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NR Nomination

LOCATION AND PROPERTY NAME
address:601 N Main St historic name:J.L. Elam Bank
Milton Freewater, Umatilla County (97862) current/other names:Bank of Freewater; Godwin Block; Bank and Grill
assoc addresses:
block/lot/tax lot:
location descr: twnshp/rng/sect/qtr sect:
PROPERTY CHARACTERISTICS
resource type:Building height (stories):1.0 total elig resources:1 total inelig resources:0
elig evaluation: eligible/significant NR Status: Individually Listed
prim constr date:c.1906 second date: date indiv listed:08/29/2024
primary orig use: COMMERCIAL: General orig use comments:Bank
second orig use:
primary style: Classical Revival: other prim style comments:
secondary style: Commercial (Type) sec style comments:
primary siding: Concrete Block siding comments:
secondary siding: Stone:Other/Undefined
plan type: 1-Part Block architect:unknown
builder:
comments/notes:
HRR received 3/25/2020 HRR Response, potentially eligible under Criterion A, Commerce. RTO
GROUPINGS / ASSOCIATIONS
Survey/Grouping Included In: Type of Grouping Date Listed Date Compiled
   Milton-Freewater Downtown RLS Survey & Inventory Project 2012
SHPO INFORMATION FOR THIS PROPERTY
NR date listed: 08/29/2024
ILS survey date:
RLS survey date: 08/30/2012
Gen file date: 05/12/2020
106 Project(s): None
Special Assess Project(s): None
Federal Tax Project(s): None
ARCHITECTURAL / PROPERTY DESCRIPTION
(Includes expanded description of the building/property, setting, significant landscape features, outbuildings and alterations)
The J.L. Elam Bank is located at 601 N. Main Street, Milton-Freewater, Umatilla County, Oregon. The building was constructed in 1906, expanded in 1908, and received a new façade in 1920. The one-story rectangular, 2,178 square foot building – the only contributing property within the nominated boundary – sits at the corner of N. Main Street and N.W. 6th Avenue on one city tax lot amongst other commercial buildings. The main façade and primary entrance faces east, though there is an additional entrance on the south elevation. The painted, smooth concrete block building sits on a rusticated stone foundation with a flat, synthetic roof. Originally built by J.L. Elam to house the Freewater Branch of the Walla Walla, WA based Elam Bank, the property has had many other commercial occupants over the last 118 years, including law offices, doctor offices, post office, another bank, insurance agency, restaurant, and presently a winery tasting room. The J.L. Elam Bank retains all seven aspects of integrity. The property is in its original location in a commercial downtown setting. The feeling and association of the building with the distinctive architectural style also remains intact. With regard to the exterior, the building retains many character-defining features of the Classical Revival style from the period of significance (1906-1920), most notably a flat roof with decorative balustrade on the parapet, flat arch lintels above windows and doors, symmetrical entrance with columns, smooth exterior walls, and an entablature. Minor modifications outside of the period of significance – primarily door infill on the south elevation and window replacement on secondary elevations – have not substantially diminished the overall integrity of materials, design, and workmanship. The interior of the building has been subject to some changes to accommodate changing commercial uses, but the bulk of materials and design remains. The J.L. Elam Bank building remains one of the best examples of the Classical Revival style in Milton-Freewater.
HISTORY
(Chronological, descriptive history of the property from its construction through at least the historic period - preferably to the present)
The J.L. Elam Bank – constructed in 1906, expanded in 1908, and recipient of a new façade in 1920 – is eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places under Criterion C, for its architecture, as one of the few examples of the Classical Revival style in Milton-Freewater. The period of significance spans from 1906 to 1920, which captures initial construction, expansion to the current property footprint, and final façade upgrades that give the building its current appearance. The building retains strong integrity on both the interior and exterior to help convey its significant architectural style. The late 19th and early 20th century Classical Revival architectural style first rose to prominence in the 1890s and continued to be common in cities across the country until the mid-1900s. While historic downtown Freewater has many commercial buildings, none are in the same Classical Revival style with the same high level of integrity. Therefore, the J.L. Elam Bank is one of the few and most notable examples of the Classical Revival commercial style for the time period in Milton-Freewater. The building also reflects the evolution of the Classical Revival style in rural communities.
