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2009

Another Year of Restoration
for the Brown House

Deliberate and slow progress continued on the Brown House Restoration Project this year – thanks in large part to four granting agencies, membership donations and fundraising. Inch-by-literal inch, the house is returning to its former grandeur.

Oregon Cultural Trust, the City of Stayton, Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, and the Kinsman Foundation have given generously to the project, and other agencies and foundations have indicated continued support.

Thanks to a Kinsman Foundation grant, the wraparound porch is 95% complete: the front steps and railings are built by Allan Nelson ReConstruction, the upper screens and ceiling are installed and molding and spandrels are milled and ready to install. Over a thousand lineal feet of Leander Brown and Sons sawmill siding has been milled by Jim Moore at Monitor Wood Products, Inc., and installed. Special, and very rare, faux stone foundation skirting was also replicated at Monitor, and all of the siding and special molding was primed by Ken Young Painting, Inc. of Stayton.

SHF plans to paint as much of the house as our funds allow before the snow flies. So now would be a great time to donate!!

Missing west and north window frames and their glazed sash (by volunteer Jim Nokes) are all installed. This phase was partially funded by Oregon Cultural Trust, which is also funding work to restore the gallery porch on the front of the house.

Construction continues on the new reproduction west porches. These porches were designed by Gregg Olson of Historic Building Repair and built by Steve Kiser and Ross Miller early this spring. The State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) funded this phase along with matching funds and labor from SHF. Gregg has also agreed to turn the west porch columns and half the railing spindles.

Terry Arnold Construction milled replacement rain table and window sash stop, exactly copying the original Brown sawmill material.

Volunteers have made a significant difference to the house and grounds: Santiam Water Control District removed a great pile of rocks and broken concrete, and Justin Allen volunteered to place plastic and gravel under the new porches, clean the master bedroom roof and apply preservative, as well as put in a day of paint preparation and spindle sanding.

The Calvary Men’s Service Group have made a huge improvement to the grounds of the Brown House…and plan to do even more with grants from Thrivent. In addition and in support of these efforts, A City of Stayton Community Development grant will help SHF purchase a riding lawnmower.

The Stayton High School Vocational Education class spread fill dirt, removed rocks, did general clean up and prepared the way for the removal of tree stumps.

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Progress 2000-2007

In the mid-1990’s, just over a hundred years after it was built, the derelict Brown House was abandoned and stood neglected and decaying until 2001 when SHF purchased it from the Stayton Cooperative Telephone Cooperative.  In 2002 the house was listed on the National Register of Historic places and over forty cubic yards of debris were removed.

In 2002-03, the unsympathetic1930s hospital additions were demolished, and over six tons of rotten remodeling materials were recycled. Also that year, significant funding was awarded through State and private grants, and restoration was started.  In 2004, the main roof, yankee gutter system and cornices were restored and replicated, and the following year the west foundation and wall were restored.  The kitchen-dining room wing roof was rebuilt to meet code in 2005-06; missing window frames and sashes were reproduced, and broken etched glass panels were replicated and installed.  Next, the north bay window and porch restoration began, along with the most visible and impressive architectural element of the house: the elegant and complicated wraparound porch.

Work was started in September on the wraparound porch and will continue through the winter as funding and the weather allow.   Both ends of the original 1903 porch are being preserved and restored, while a new section is being built between.  Matching the new framing portion to the original two ends is not only a feat of architectural engineering, it has necessarily led to a lot of head-scratching and consultation with higher powers. 

Original techniques of construction are being replicated by Allen Nelson ReConstruction.  Exact replicas of architectural elements are being produced by a volunteer woodworker, and the massive 6x6 turned columns were turned by Gregg Olson, Historic Building Repair. 

Progress on the Brown House Restoration may seem slow to all of us who are following the project, but our photographic record shows that a great deal has been accomplished.  Because of its complex construction and rare architectural details, the project requires careful attention to the unusual 1903 construction methods and materials, as well as necessary attention to modern building codes. For example, the original stacked shale foundation, found under several historic Stayton houses, was carefully repaired in kind, but the west wing roof had to be engineered and built to meet Marion County Building Code standards.

Skilled restoration carpenters and millwrights continue to restore and replicate the original one-of-a-kind moldings and Victorian trim, double-hung windows, paneled doors and architectural details, which were milled at the Brown family sawmill.

The original house now has its original “footprint” and square footage, and the exterior is approaching its original appearance. This includes preserving remnants of the original defunct radiant heating system, plumbing, and knob and tube electrical systems.

The most visible phase of the project, the elaborate wraparound porch, is nearing completion.  This phase required a new, very complicated section to be built between two original sections of the porch.  This new section was a riot of angles and not only had to meet up exactly with the two original ends; it had to be built to accept some of the original architectural elements.  It also had to be built at exact elevations so the standing gutter will flow appropriately, which meant that new 6x6 turned columns had to be of varying heights. Replacement 7/8’’ decking, new framing and architectural millwork are now complete.  Work has begun on repairing the master bedroom roof framing, which is stylistically an extension of the porch.  Replacement window frames and sash are nearing completion and will be installed soon so the house can be heated for the first time since 1998. Also, the seriously deteriorated north bay window and porch are nearing total restoration.

SHF has continued to significantly reduce its debt by paying off its original promissory notes from donors.

Although fundraising plays an important role in the restoration of the Brown House, grants from private foundations, businesses and state and county agencies make up the majority of donated money. 

 

 

 

How Can You help?

You can support the Brown House through your contribution, your purchase of one of our fundraising items, or by getting involved. Join a work party, donate services or materials, or make a tax-deductible donation. There's lots to do and we appreciate all contributions, large and small. See how you can help.

Home | History | Progress Report | Photo Album | Maps & Plans | How You Can Help | Santiam Heritage Foundation | Download Order Form

Santiam Heritage Foundation, Inc.
P.O. Box 161 Stayton, OR 97383
(503) 769-7817 or (503) 769-5863
or send e-mail

Updated February 15, 2008