511 6th Street

W.W. AND MARY MARRS HOUSE -- Statement of Significance: In 1883, while living in Gladstone, W. W. and Mary Marrs bought this property and proceeded to construct their residence. Mary was born in Iowa in 1886 and Johnson Creek in Columbia County was named for her father. The couple was active in the First Baptist Church and Mrs. Marrs was a member of the Women's Union. Mr. Marrs was a machinist and trustee of the church. He was working as a janitor at the Barclay School prior to his death. In 1920, the couple sold the house to W.A. Rains, who deeded it the following year to Floyd Graves. Over the next 15 years, the property was transferred several times within the Grave family before being lost to the First National Bank of Oregon. In 1947, the house was deeded to Blanche Peckover, who took up immediate residency. For a time in the early 1950s, she was joined by her son Jerry, a student at Lewis and Clark College, and his wife Delores, who did office work at the Pantorium Cleaners. Mrs. Peckover continued to own and occupy this residence until 1964.

This house has a T-shaped plan, with a 1 1/2 story wing on the west end of the house and a one-story wing to the east. Both wings are covered by gable roofs with enclosed eaves and wide frieze and rake boards. The east wing has a recessed porch on the south side, where the eave is supported by large square columns. A solid balustrade runs between the columns, enclosing the porch. The balustrade, like the rest of the house, is clad with drop siding finished with corner boards above a fully developed water table. The windows are primarily 1/1 double-hung wood sash, and some windows have been altered. At the first floor level under the porch, a set of three wood sash casements has replaced an earlier window, as has a fixed sash on the south side of the west wing. On the west side of the house, the two first floor windows have been reduced in height as the sills were raised. The windows typically feature plain board trim. An internal chimney is centered on the east wing which has been parged above the roof line.

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