1103 Washington Street

JAMES ROAKE HOUSE -- Statement of Significance: Jane Shepherd and her husband sold lots 3 and 4 in 1887 to J.M. Taylor. Taylor sold the lot 4 in 1902 to Catherine Miley. In 1910, the Mileys sold part of lot 3 and lot 4 to James Roake. The house was built by James Crawford, a carpenter and employee of Crown-Willamette, and James Lowrey of West Linn, for Crawford's father-in-law, James Roake. Dr. Edward McLean (1886-1971) rented this house from the James Roake family in the early 1920s. McLean began his Oregon City practice in 1919, in association with the Mount family of doctors. He was instrumental in establishing the Hutchinson Hospital in Oregon City, and in 1936 he built the first phase of the McLean Clinic building on 7th Street in Oregon City. In 1927, he moved his family to West Linn, but continued practicing medicine in Oregon City. James Roake and his wife sold part of lot 4 with the house to Leslie Roake in 1937. Leslie retained the property for over 20 years passing to his wife, Edith Hutchinson Roake, in 1960. There appear to have been renters after 1950. In 1953, Christian and Margaret Christensen lived there. John and Alta Roake resided in the house in 1958. James and Irene Ogle lived there in 1960.

This two-story house sits under a front gable roof with a full width porch on the east side. The porch is covered by a hip roof supported by tapered square columns set on a solid balustrade. The balustrade, like the main body of the house, is clad with drop siding finished with corner boards. The gable ends are clad with decorative imbrication in square, fish scale, and diamond patterns above a string course at the second-floor windows heads. The gable eaves are enclosed and have a wide frieze board at the eaves. The windows are all 1/1 double-hung sash, most are wood, but a few windows have been replaced with aluminum sashes. The windows typically feature wide board surrounds with small hood moldings and apron boards. A small garage is located to the west of the house under a gable roof with minimal eaves, clad with board and batten siding.

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