O. K. Palmer House

Last updated
O.K. Palmer House
Chehalis Historic Preservation Commission
O K Palmer House.JPG
O.K. Palmer House
USA Washington location map.svg
Red pog.svg
O.K. Palmer House
Location673 N.W. Pennsylvania, Chehalis, Washington
Coordinates 46°40′03″N122°58′31″W / 46.66750°N 122.97528°W / 46.66750; -122.97528 (O. K. Palmer House)
Arealess than one acre
Built1910 (1910)
Architectural styleFour-square
NRHP reference No. 86001067 [1]
Significant dates
Added to NRHPMay 15, 1986
Designated CHPC2006

The O. K. Palmer House is the historic home of Osmer K. Palmer and is located in Chehalis, Washington. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in 1986 and is situated in the city's NRHP-listed Pennsylvania Avenue-West Side Historic District.

Contents

History

Osmer K. Palmer and his wife purchased the property, which had an existing home, in 1908 from Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Miller. [2] Palmer rebuilt the historic home beginning in 1910 [3] and was near completion by the end of 1911. The construction costs were recorded as $6,000. [4] The Palmers expanded the lot after purchasing an adjoining parcel at the Pennsylvania-Folsom intersection in 1920. [5] Four years later in 1924, Palmer traded the entire parcel and home to T.J. Long, for the Long's house further down Pennsyvlania Avenue. [6]

The house won a $5 third-place prize in the 1927 Chehalis Better Home Premises contest. [7] A renovation, done by homeowners at the time, was completed in 1999. [3]

Osmer K. Palmer

Osmer Palmer was born in Indiana in 1872, arriving from Tennessee to Chehalis in 1906. [8] He owned a catalogue-based, pre-built home business, expanding it in 1919. [9] [10] He founded the Palmer Lumber and Manufacturing Company in Chehalis in 1908. [11] The lumber company factory burned down in 1911 but Palmer had it rebuilt the following year, enlarging the footprint in 1925. [12] [13] [14] As of 2023, the company remains in existence. [15]

Palmer served as a school board director for the Chehalis School District, and during the Great War, was chairman of the Chehalis Council of Defense. [16] [17]

The Palmers had three children. His only son, Leon, while attending an aviation training camp as an enlisted student, died of pneumonia in 1918. [18] [19] Osmer Palmer died in 1952. [8]

Architecture and features

The home is a 2+1⁄2 story, American Foursquare style residential structure. Following standard Foursquare design, the house rests upon a squared, sandstone foundation and contains a basement. The Palmer House contains a large front porch with several broad pillars. Other features include bay windows, a hipped roof and dormers, and distended eaves. [3]

Significance

The house was officially accepted to the NRHP list on May 15, 1986. [1] As of 2023, the Palmer House was one of eleven NRHP sites in the city of Chehalis.

The O.K. Palmer House was awarded recognition as a historic, renovated home by the city of Chehalis via its Chehalis Historic Preservation Commission. The accolade, given in 2006, lists the home as a crucial part of the history of the city and a plaque, denoting the original build and important restoration dates, is displayed on the house. [3]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chehalis, Washington</span> City in Washington, United States

Chehalis is a city in and the county seat of Lewis County, Washington, United States. The population was 7,439 at the time of the 2020 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Register of Historic Places listings in Lewis County, Washington</span>

This is a list of the National Register of Historic Places listings in Lewis County, Washington.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Claquato Church</span> Historic church in Washington, United States

Claquato Church is a historic Methodist church located off Washington State Route 6 in Claquato, Washington. It is the oldest standing church building in the state of Washington and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Forest, Washington</span> Unincorporated community in Lewis County, Washington

Forest is an unincorporated community in Lewis County, in the U.S. state of Washington. It is located on Jackson Highway, between the Port of Chehalis and Washington State Route 508.

