Boschke-Boyd House
2211 NE Thompson Street, Portland
Entered on the NRHP: 25 Feb 2005
Classified as Tudor Revival, this home was designed by Jacobberger & Smith, built in 1911.
Zillow site: http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/2211-NE-Thompson-St-Portland-OR-97212/53885740_zpid/
Comments from the NRHP application, found HERE - There are some historical images at this link as well, taken in 1913. Unfortunately, they are digital scans of photocopies, so their quality is exceedingly low, but you get the gist.
Summary
The Boschke-Boyd House is a grand residence set on a terraced corner lot at 2211 NE Thompson Street in the historic Irvington Neighborhood of Portland. Built in 1910, it represents a fine example of the Tudor/Jacobethan style with Classical interior influences, designed by prominent and prolific architect, Joseph Jacobberger of the firm Jacobberger and Smith. The 2 1/2-story house is set on a concrete foundation. It is of wood-frame construction and sheathed in rough pebbled stucco. The exterior is asymmetrical, but well-balanced, with a center entrance. The interior has a center hall plan, and is beautifully detailed with painted woodwork in all rooms except the dining room and the library, which are paneled in mahogany. Both the exterior and the interior of the house retain a high degree of historic integrity. A recent kitchen addition to the rear of the house is the most notable change to the house.
The Boschke-Boyd House can be attributed to the firm of Jacobberger and Smith from original drawings provided by the homeowners. The house was almost certainly the work of Joseph Jacobberger, as it is very similar stylistically to other houses known to have been designed by him.
Setting
The Boschke-Boyd House is situated on the northeast corner of the intersection of NE Thompson Street and NE 22nd Avenue in the well-preserved city neighborhood of Irvington. The house faces south on a 100-by- 150 foot lot, and is terraced about three feet above the street. The house is set approximately in the center of the triple lot, with a setback of approximately 30 feet from both Thompson and 22nd. It is surrounded by mature trees and established as well as recently added landscape plantings. The rear (north) yard contains a large, recently added patio with a large wood arbor, and a play area. A garage, which matches the house, is located along the north lot line, with the driveway entering from 22nd Avenue. The surrounding neighborhood of Irvington is characterized by stately homes surrounded by mature trees and landscapes. The land in the neighborhood is generally level, and the streets are arranged in an orderlygrid pattern. Sidewalks make the area an inviting and friendly place. The average lot size in the neighborhood is 50 feet (frontage) by 100 feet. Most residences in the neighborhood are single-family, with some duplexes and small apartment buildings scattered throughout. The southern portion of the neighborhood, between Broadway and Tillamook Streets, suffered in the 1960s from the unfortunate
demolition of many beautiful homes and the building of architecturally unremarkable 2-story apartment complexes.
The Boschke-Boyd House is directly across 22nd Avenue from the Irvington Tennis Club, a historic neighborhood institution itself.
Exterior
2211 NE Thompson Street is a two-and-a-half-story, wood-frame building set on a concrete foundation. It has an L-shaped footprint, approximately 55-by-55-feet on its longest sides, with the primary elevation facing south. The rear ell contains the kitchen on the first floor and a sleeping porch on the second. The house is sheathed in rough pebbled stucco. The windows are wood, in a variety of styles, including transomed sash, double-hung sash, casements and fixed. A steeply-pitched roof has two large crossgables, at the east and west ends, which give the roof a hipped appearance. A brick exterior chimney rises from the west wall of the house, while another brick interior chimney rises from the east wall. The primary (south) elevation is asymmetrical, with the single-story entrance portico near the center. The spacious portico, accessed by stairs and a walk from the street, has a flat roof and is marked by segmental arches on three sides, each accented with wood molding, supported by brackets. A scrolled keystone which extends to the eaves marks the top of each arch. The roof of the portico has a balustrade composed of stucco knee walls at the corners and a unique wood rail, punctuated by pointed arches and small trefoils. The portico opens to an uncovered piazza to the west, which extends along the front elevation to the enclosed sun porch on the east elevation.
The front door is of mahogany veneer and has a storm door which was made to match. The door is flanked by spectacular leaded glass sidelights, probably made by Povey Brothers. The first story of the main elevation is marked by banked windows with transoms that flank the entrance portico. There are three of these windows to the west and two to the east of the portico. The windows are divided by wood mullions, and consist of a lower, moveable, single-light sash window and a fixed upper transom with a very unique arched muntin design.The second story of the main elevation is marked by a ribbon of three windows centered over the portico, flanked by cantilevered octagonal bays. The center windows are eight-over-one, double-hung sash with narrow wood frames. On either side are very small ventilation windows. The bay windows consist of a center ten-over-one sash flanked by narrow four-over-one sash. The bays are constructed of wood and
supported by decorative modillions. The west bay has a flat roof supported by brackets. The east bay is capped by the overhang of the attic gable. The third story of the main elevation is marked by the two large, steep-pitched gables. The west gable is flush with the front elevation and has a ribbon of two double-hung, three-over-two (vertical) sash windows and has a jerkinhead roof. The roof has a decorative jigsawn bargeboard supported by carved brackets. The bargeboard has a quatrefoil cutout at each end and a pair of trefoils under the jerkinhead. The east gable is cantilevered over the second story, supported by paired modillions on each end. There are no eaves on this gable. It is marked by a Palladian window with a built in windowbox, supported by paired modillions.
