720 4th Street

LOUISE CARRICO HOUSE -- Statement of Significance: In 1896, Thomas and Louise Carrico purchased this property and proceeded to construct their residence. Mr. Carrico was a weaver and dresser at the Oregon City Woolen Mills. In 1914, the property was sold to J.O. Stoats, who in turn deeded it to E.N. Brock, a carpenter, and his wife, Della, in 1920. The Brocks lived in Mount Pleasant until moving to this residence in the mid-1930s. By 1947, the house was occupied by Clyde A. Brock, a mail carrier for the U.S. Postal Office. In 1952, the house was sold to Marie R. Doak and in 1958 to William and Dorothy Tobias. There is no evidence that either of these owners ever occupied this residence.

This 1-1/2 story house sits under a gable roof, with a gabled wing extending to the west from the south end of the main gable. A hip roofed porch wraps around the north and west sides of the main gable, with chamfered porch columns with scroll cut brackets beneath the wide frieze. A solid balustrade of vertical tongue and groove boards encloses the porch, and a new handrail extends down the entry stairs. The house is entirely clad with horizontal drop siding finished with corner boards. The windows are all 1/1 double-hung wood sash with board surrounds and narrow sills. Slight window hood moldings provide decoration to the otherwise flat surfaces of the house. The west wing features a small shed dormer on the north side, and a brick chimney is centrally located near the intersections of the two gables. The shed dormer is likely a 1920s addition, as it features decorative knee brackets and open eaves, while the gable eaves are enclosed throughout the house above the wide frieze and rake boards.

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