Meskill is an unincorporated community off Washington State Route 6 in Lewis County, Washington. The town is located near Rainbow Falls State Park, and rests between Ceres and Dryad. The Willapa Hills Trail bisects the area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chehalis Theater</span> Historic theater in Chehalis, Washington

The Chehalis Theater, also as the Chehalis Theatre, is a single-screen, Art Deco movie theater in Chehalis, Washington. The theater is situated at the north end of the Chehalis Downtown Historic District near the Hotel Washington. Known locally for the hand-painted illustrations of popular children's fantasy characters that once populated the ceiling, it is the only surviving movie house in the city.

Parks and recreation in Chehalis, Washington is administered by the Chehalis Parks and Recreation Department. Trails that connect Chehalis with locations beyond the city limits are maintained in conjunction with other local jurisdictions, state government agencies, and/or local non-profit groups and volunteers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Westside Park (Chehalis, Washington)</span> Park in Chehalis, Washington

Westside Park is located in Chehalis, Washington in the city's Pennsylvania Avenue-West Side Historic District which was catalogued on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in 1991.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Millett Field</span> Public park in Chehalis, Washington, US

Millett Field is the oldest, continuously used public park in Chehalis, Washington and is most noted as home to a Chehalis minor-league baseball team in the early 20th century. The ballfield was regularly used as the central hub of Chehalis sporting activity for decades, including hosting games for several Negro League teams in the 1920s. Located in the city's South Market district, one block north of the NRHP-listed O. B. McFadden House, the 3.3-acre (1.3 ha) park began in 1898.

John Dobson and McFadden Parks were once the center of the Chehalis, Washington park system and they were referred to by residents as the "Top-of-the-Hill" parks due to their proximity to one another. They are the two oldest non-athletic parks in Chehalis. Begun as memorials to well respected Chehalis residents, they are located in the Hillside Historic District on Park Hill, above and east of the Chehalis Downtown Historic District. The parks are connected by the Dobson-McFadden Trail and the Troop 373 and 7373 Scout Lodge is often considered part of John Dobson Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Henderson Park (Chehalis, Washington)</span> Park in Chehalis, Washington

Henderson Park is located in Chehalis, Washington in the city's South Market district and is a block northeast of nearby Recreation Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mary's Corner, Washington</span> Unincorporated community in Washington, United States

Mary's Corner is an unincorporated community located in Lewis County, Washington. The area sits at the crossroads of U.S. Route 12 and Jackson Highway. The community is 11 miles (18 km) south of Chehalis and 4 miles (6.4 km) west of the town of Ethel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jackson House State Park Heritage Site</span>

Jackson House State Park Heritage Site is a 1.4-acre (0.57 ha) Washington state park centered around the John R. Jackson House, the restored homestead cabin of John R. and Matilda Jackson, who were among the first Euro-American settlers north of the Columbia River.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hillside Historic District (Chehalis, Washington)</span> NRHP-listed site in Chehalis, Washington

The Hillside Historic District is a neighborhood located in Chehalis, Washington and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). The Hillside District is one of three NRHP neighborhoods in the city, including the Chehalis Downtown Historic District and the Pennsylvania Avenue-West Side Historic District.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pennsylvania Avenue-West Side Historic District</span> NRHP-listed site in Chehalis, Washington

The Pennsylvania Avenue-West Side Historic District is a neighborhood located in Chehalis, Washington and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) since 1991. The district is one of three NRHP neighborhoods in the city, including the Chehalis Downtown Historic District and the Hillside Historic District. The city of Chehalis recognizes a much broader and expansive historic district, known under such monikers as the Historic West Side or the Westside neighborhood, with the inclusion of several other homes and streets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scout Lodge (Chehalis, Washington)</span> NRHP-listed site in Chehalis, Washington

The Scout Lodge, also known as the Troop 373 and 7373 Scout Lodge, is located in Chehalis, Washington in the Hillside Historic District. Constructed by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) beginning in 1937, the lodge was added to the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in 2004.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Helens Hotel</span> NRHP-listed site in Chehalis, Washington

The St. Helens Hotel, also known as the St. Helens Inn, is located in Chehalis, Washington and has been registered on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) since 1991. The historic hotel is situated on the south end of the Chehalis Downtown Historic District, an NRHP-listed district.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">O. B. McFadden House</span> NRHP-listed site in Chehalis, Washington

The O. B. McFadden House is the historic home of Obadiah B. McFadden and is located in Chehalis, Washington. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in 1975 and is situated south of Millett Field. The house is the oldest structure in Lewis County and the oldest residence in Chehalis.