Between the two gables on the roof is a small, shed-roof, shingled dormer containing a pair of nine-light casement windows. Originally, this dormer was behind a balustrade which ran along the roofline between the two gables. This balustrade, which matched the others on the house, has been removed. The west elevation faces 22nd Avenue. The southern half of the elevation is marked by a large but plain red-brick chimney set on the exterior of the house. A single double-hung eight-over-one sash window marks the second story. The northern half of this elevation has a large, flat-roofed, octagonal stucco bay on the first story. This bay has large single-light sash windows topped with fixed transoms in the same unusual arched muntin design as is found on the front of the house. There are wood belt courses dividing the transoms from the windows and below the lower sash. Above the bay is a pair of eight-over-one sash windows and a smaller six-over-one sash window.
On the attic level of the west elevation is a shed roof dormer marked by three nine-light casement windows set in a ribbon.
The north elevation is the most altered. The west portion of this elevation has a jerkinhead gable matching the one on the front, with the same bracketed bargeboard. This gable is flush with the rear wall of the house. The first story has a beautiful three-part leaded glass window. The second story has a single sixover-one double-hung sash and a small single light casement window. The third story has a pair of sixoverone double-hung sash.
The east half of the elevation has a cross-gable projection detailed like the one on the front of the house. The gable has a Palladian window, which has a door in the center arch. This leads to a small balcony with a shingled kneewall balustrade. The balcony sits atop the low hipped roof of the second-story sleeping porch, which extends approximately 15 feet from the gable. This sleeping porch has sliding 4-light windows with rounded corners, paired on the east and west sides and in a ribbon of four along the north side. Below the sleeping porch on the north elevation is a recent 1-story, flat-roof addition, which adjoins the original kitchen. This addition is detailed to match the house, with a pebbled stucco finish, and a wood
balustrade. There is a massive chimney on the north endwall of this addition, which is brick below the roofline and stucco above. This chimney services two fireplaces, one in the kitchen and an exterior one on the patio.
On the west side of the gabled projection, there is a small, hipped roof service porch with a new glazed door facing north. Above the service porch is a six-over-one double hung sash window. The center bay of the rear elevation contains a large, three-part stained glass window which is located on the main stair landing. Below this window is a pair of two six-over-one double-hung sash. On the roof is a shed-roof dormer with a ribbon of three six-light casement windows.
The east elevation of the house has the flat roof, glass-enclosed sun porch extending from the first floor of the south bay. This porch, which was not originally enclosed, is detailed to match the front entrance portico, with arched openings and a wood and stucco balustrade on the roof. To the north of the porch on the first story is half of an octagonal bay window, the other half of which is hidden within the enclosed porch. This bay has six-over-one double-hung sash. To the north of this bay is a single six-over-one double-hung sash window. The northernmost bay of the east elevation is part of the rear ell. It has a pair of double-hung wood sash on the first story. The second story of the east elevation is marked, from south to
north, with a red brick interior chimney, a door to the porch roof, and a projecting rectangular bay supported by four carved brackets. This bay contains two six-over-one double-hung sash and a small single light casement window. On the roof of the east elevation is a single shed roof dormer with a bank of three multi-light casement windows.Garage To the north of the house is a two car, front-gable garage which matches the house in design. This small building is sheathed in stucco and has an overhanging gable-end. The six-panel folding door is original. Each panel has four lights over a single recessed panel. The door is surmounted by the overhang of the gable end, which has a wood soffit supported by paired decorative modillions at either end. The gable contains a Palladian window of nine-light casements, and a windowbox supported by paired brackets. The north and south side-walls of the garage each contain two six-over-one double-hung sash.
Interior
The interior of the Boschke-Boyd House retains a high degree of integrity in both organization and features. The house contains approximately 7000 square feet of living space on three stories, with an unfinished basement. The layout has a classic center hall plan, with the living room to one side of the entrance hall and the library, dining room and kitchen to the other side. Ceilings are ten-feet high. The details are classical, with oak floors throughout, and painted woodwork everywhere except the dining room and library, which have mahogany paneling. Window and door casings are molded with mitered corners and no crown. Few of the light fixtures are original.
The front door opens to a spacious center hall. The door, which has a single arched panel, is flanked with remarkable lattice-patterned leaded glass side-lights. The hall and living room have unusually high, 18- inch baseboards, and a crown molding with a picture rail. Large openings on either side of the hall lead to the living room and the library. These openings are each grandly detailed with two pairs of fluted, square columns flanking paneled knee-walls containing cabinets. The columns support a deep frieze on both sides, containing diamond motif glyphs over each column. The frieze is capped with an egg-and-dart molding. To the north of the library entrance is the dining room entrance. This opening has a single, wide, multiple light pocket door. The staircase is located in the north end of the hall, and has a clear-finished newel post and rail and simple narrow square balusters. To the east of the stairs is a service entrance to the rear hall. The stair landing has a built in window seat and a three-part stained glass casement window. These windows have a wreath design with a linear, geometric border. The window is composed primarily of translucent, un-colored glass, with colored glass detailing.