RESEARCH INFORMATION
Title Records Census Records Property Tax Records Local Histories
Sanborn Maps Biographical Sources SHPO Files Interviews
Obituaries Newspapers State Archives Historic Photographs
City Directories Building Permits State Library
Local Library: University Library:
Historical Society: Other Respository:
Bibliography:
Caverhill, W.S.. Early History of the Milton-Freewater Area. Milton-Freewater, OR: Valley Herald, Inc., 1962. Clark, Rosalind. Oregon Style: Architecture from 1840s to the 1950s. Portland, OR: Professional Book Center, Inc., 1983. Foss, Chris. “Milton-Freewater.” Oregon Encyclopedia. https://www.oregonencyclopedia.org/articles/miltonfreewater/ (accessed January 22, 2024). Hunn, Eugene S., E. Thomas Morning Owl, Phillip E. Cash Cash. Cáw Pawá Láakni They Are Not Forgotten: Sahaptian Place Names Atlas of the Cayuse, Umatilla, and Walla Walla. Tamastslikt Cultural Institute, 2015. McAlester, Virginia and Lee. A Field Guide to American Houses. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2006. McArthur, Lewis A.. Oregon Geographic Names, 4th edition. Portland, OR: Oregon Historical Society, 1974. Meinig, D.W.. The Great Columbia Plain: A Historical Geography, 1805-1910. University of Washington Press, 1995. Ringhand, Harry E.. Marie Dorion and the Trail of the Pioneers. Milton-Freewater, OR; The Valley Herald Inc. 1971. Roth, Leland. A Concise History of American Architecture. New York: Harper and Row Publishers, 1980. Stern, Theodore. “Cayuse, Umatilla, and Walla Walla” In Plateau, edited by Deward E. Walker, 395-419. Washington: Smithsonian Institute, 1998. City of Milton-Freewater, Oregon. “City History.” https://www.mfcity.com/community/page/city-history (accessed December 29, 2023). National Civic League. “All-America City Award.” https://www.nationalcivicleague.org/america-city-award/ (accessed March 10, 2024). National Register of Historic Places and National Historic Landmark Records. “Bank of Tracy.” National Park Service. https://npgallery.nps.gov/GetAsset/3e0d7cfb-5ad6-405b-8bf1-50e550d3d238 (accessed March 10, 2024). Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. “Classical Revival Style 1895-1950.” https://www.phmc.state.pa.us/portal/communities/architecture/styles/classical-revival.html (accessed January 3, 2024). Newspaper Sources: Bennett, Addison. “Twin Cities Thrive in Land of Plenty.” The Oregonian. August 28, 1913. Schick, James. “Freeway Pattern Shown; Milton-Freewater Gets Honor.” The Oregonian, March 14, 1962. “Bank Building.” East Oregonian. May 2, 1906 “Bank of Freewater!” The Tacoma Daily Ledger. January 8, 1906. “Columbia College Dedicated.” Morning Oregonian. September 19, 1900. “Concrete Building at Freewater.” La Grande Evening Observer. July 30, 1908. “Construction is Progressing.” East Oregonian. July 13, 1920. “Died of Injuries.” Spokane Chronicle. February 16, 1942. “Fine Office Building.” East Oregonian. August 3, 1908. “First Automobile.” The Capital Journal. August 3, 1900. “Freewater Advices.” East Oregonian. July 3, 1906. “Freewater Advices.” East Oregonian. July 17, 1906. “Freewater Advices.” East Oregonian. October 10, 1908. “Freewater Advices.” East Oregonian. September 13, 1909. “Freewater Bank has Opening This Evening.” East Oregonian. August 7, 1920. “Freewater Bank Sold in Milton.” Spokane Chronicle. January 26, 1929. “Freewater Notes.” The Spokesman-Review. November 15, 1905. “Freewater to Have Bank.” The Spokesman-Review. December 17, 1905. “Freewater-Milton.” East Oregonian. May 13, 1908. “Freewater’s Attorney.” East Oregonian. July 13, 1906. “Milton Banks Prosper.” Spokesman-Review. December 2, 1919. “Milton-Freewater Officially One Town.” The Corvallis Gazette-Times. November 15, 1950. “Milton Joining With Freewater.” The Bend Bulletin. November 15, 1950. “New Homes for Freewater Banks.” Morning Oregonian. July 4, 1906. “New Incorporations.” Statesman Journal. August 17, 1893. “Union of Towns Urged.” The Oregonian. February 14, 1926. “Walla Walla Brick & Stone Co.” The Evening Statesman. July 20, 1906.