William D. Fenton House

William D. Fenton House
Portland Historic Landmark[1]
William D. Fenton House in 2011
Location 626 SE 16th Avenue
Portland, Oregon
Coordinates 45°31′05″N 122°38′57″W / 45.518144°N 122.649305°WCoordinates: 45°31′05″N 122°38′57″W / 45.518144°N 122.649305°W
Built 1892
Architectural style Queen Anne
Governing body Private
NRHP Reference # 79002145
Added to NRHP August 29, 1979

The William D. Fenton House in southeast Portland in the U.S. state of Oregon is a 2.5-story, single-family dwelling listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Built in the Queen Anne style in 1892, it was added to the register in 1979.[2]

Notable features of the asymmetrical house include many porches and projections, intricate decorative elements, variegated siding, a wrap-around veranda, a flare-top chimney, and a stained-glass side door. Much of the original interior woodwork, including the wainscoting and trim, is intact. The parlor and the master bedroom have elaborate fireplaces.[3]

Fenton (1853–1925), for whom the house was built, was a prominent lawyer and the general counsel for the Southern Pacific Railroad in Oregon.[3] In 1865, at age 12, he moved by wagon train from Missouri to Portland with his family.[3] After his admission to the Oregon bar in 1875, he was elected to the state legislature as a Democrat.[3] He moved to Portland in 1885, where he worked for the railroad and other corporations.[3] Fenton, one of the founders of the Oregon Historical Society, helped set up the Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition in Portland in 1905.[3] Fenton Hall, which housed the University of Oregon School of Law from 1937 through 1970,[4] was renamed for him in 1938.[3]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Portland Historic Landmarks Commission (July 2010), Historic Landmarks -- Portland, Oregon (XLS), retrieved June 5, 2014.
  2. ↑ "Fenton, Judge William D. Sr., House". Oregon Historic Sites Database. State of Oregon. Retrieved May 6, 2011.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 Hardiman, Diane S. (January 20, 1979). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory – Nomination Form: Fenton (William D,) House" (PDF). National Park Service. Retrieved June 13, 2011.
  4. ↑ SRG Partnership, Inc. (March 12, 2008). "University of Oregon Fenton Hall Renovation Study" (PDF). University of Oregon. p. 2-1. Retrieved June 13, 2011.