To the west of the hall is the grand-scale living room. The south wall of the room contains a unique triplewindow, with single-light, moveable lower sash and smaller, fixed light transoms with a unique arched design. The west wall contains the large fireplace, which has fluted pilasters and detailing matching theentryway from the hall, right up to the egg-and-dart-crown. The mantelpiece has eight modillion supports and a built-in beveled mirror. The fireplace and hearth have been retiled in contemporary white tiles with a floral motif. To the north of the fireplace on the west wall is an octagonal bay containing windows similar to those on the south wall. The north wall has a beautiful three part window with a large fixed center window flanked by operable casements. These windows have the same lattice pattern of leaded glass as the front door sidelights. The living room ceiling has a molded plaster pattern of circles. Small molded squares mark where these circles meet. Eight contemporary "Tiffany style" stained-glass ceiling fixtures light the room.
To the east side of the hall is the library, which has clear finish mahogany paneling covering the lower twothirds of the walls. Above the paneling is an attractive, but not original, lincrusta-style wallpaper and a wide crown molding with a picture rail. This cozy room has a fireplace centered on the east wall, with a restrained, paneled mantelpiece and hand-made original tiles. The fireplace is flanked by arched doors which lead to the sun porch. These doors are not original. Built in bookcases topped with windows original occupied these locations. The south wall of the library has a set of two windows matching those on the south wall of the living room. To the west of the window is a built in bookcase which may not be original. This bookcase has scrolled brackets supporting the top, and glass doors which are recently added (the original leaded glass doors are lost). The north wall of the library has another built in bookcase in its western half. This bookcase is recessed in the wall and is surmounted by three narrow recessed panels. To the east of this bookcase is the entrance to the dining room, which has a single wide, multi-light pocket door.
North of the library on the east side of the hall is the dining room. This room is paneled like the library in mahogany. The east end of the room contains a bay with two centered windows flanked by another window to the north and a multi-light door to the south. The windows are eight over a single large light. The door leads to the sun porch on the east side of the house. Originally there was a large built-in sideboard on the north wall of the dining room, but this was removed fairly early based on the condition of the paneling. The door to the kitchen is also located in the north wall.
This airy sun porch, entered from the dining room, was originally open, but is now enclosed with large windows which fill the large arched openings. A door on the south wall exits onto the open front piazza. This room has stucco finish walls like the exterior of the house, and a recently added tile floor.The door in the north wall of the dining room exits into the pass pantry and then into the kitchen. These two spaces have been completely extensively and retain no historic integrity. A vestige of the original cabinetry exists in the pass pantry. The kitchen has been extended to the rear of the house and now
includes an eating area with a fireplace. It is completely modern, unlike the original kitchen which was the domain of the servants and therefore completely functional. A door in the west wall of the kitchen exits to a former service porch now a mudroom. In the southwest corner is a door which exits to the servants stair hall. This area has simple painted wood detailing, including a simple rail with square wood balusters. The stair hall exits on the west wall to a small hall under the main stair landing, which was originally marked as a coat closet but now serves as a pass through to the front hall. A recently constructed marble top built in is located on the south wall. A small coat closet, formerly a part of the service porch, is located on the north wall. A powder room is located through a door on the west wall. This powder room has been completely modernized.
On the second floor, the main hall is spacious and light-filled, thanks to the landing windows. Large, three part built in linen cupboards are located on the east and west walls of the hall. There are four large bedrooms on this floor and a sitting room (which could be another bedroom.)
The master bedroom is located in the southeast corner of the house. It has a small vestibule, where the closet door is located. The room has a octagonal bay with a window seat on the south wall, and a glass multi-pane door on the east wall leading to the roof of the sun porch, which is finished as a deck. On the north wall of the room is the door to the bathroom. This room has original white tile walls and hexagonal tile floors. A sink on the east wall has a window over it and is flanked by matching built in cabinets with mirrored medicine chests above. The bathtub and toilet are located on the west wall. The bathroom retains a high degree of integrity despite some early changes.
A door in the north wall of the bathroom leads to a small interior hallway with a closet at its east end. A door in the north wall of the hall leads to another bedroom. This room has two double-hung sash in the east wall and a small closet in the west wall. A door in the north wall of the room leads to the large sleeping porch. This room has a low tray ceiling finished in painted wood boards, stucco walls, and sliding four pane windows on the west, north and east sides. Another door in the west end of the north wall of the sleeping porch leads to the servant stair.A third bedroom is located in the center of the south side of the house. This room has two double hung sash which overlook the roof of the entrance portico. The fourth bedroom is located in the northwest corner of the house. It has two windows on the west wall and one on the north. A door on the south wall leads to the second bathroom on this floor.
The bathroom originally had cabinetry similar to that in the master bathroom, but it was modernized and retiled in the 50s or 60s. One double hung window is located on the west wall. On the south wall of the bathroom is a door to the sitting room, which could easily be another bedroom.
