802 5th Street

EMMA MC DONALD HOUSE -- Statement of Significance: Emma McDonald, a landlady on Main Street, purchased this lot in 1893 and is credited with the construction of the residence. In 1904, she sold the property to Eli and Maria Williams, who in turn transferred it to Joseph E. and Lillian B. Hedges in 1912. Mr. Hedges, an attorney whose office was on Main Street, resided with his wife on 6th Street. The following owners, Edwin A. and Grace Osburn, purchased the property in 1920 and appear to have lived in the residence for most of their 20-plus year tenure. In 1945, Albert E. Hockett, of the Oregon City Taxi Service, purchased the property. Hockett resided there with his wife Ethel, and their two children Marilyn and Norman. The Hocketts sold the house in 1952 to Hugh D. and Ricka McCarty, retirees. The property remained in the couple's estate until 1971.

This two-story house has a central hip roofed building mass, with two full height rectangular bays covered by gable roofs on the north and west sides of the house. These bays give the house a roughly L-shaped plan, with a hipped wraparound porch in the northwest corner at the inside corner of the L. The porch hip is supported by tapered square columns, and the east end of the porch is enclosed by an octagonal bay that is centered in the northern rectangular bay. The house features wide rake and frieze boards with slender moldings at the enclosed eaves. It is clad with horizontal drop siding, finished with cornerboards. The windows are primarily 1/1 double-hung wood sash, and leaded panes are present at the octagonal bay and on the west side at the first floor level. A single bull's-eye window exists above the porch hip in the main body of the house. The windows typically feature wide surrounds on three sides with minimal hood molding and 1/4 round apron moldings. A garage has been added to the house at the basement level on the west side, and a driveway is cut through the basalt retaining wall that surrounds the lot on the north and west sides.

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