early Spanish Colonial precedents.
RESOURCE TYPES WITHIN THE EXPANSION AREA
The distribution of historic resources in the expansion area reflects the influence of developing transportation networks and the location of important public buildings over time. Early twentieth-century styles are most common closer to downtown and historic transportation corridors, while more recent construction is usually located farther from the city center. Between 1915 and 1935, Craftsman and Bungalow styles were the predominant housing type within the expansion area. Bungalows were constructed along the northern edge, along 9th, 6th and Calapooia streets as well as along Maple and Walnut streets. Bungalows can also be found along the north side of 10th Avenue, which developed earlier than the south side of this street. Within the proposed expansion area, Depression/WWII styles are found primarily in the southwestern corner of the original Monteith Plat, west of Calapooia to Elm Street, clustered along the south side of 10th and along 11th and 12th Avenues. Ranch houses began to appear in the late 1940s and became the dominant housing type through the 1950s. Within the expansion area there is ten Ranch houses constructed between 1940 and 1974, located primarily as infill along the side streets running north and south (Maple, Walnut and Elm), with a few early examples located along 11th Avenue.
Of the total seventy-eight resources that were surveyed, forty-six were found to be contributing within the period of significance. The rest were found to be non-contributing or out of the period of significance. The most common type of residential style was the Bungalow (twenty-two) or the Craftsman (five) the second most common type of residence was found to be either Depression/WWII-Era Cottages (fourteen) or the Minimal Traditional style (eight). A good example of the Bungalow style is a house located at 910 9th Avenue SW. It is an intact, classic example of the Bungalow built in 1915. The house at 813 10th Avenue is a two-story Craftsman built in 1909 with shingled gable ends, decorative brackets, and wood and leaded glass windows. A good example of the Depression/WWII-Era Cottage is the one-story house located at 825 11th Avenue SW, built in 1943. The simple house features shingle siding and original wood windows with decorative shutters. A good example of the Minimal Traditional Style is the house located at 840 Maple Street SW, built in 1936. The multi-family complex, known as Jansen Manor, was constructed on the southwest corner of 10th and Walnut Street in 1943. These units feature wood-shingle siding and wood-framed windows, and are a good example of multi-family development from this period. There are only two Ranch-style houses within the period of significance. An example of this type of early Ranch is located at 940 11th Avenue SW (1945). However the house at 1115 Maple Street SW (1950), with its long asymmetrical, one-story plan, with low-pitched roof, and large front picture window is an excellent example of the Ranch style.
CONCLUSION
The period of significance for the Monteith Historic District was expanded to 1945 in 2000 in order to include those resources within the existing district that developed between 1915 and 1945. This boundary expansion includes properties abutting the original district that developed during this period and share a similar historic association and feeling. The proposed expansion area itself is a cohesive collection of early- to mid-twentieth century residential buildings located south and west of the existing Monteith Historic District. There are a total of seventy-eight new resources within the proposed expansion area, with 59 percent of these contributing to the area’s historic character.
The expansion area is eligible for the National Register under Criterion A for local significance in the area of community planning and development. Monteith’s Southern Addition was designed and planned by the Monteiths to accommodate future residential growth in Albany. The plat’s grid street pattern, transportation network, location of public institutions, and economic factors during the early-twentieth century shaped the area’s development. In addition, the expansion area is eligible under Criterion C for architecture due to its association with the development of Bungalow and Depression/WWII-Era styles. |