This room has a fireplace in the northwest corner, which has a simple wood surround with a bracketed mantelpiece. It has been retiled in recent years. An octagonal bay with a window seat marks the south wall, and a vestibule in the northeast corner accesses a closet and the door to the hall. A small bathroom, originally a half-bath, is located on the north wall of the hall between the stairs and the northwest corner bedroom. It was converted to a full bath in the 1990s.
The third floor is accessed by the rear stairs, as it was originally the servants quarters. It is particularly spacious, with high ceilings, ample windows, and simple finishes. The stairs enter into a roomy hall in the northeast corner of the house. A small door in a Palladian window leads to a balcony overlooking the back yard. There are two bedrooms on this floor, as well as a bathroom and a large playroom. The playroom has a small kitchen, probably constructed in the 1970s. This floor has served as an apartment for a nanny.
Major Alterations
The majority of the alterations which have been made to the Boschke-Boyd House appear to have been done recently, well outside of the historical period. The powder room, upstairs hall bathroom, and living room and sitting room fireplaces, were all retiled in the 1990s in the same style of handmade tiles with wide grout lines. The most major change is an addition to the rear of the house, constructed in 2002, to accommodate a larger, modern kitchen. This addition has a fireplace and extends to a large rear patio and retaining walls.
NARRATIVE STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE
Summary
The Boschke-Boyd House is significant under criterion B, for its association with William E. Boyd. Boyd, who lived in the house for 28 years, was the owner and general manager of the Benson Hotel in Portland for 36 years.
George W. Boschke, Original Owner
George Boschke had this mansion built for him in 1912. Boschke was one of the most widely known engineers in the west, having had a long career with the Southern Pacific and Union Pacific Railroads, ending his career as the chief engineer of the SP. George Washington Boschke was born in Boston, Massachusetts on October 10,1864, of immigrant parents At five, he moved to California with his father, a highly trained engineer who taught his trade to his son (Brooke). After receiving his education, Boschke begin his career in the engineering department of the Southern Pacific Railroad Company. He became chief engineer of the Oregon Washington Railroad and Navigation Company and maintenance engineer for the Southern Pacific Company in Oregon in April 1905. While in this position he directed the construction of the Steel Bridge (Oregon Journal March 3, 1932). Boschke entered private engineering practice in Portland in 1914.
George W. Boschke and Carrie Margaret Smith were married on August 3,1&90, in Santa Rosa, California (Sonoma Democrat). The Boschkes lived in Portland for many of the years he worked for the Southern Pacific. They were here from at least 1904 to 1914, although they may have spent a portion of that time in California.
George W. Boschke died at the age of 67 on March 3,1932, of pneumonia. He was living in San Francisco at the time, on a leave of absence from his position as chief engineer at the Southern Pacific Railroad pending his retirement (Oregonian March 4,1932).William E. Boyd
William E. Boyd was well known in Portland as the owner and general manager of the Benson Hotel, with his partner Robert K. Keller. William Elbert Boyd was born March 4,1880 in Clontarf, Minnesota (Obituary, Oregonian, March 2,1965). He attended high school and business college in Sauk Center, Minnesota (Men of Note). From the beginning of his career, Boyd worked in the hotel business, starting in small hotels in northern Minnesota. Along the way he met Robert Keller, a dining car superintendent on the Northern Pacific Railroad. The two worked together at the Waldorf Hotel in Fargo, North Dakota, eventually becoming the proprietors. Boyd managed the Waldorf for twelve years before coming to Portland (Obituary, Qregonian, March 2,1965). Boyd and Keller saved their money and legend is, approached Simon Benson with $50,000, and made a deal to buy the Benson Hotel. Together they carried a debt of $500,000 (Men of Note). Boyd and Keller became the owners of the hotel on August 1,1919 (Obituary, Qregonian. March 2,1965). For the next 36 years, Boyd acted as the general manager of the Benson Hotel. "Billy's warmth of greeting, dignity of carriage, love of order and detail and sound knowledge of what first class work is, has helped to make the Benson known not only across the land, but abroad for its sturdy adherence to quality and dignified hotel living" (Men of Note). Under Boyd's leadership, the hotel survived prohibition, even as the neighboring Hotel Oregon closed in 1924, not being able to complete with the more posh Benson. The Hotel Oregon reopened in 1932, but still the Benson continued to succeed (Tess and Robinson). Boyd maintained the stature of the Benson for his entire tenure, managing with ingenuity and ability, modernizing the hotel while keeping it true to its character.
Keller worked behind the scenes, keeping the hotel books. Upon his retirement in 1944, Keller sold his interest in the hotel to the Western Hotel Group, later known as Westin Hotels (Benson Hotel Shares Sold). Boyd maintained his ownership and continued managing the hotel, retiring on July 1,1956. Boyd was married in 1910 in Fargo, North Dakota. His wife may have died before he moved to Portland, for her name is not recorded in any documents. They had two sons, William E. Boyd, Jr., and Donald R. Boyd, who grew up in the Irvington house and graduated from Grant High School. William E. Boyd, Jr.,
was the assistant manager of the Benson Hotel in the early 1950s (Obituary, Oregonian, Sept 26,1972).William E. Boyd bought 2211 NE Thompson Street in 1922 (Roos, 1999). He lived in the house until about 1950 (Portland City Directories).
