603 6th Street

H.C. AND MARY STEVENS HOUSE -- Statement of Significance: The lot on which the house was built was first sold by Eliza and Daniel Harvey (1866) and traveled through various prominent hands in the community including Caufield and Eastham. Built on Lots 5 and 6, the house was originally the home of Mary Stevens from 1908-09. Mary Stevens (1851-1932) was a descendent of pioneer Medorum Crawford, a participant at Champoeg. Crawford was also captain of the Army's Oregon Escort, a company who protected emigrants to the Pacific Northwest. H.C. Stevens (1847-1924) left home at 15 and traveled out West to join the army of the Oregon Escort with his uncle, Medorum Crawford. Arriving in Portland in 1866, he worked for a time at a hotel. He then learned to operate the telegraph and worked for the Oregon California Railroad. He was the Oregon City station agent from 1871-1890. Stevens served as councilman for several years. He also gathered relics, such as Indian arrowheads. The residence stayed in the family until 1963 when it was purchased from Mertle Stevens by the Clackamas County Historical Society who has since owned the property.

This large 2-1/2 story house sits under a bellcast hip roof, with a hipped dormer on the south side. The main entry to the house is also set on the south side, under a shallow bellcast hip that is supported by paired columns with Corinthian capitals. The hip eaves are all enclosed and feature large scroll cut block modillions above a wide frieze board. Other projections from the main body of the house include a cantilevered rectangular bay on the west side, an octagonal bay on the west side, an enclosed porch on the north side, and a gabled rectangular bay on the east side. The gabled bay features a bellcast roof with gable end returns. The house is clad with narrow double drop siding, finished with corner boards. The extensive porch on the south and east sides is also skirted with this material and has been recently re-clad. The windows are primarily 1/1 double-hung wood sash with wide board surrounds. At the first floor, the windows have projecting hood moldings and at the second floor the wide frieze serves as the window head. The hipped dormer, clad with wood shingles, features a pair of 6/2 double-hung sashes. A small garage is located at the northwest corner of the lot. It is also clad with double drop siding finished with corner boards and features exposed rafter tails and a bank of four-pane casement sashes on the south side.

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