609 4th Street

HENRY J TEMPLETON RENTAL -- Statement of Significance: By 1912, Henry M. Templeton had already built three rental houses in this block. That same year, he and his wife Charlotte, who lived at 619 - 5th, also purchased Lots 5 and 6. The couple was born in Wales - he in 1857 - as were the eldest of their six children. Mr. Templeton, a finisher in the Oregon City Woolen Mills, is credited with the construction of this residence. The first tenants of the house were Fred and Gertrude Humphreys. Mr. Humphreys, who was born in Oregon in 1878, worked as a bookstore salesman. In 1947, Mrs. Templeton, a widow, deeded the property to Joseph G. and Elsie M. Jenkins. Mr. Jenkins was an engineer at the HP& P Company before becoming a supervisor at the Pub Paper Company. The couple continued to own and occupy this residence until 1975.

This large house sits under a front gable roof, with a full width hip roofed porch on the south façade. The porch hip is supported by a series of large square columns set on a solid balustrade. The main gable features open eaves and knee brackets that penetrate the wide barge boards. The knee brackets appear to have been moved, as there are notches in the barge boards near where the brackets are currently located. The house is clad with asbestos ceramic shingles, with the exception of the inside of the porch balustrade, which is clad with wood shingles. The windows are primarily 1/1 double-hung wood sash with vinyl storm windows attached. The rear porch has been infilled by the addition of aluminum sliding sashes. The windows typically feature plain board trim and slightly projecting sills. A shallow octagonal bay is present under the front porch hip. The house has two chimneys, one centrally located in the north end of the house and one on the east wall near the south end of the house. The concrete foundation for this house has been parged.

This property is a locally designated historic site located within the McLoughlin Conservation District. Contact ocplanning@orcity.org for more information.