After Boyd left Irvington, he moved to 2545 SW Terwilliger Blvd, where he lived until his death at age 85 on March 1,1965 (Obituary, Oregon Journal March 2,1965). He left an estate worth $652,592, which he left mostly to his sons (Six-Figure Estate Filed). William E. Boyd was a member of the Imperial Blue Lodge, Scottish Rite, Al Kadar Shrine, Jesters, Shrine Patrol, and the Rotary Club (Obituary, Oregonian, March 2, 1965).
The Benson Hotel
Before the Lewis and Clark Exposition of 1905, there were only a couple first-class hotels in Portland. The exposition exposed the need for more hotel space, as the demand quickly exceeded the supply. After the exposition, as tourism in Portland continued to increase, more hotels such as the Multnomah, Mallory, Congress, New Smith, and Carlton were built, and others such as the Imperial, Perkins and Hotel Oregon were expanded (Tess and Robertson). The Benson Hotel was originally known as the New Hotel Oregon when it opened in 1913. Designed by the firm of Doyle, Patterson and Beach, the hotel was estimated to cost $1,250,000 to $1,500,000. It was adjacent to the 1905 Hotel Oregon and originally was operated as an annex of that hotel. The hotel is in the French Renaissance style and constructed of off-white glazed terra cotta and red brick over a structure of reinforced concrete (Tess and Robertson).
The new hotel opened on March 4,1913, coinciding with the taking of the oath of office by President-elect Woodrow Wilson. It was touted as the most elegant hotel west of Chicago, and was an immediate success. The demand for reservations at the opening was so great that reservations were taken around the dock right up to the event. Newspapers praised the hotel as the "crowning achievement in the development of the city's facilities for caring for visitors" (Tess and Robertson).
After a year of successful operation, Simon Benson, the hotel's backer, decided to take over direct management of the building, rename it the Benson Hotel and operate it separately from the Hotel Oregon.The reason for the takeover is not dear, but may have been related to Benson's aversion to the use of alcohol. Under Benson's leadership, the hotel set a standard of excellence unsurpassed in the city. That reputation has persisted throughout its history, and today it is still an elegant first-class hotel. The most significant spaces of the hotel are the lobby, mezzanine, original ballroom and banquet room. These
spaces are in original condition, finished in Circassian mahogany, walnut, marble and ornamental plaster with bronze fixtures. It is a City of Portland Historic Landmark and listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
Joseph Jacobberger
Although the drawings are labeled Jacobberger and Smith, the design of the Boschke-Boyd House is almost assuredly that of Joseph Jacobberger, based on the many similarities between this house and earlier houses designed by him.
Joseph Jacobberger was born in Alsace-Lorraine on March 19,1867 (Ritz), the son of Mr. And Mrs. Hubert Jacobberger (Carey). He came to the United States at the age of two with his family, and lived Omaha, Nebraska, where he earned a degree from Creighton University (Withey & Withey). After graduating, he worked for several years as a draftsman in architects7 offices (Carey), and worked for some time in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He moved to Portland in 1890, where he first worked for Whidden & Lewis.
Sometime in the 1890s he moved to Los Angeles, where his son, Francis, was born in 1898. He returned to Portland in 1900 (Ritz), where he opened his own practice in the Board of Trade Building (Carey). He began his practice by doing residential and small commercial and institutional buildings, but soon became well known. He built a relationship with the Catholic Church, (of which he was a member), and built many churches and other buildings for them. He partnered with Alfred H. Smith in about 1907. This partnership flourished, and the firm gained commissions for a number of large important buildings (Ritz).
Jacobberger's non-residential designs include (some in partnership with Smith) the Nortonia Hotel and the Willard Hotel, the Home of the Good Shepherd, St. Philip's Church, several buildings at Mount Angel College, Rose City Park School (Carey), the Knights of Columbus Building, St. Mary's Cathedral, The Church of the Madeleine, the Gardeners' and Ranchers' Market, and an addition to St. Vincent Hospital (Ritz).Jacobberger received license number 35 under the grandfather clause when architects began to be licensed in Oregon in 1919. He served as vice president on the Oregon State Board of Architect Examiners from 1926 until 1928. He was a member of the Oregon Chapter of the AIA beginning in 1914, and was president
from 1917 to 1919. (Ritz).
