914 7th Street

G.W. AND MINDWELL CHURCH HOUSE -- Statement of Significance: Born in Oregon City, Mary Mindwell Randall Church (1856-1928) was a prominent resident of Clackamas County and member of a pioneer family. She was the widow of Gilbert Wheeler Church. Mrs. Church was especially active in the Baptist Church. Mrs. Church was also the first woman deputy sheriff in Clackamas County. G.W. Church was a cabinetmaker. Church owned the property until 1908, selling it to J.H. and Sally Mattley. The Mattley's owned a secondhand store on 7th and sold the property in 1922. The ownership of the property is not clear from this time until 1943, when Charles Dicken bought the building. Dicken used the building to house his furniture company for some time, but by the early 1950s the building was being used as apartments. The property continued in this use through the remainder of the historic period, with anywhere between two and ten apartments listed in the city directories. Dicken held ownership of the building until 1969.

The c.1890 multi-unit residence is a superb example of Queen Anne under the influence of the symmetrical Colonial Revival style. It presents a two-story façade with full Queen Anne detailing but none of the Queen Anne plan. The upper story is fully imbricated with diamond, square, and fishscale wood shingles. In the gables the square shingles are laid in arcs. The second floor flares over the first and is marked by a belt course. The lower story is clad in channel drop siding. Each projecting gable is chamfered with brackets and pendants. Windows are 1/1 wood doublehung with lamb's tongues. Each side also has a Queen Anne window: stained glass surrounding a clear pane. Under the bay windows is a vertical shiplap panel with decorative wood applications. The front door appears to be from the 1920s and provides access to the front hall and the eight apartments. The rear porch and basement were enclosed in 1981. A rear fire escape was also installed. Amazingly, the foundations is still brick. A basalt wall runs along the sidewalk along the front. There is a corrugated metal shed to the rear of the property.

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