16322 Apperson Boulevard

JOHN KENT HOUSE c.1891 -- Statement of Significance: John Kent is believed to be the original owner and builder of the subject property, which he purchased in 1891 and owned until 1909. Kent was employed as a carpenter with the Crown Willamette Company, the predecessor to Crown Zellerbach, now James River Corporation. Kent was an English emigrant, who lived on the East coast prior to coming to Oregon. Deed records indicate that the property was sold to Mary Bohn in 1909. In 1916 Mary McClure and husband sell it to Agnes S. Scheubel, who, within a few months, sells to Mrs. Clara Murphy et. al. Nine years later Murphy sells the property to Harry Gray, who owns it until 1940. It is not clear whether Bohn and McClure are related, but the lack of a deed suggests that the property may have been transferred via an estate. Search of probate records may illuminate this issue. The house is a good example of the Vernacular style. It is composed of perpendicular volumes covered with wide, dropped siding and finished with corner and rake boards. The house has several interesting features that were as commonly associated with the Italianate style, including the truncated roof from of the main volume and the one-story ell on the south elevation. The truncated from of the main roof is uncommon. The decorative belt course as the second-floor level, diamond windows and pedimented window heads are noteworthy and distinctive elements. The house has had minor alterations, including the addition of a shed roof attachment to the east elevation. It is not known if the multi-light doors on the west (front) elevation are original. Landscape features, such as the laurel hedge, hydrangeas, mature cherry tree and other ornamental plantings, contribute to the historic character of the property.