Development of Irvington
The land on which the Boschke-Boyd House is located was part of the "Irvington" plat, which was owned by David P. Thompson, Ellis G. Hughes, and John W. Brazee. The plat, which extended from 7th Avenue to 24th Avenue and from Tillamook Street to Freemont Street, was laid out by Thompson, and recorded on October 24,1887. Because lot sales were slow in previously platted portions of Irvington, no lots in this new plat were available until 1890, when lots between 7th and 14th Avenues were opened up (Roos, 1997). Although lots in Irvington were available as early as 1882, and much of the neighborhood was laid out by 1887, lot sales were slow, and few houses were constructed before the turn of the century. The developers of the neighborhood tried many schemes to entice new residents. A streetcar line was constructed, as well
as sidewalks and paved roads, and restrictions were placed on deeds. These covenants prohibited the sale or manufacture of liquor; the use of property for business, including livery stables, shops, factories, laundries or foundries; the occupation of any house by Chinese, other than servants; building within 25 feet of the street; and the construction of a building that cost less than $2500 (Roos, 1997). These strict regulations, which were carried on deeds until 1916, and thereafter continued by tradition, limited the area to the upper class. Lot sales did increase somewhat as a result of these schemes, although the bank panic of 1893 and the economic depression that followed again reduced sales to almost nothing through these years.
It was not until after 1900 that sales picked up again, and not until 1905, when the Lewis and Clark Centennial Exhibition spurred a building boom, that Irvington was more fully developed. The area of the Irvington plat east of 14 Avenue between Thompson and Brazee Streets were not opened up for sales until 1905, and even then street improvements were not complete (Roos, 1997). Construction in Irvington was booming by 1910. The most expensive lots were near the Irvington Club, opened in 1905, and along Knott Street. In early 1909, the Boschkes purchased their three lots for nearly $7000, and by August of 1910, the house was under construction by the Moore Brothers contractors. The cost of the house was estimated at $15,000, but it was almost certainly much higher upon completion. By January 1911, the house was complete (Roos 1999).Jacobberger Houses in Irvington Joseph Jacobberger was a prolific Portland architect who specialized in large houses for his wealthy clientele. He designed some of the largest houses in Irvington, including the C.H. and Myrna Gaylord House at 2209 NE Schuyler Street, a recently restored Neoclassical style house built in 1909; the J.C. Costello House, 2043 NE Tillamook Street, a Jacobethan English mansion built in 1910 and listed in the National Register; and the Michael F. and Mary A. Brady House at 2210 NE Thompson Street, a Jacobethan English/Arts & Crafts style house built in 1912 and located directly across the street from the Boschke-Boyd House (Roos, 1997). Jacobberger also designed the Arts and Crafts style Michael J. Walsh House, built of brick in 1915 and located at 2306 NE Siskiyou Street, and the Iva L. McFarlan House, a Colonial
Revival house erected in 1921 at 2215 NE 25th Avenue (Hawkins and Willingham). Also attributed to Jacobberger is the Arts and Crafts "A" House, built in 1911 at 2442 NE 24th Avenue. Jacobberger also designed the Church of the Madeleine in Irvington.
Classified as Tudor Revival, this home was designed by Jacobberger & Smith, built in 1911.
Zillow site: http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/2211-NE-Thompson-St-Portland-OR-97212/53885740_zpid/
Comments from the NRHP application, found HERE - There are some historical images at this link as well, taken in 1913. Unfortunately, they are digital scans of photocopies, so their quality is exceedingly low, but you get the gist.
Summary
The Boschke-Boyd House is a grand residence set on a terraced corner lot at 2211 NE Thompson Street in the historic Irvington Neighborhood of Portland. Built in 1910, it represents a fine example of the Tudor/Jacobethan style with Classical interior influences, designed by prominent and prolific architect, Joseph Jacobberger of the firm Jacobberger and Smith. The 2 1/2-story house is set on a concrete foundation. It is of wood-frame construction and sheathed in rough pebbled stucco. The exterior is asymmetrical, but well-balanced, with a center entrance. The interior has a center hall plan, and is beautifully detailed with painted woodwork in all rooms except the dining room and the library, which are paneled in mahogany. Both the exterior and the interior of the house retain a high degree of historic integrity. A recent kitchen addition to the rear of the house is the most notable change to the house.
The Boschke-Boyd House can be attributed to the firm of Jacobberger and Smith from original drawings provided by the homeowners. The house was almost certainly the work of Joseph Jacobberger, as it is very similar stylistically to other houses known to have been designed by him.
Setting
The Boschke-Boyd House is situated on the northeast corner of the intersection of NE Thompson Street and NE 22nd Avenue in the well-preserved city neighborhood of Irvington. The house faces south on a 100-by- 150 foot lot, and is terraced about three feet above the street. The house is set approximately in the center of the triple lot, with a setback of approximately 30 feet from both Thompson and 22nd. It is surrounded by mature trees and established as well as recently added landscape plantings. The rear (north) yard contains a large, recently added patio with a large wood arbor, and a play area. A garage, which matches the house, is located along the north lot line, with the driveway entering from 22nd Avenue. The surrounding neighborhood of Irvington is characterized by stately homes surrounded by mature trees and landscapes. The land in the neighborhood is generally level, and the streets are arranged in an orderlygrid pattern. Sidewalks make the area an inviting and friendly place. The average lot size in the neighborhood is 50 feet (frontage) by 100 feet. Most residences in the neighborhood are single-family, with some duplexes and small apartment buildings scattered throughout. The southern portion of the neighborhood, between Broadway and Tillamook Streets, suffered in the 1960s from the unfortunate
demolition of many beautiful homes and the building of architecturally unremarkable 2-story apartment complexes.