The history of theaters in Chehalis, Washington started in 1886 with the construction of a mixed-use opera house and town hall, followed by the Tynan Opera House in 1889. The city experienced more than a 50-year stretch of the build or opening of over a dozen theaters and movie houses in the city, culminating with the opening of the Pix Theater in 1938. No further theater was built or established until the opening of a multi-screen cinema at a local shopping center in 1982.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chehalis Downtown Historic District</span> United States historic place

The Chehalis Downtown Historic District is located in Chehalis, Washington and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. One of three NRHP districts in the city, including the Hillside Historic District and Pennsylvania Avenue-West Side Historic District, the district represents three separate development periods. The community was an important timber hub and freight exchange stop between south Puget Sound and Portland, Oregon. The historic district is located in the northeastern part of the city and includes North Market Boulevard, Northwest Pacific Avenue, Northeast Cascade Avenue, Northeast Boistfort, Front Way, and Northeast Division. North Market Boulevard is a one-way street.

References

  1. 1 2 "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. November 2, 2013.
  2. ↑ "Business Locals". The Chehalis Bee-Nugget. September 11, 1908. p. 7. Retrieved October 3, 2023.
  3. 1 2 3 4 VanTuyl, Aaron (December 16, 2006). "History repeats itself". The Chronicle (Chehalis, Washington). Retrieved September 29, 2023.
  4. ↑ "Business Locals". The Chehalis Bee-Nugget. November 2, 1911. p. 5. Retrieved September 24, 2024.
  5. ↑ "Business Locals". The Chehalis Bee-Nugget. February 6, 1920. p. 7. Retrieved September 25, 2024. See second column
  6. ↑ "Trade Property". The Chehalis Bee-Nugget. April 18, 1924. p. 13. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
  7. ↑ "Lawn Awards Made Public". The Chehalis Bee-Nugget. September 16, 1927. p. 12. Retrieved October 3, 2023.
  8. 1 2 "National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: O. K. Palmer House". National Park Service . Retrieved September 28, 2023. With accompanying pictures
  9. ↑ Ruth Kirk; Carmela Alexander (1995). Exploring Washington's Past: A Road Guide to History. University of Washington Press. pp. 387–388. ISBN   9780295974439.
  10. ↑ "Palmer Plant Is Expanding". The Chehalis Bee-Nugget. May 16, 1919. p. 1. Retrieved October 3, 2023.
  11. ↑ The Chronicle staff (December 30, 2008). "O.K. Palmer Renovates Gutter Company in 1908". The Chronicle (Chehalis, Washington). Retrieved September 29, 2023.
  12. ↑ "O.K. Palmer Will Rebuild". The Chehalis Bee-Nugget. October 19, 1911. p. 1. Retrieved October 3, 2023.
  13. ↑ "Factory Work Is Now Begun". The Chehalis Bee-Nugget. February 1, 1912. p. 4. Retrieved October 3, 2023.
  14. ↑ "These Men Help Make Lewis County Payrolls". The Chehalis Bee-Nugget. April 16, 1926. p. 4. Retrieved October 3, 2023. Picture of O.K. Palmer in body of article
  15. ↑ The Chronicle staff (May 25, 2022). "Experience Chehalis to Sponsor New Mural at Palmer Lumber". The Chronicle. Retrieved October 3, 2023. Photo of Palmer Lumber
  16. ↑ "New Director To Be Chosen". The Chehalis Bee-Nugget. February 13, 1914. p. 1. Retrieved October 3, 2023.
  17. ↑ "The Council Of Defense Busy". The Chehalis Bee-Nugget. September 6, 1918. p. 8.
  18. ↑ "Gold Star For Leon Palmer". The Chehalis Bee-Nugget. February 8, 1919. p. 2. Retrieved October 3, 2023.
  19. ↑ "SW Washington Servicemen and women World War 1". Skagit History. USGenWeb Project. Retrieved October 3, 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.