MAXWELL TELFORD HOUSE c.1904 -- Statement of Significance: This house was built by Maxwell Telford, his father-in-law John Harisberger, and Telford's older sons. Telford emigrated to the U.S. from Scotland in the 1870s. He worked in the woolen mills of New Hampshire for a while and homesteaded in North Dakota briefly. He moved on to Oregon City, where he found work in the Oregon City Woolen Mills. In 1894, he bought the land for this house, but did not begin construction until after the turn of the century. Telford, who died in 1929, was apparently a well-respected and liked member of the community, who was a principal in the move to preserve the John McLoughlin House and active in getting it relocated to its present site. He was known for his enthusiasm and support of Theodore Roosevelt and the Bull Moose Party. Telford's daughter, Maxine Carswell, lived in the house until her death in 1987.
This house is one of the few, if not the only, Georgian Revival in Oregon City, and has some nice details, such as the front entry door, which has a patterned glass panel and small, curved wood panels beneath. The house has significance for its unique architecture, its prominent location, and for its association with Maxwell Telford, a prominent Oregon City citizen.
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