The Boschke-Boyd House is directly across 22nd Avenue from the Irvington Tennis Club, a historic neighborhood institution itself.
Exterior
2211 NE Thompson Street is a two-and-a-half-story, wood-frame building set on a concrete foundation. It has an L-shaped footprint, approximately 55-by-55-feet on its longest sides, with the primary elevation facing south. The rear ell contains the kitchen on the first floor and a sleeping porch on the second. The house is sheathed in rough pebbled stucco. The windows are wood, in a variety of styles, including transomed sash, double-hung sash, casements and fixed. A steeply-pitched roof has two large crossgables, at the east and west ends, which give the roof a hipped appearance. A brick exterior chimney rises from the west wall of the house, while another brick interior chimney rises from the east wall. The primary (south) elevation is asymmetrical, with the single-story entrance portico near the center. The spacious portico, accessed by stairs and a walk from the street, has a flat roof and is marked by segmental arches on three sides, each accented with wood molding, supported by brackets. A scrolled keystone which extends to the eaves marks the top of each arch. The roof of the portico has a balustrade composed of stucco knee walls at the corners and a unique wood rail, punctuated by pointed arches and small trefoils. The portico opens to an uncovered piazza to the west, which extends along the front elevation to the enclosed sun porch on the east elevation.
The front door is of mahogany veneer and has a storm door which was made to match. The door is flanked by spectacular leaded glass sidelights, probably made by Povey Brothers. The first story of the main elevation is marked by banked windows with transoms that flank the entrance portico. There are three of these windows to the west and two to the east of the portico. The windows are divided by wood mullions, and consist of a lower, moveable, single-light sash window and a fixed upper transom with a very unique arched muntin design.The second story of the main elevation is marked by a ribbon of three windows centered over the portico, flanked by cantilevered octagonal bays. The center windows are eight-over-one, double-hung sash with narrow wood frames. On either side are very small ventilation windows. The bay windows consist of a center ten-over-one sash flanked by narrow four-over-one sash. The bays are constructed of wood and
supported by decorative modillions. The west bay has a flat roof supported by brackets. The east bay is capped by the overhang of the attic gable. The third story of the main elevation is marked by the two large, steep-pitched gables. The west gable is flush with the front elevation and has a ribbon of two double-hung, three-over-two (vertical) sash windows and has a jerkinhead roof. The roof has a decorative jigsawn bargeboard supported by carved brackets. The bargeboard has a quatrefoil cutout at each end and a pair of trefoils under the jerkinhead. The east gable is cantilevered over the second story, supported by paired modillions on each end. There are no eaves on this gable. It is marked by a Palladian window with a built in windowbox, supported by paired modillions.
Between the two gables on the roof is a small, shed-roof, shingled dormer containing a pair of nine-light casement windows. Originally, this dormer was behind a balustrade which ran along the roofline between the two gables. This balustrade, which matched the others on the house, has been removed. The west elevation faces 22nd Avenue. The southern half of the elevation is marked by a large but plain red-brick chimney set on the exterior of the house. A single double-hung eight-over-one sash window marks the second story. The northern half of this elevation has a large, flat-roofed, octagonal stucco bay on the first story. This bay has large single-light sash windows topped with fixed transoms in the same unusual arched muntin design as is found on the front of the house. There are wood belt courses dividing the transoms from the windows and below the lower sash. Above the bay is a pair of eight-over-one sash windows and a smaller six-over-one sash window.
On the attic level of the west elevation is a shed roof dormer marked by three nine-light casement windows set in a ribbon.
The north elevation is the most altered. The west portion of this elevation has a jerkinhead gable matching the one on the front, with the same bracketed bargeboard. This gable is flush with the rear wall of the house. The first story has a beautiful three-part leaded glass window. The second story has a single sixover-one double-hung sash and a small single light casement window. The third story has a pair of sixoverone double-hung sash.
The east half of the elevation has a cross-gable projection detailed like the one on the front of the house. The gable has a Palladian window, which has a door in the center arch. This leads to a small balcony with a shingled kneewall balustrade. The balcony sits atop the low hipped roof of the second-story sleeping porch, which extends approximately 15 feet from the gable. This sleeping porch has sliding 4-light windows with rounded corners, paired on the east and west sides and in a ribbon of four along the north side. Below the sleeping porch on the north elevation is a recent 1-story, flat-roof addition, which adjoins the original kitchen. This addition is detailed to match the house, with a pebbled stucco finish, and a wood
balustrade. There is a massive chimney on the north endwall of this addition, which is brick below the roofline and stucco above. This chimney services two fireplaces, one in the kitchen and an exterior one on the patio.
On the west side of the gabled projection, there is a small, hipped roof service porch with a new glazed door facing north. Above the service porch is a six-over-one double hung sash window. The center bay of the rear elevation contains a large, three-part stained glass window which is located on the main stair landing. Below this window is a pair of two six-over-one double-hung sash. On the roof is a shed-roof dormer with a ribbon of three six-light casement windows.
The east elevation of the house has the flat roof, glass-enclosed sun porch extending from the first floor of the south bay. This porch, which was not originally enclosed, is detailed to match the front entrance portico, with arched openings and a wood and stucco balustrade on the roof. To the north of the porch on the first story is half of an octagonal bay window, the other half of which is hidden within the enclosed porch. This bay has six-over-one double-hung sash. To the north of this bay is a single six-over-one double-hung sash window. The northernmost bay of the east elevation is part of the rear ell. It has a pair of double-hung wood sash on the first story. The second story of the east elevation is marked, from south to
north, with a red brick interior chimney, a door to the porch roof, and a projecting rectangular bay supported by four carved brackets. This bay contains two six-over-one double-hung sash and a small single light casement window. On the roof of the east elevation is a single shed roof dormer with a bank of three multi-light casement windows.Garage To the north of the house is a two car, front-gable garage which matches the house in design. This small building is sheathed in stucco and has an overhanging gable-end. The six-panel folding door is original. Each panel has four lights over a single recessed panel. The door is surmounted by the overhang of the gable end, which has a wood soffit supported by paired decorative modillions at either end. The gable contains a Palladian window of nine-light casements, and a windowbox supported by paired brackets. The north and south side-walls of the garage each contain two six-over-one double-hung sash.
Interior
The interior of the Boschke-Boyd House retains a high degree of integrity in both organization and features. The house contains approximately 7000 square feet of living space on three stories, with an unfinished basement. The layout has a classic center hall plan, with the living room to one side of the entrance hall and the library, dining room and kitchen to the other side. Ceilings are ten-feet high. The details are classical, with oak floors throughout, and painted woodwork everywhere except the dining room and library, which have mahogany paneling. Window and door casings are molded with mitered corners and no crown. Few of the light fixtures are original.
The front door opens to a spacious center hall. The door, which has a single arched panel, is flanked with remarkable lattice-patterned leaded glass side-lights. The hall and living room have unusually high, 18- inch baseboards, and a crown molding with a picture rail. Large openings on either side of the hall lead to the living room and the library. These openings are each grandly detailed with two pairs of fluted, square columns flanking paneled knee-walls containing cabinets. The columns support a deep frieze on both sides, containing diamond motif glyphs over each column. The frieze is capped with an egg-and-dart molding. To the north of the library entrance is the dining room entrance. This opening has a single, wide, multiple light pocket door. The staircase is located in the north end of the hall, and has a clear-finished newel post and rail and simple narrow square balusters. To the east of the stairs is a service entrance to the rear hall. The stair landing has a built in window seat and a three-part stained glass casement window. These windows have a wreath design with a linear, geometric border. The window is composed primarily of translucent, un-colored glass, with colored glass detailing.
To the west of the hall is the grand-scale living room. The south wall of the room contains a unique triplewindow, with single-light, moveable lower sash and smaller, fixed light transoms with a unique arched design. The west wall contains the large fireplace, which has fluted pilasters and detailing matching theentryway from the hall, right up to the egg-and-dart-crown. The mantelpiece has eight modillion supports and a built-in beveled mirror. The fireplace and hearth have been retiled in contemporary white tiles with a floral motif. To the north of the fireplace on the west wall is an octagonal bay containing windows similar to those on the south wall. The north wall has a beautiful three part window with a large fixed center window flanked by operable casements. These windows have the same lattice pattern of leaded glass as the front door sidelights. The living room ceiling has a molded plaster pattern of circles. Small molded squares mark where these circles meet. Eight contemporary "Tiffany style" stained-glass ceiling fixtures light the room.
To the east side of the hall is the library, which has clear finish mahogany paneling covering the lower twothirds of the walls. Above the paneling is an attractive, but not original, lincrusta-style wallpaper and a wide crown molding with a picture rail. This cozy room has a fireplace centered on the east wall, with a restrained, paneled mantelpiece and hand-made original tiles. The fireplace is flanked by arched doors which lead to the sun porch. These doors are not original. Built in bookcases topped with windows original occupied these locations. The south wall of the library has a set of two windows matching those on the south wall of the living room. To the west of the window is a built in bookcase which may not be original. This bookcase has scrolled brackets supporting the top, and glass doors which are recently added (the original leaded glass doors are lost). The north wall of the library has another built in bookcase in its western half. This bookcase is recessed in the wall and is surmounted by three narrow recessed panels. To the east of this bookcase is the entrance to the dining room, which has a single wide, multi-light pocket door.
North of the library on the east side of the hall is the dining room. This room is paneled like the library in mahogany. The east end of the room contains a bay with two centered windows flanked by another window to the north and a multi-light door to the south. The windows are eight over a single large light. The door leads to the sun porch on the east side of the house. Originally there was a large built-in sideboard on the north wall of the dining room, but this was removed fairly early based on the condition of the paneling. The door to the kitchen is also located in the north wall.
This airy sun porch, entered from the dining room, was originally open, but is now enclosed with large windows which fill the large arched openings. A door on the south wall exits onto the open front piazza. This room has stucco finish walls like the exterior of the house, and a recently added tile floor.The door in the north wall of the dining room exits into the pass pantry and then into the kitchen. These two spaces have been completely extensively and retain no historic integrity. A vestige of the original cabinetry exists in the pass pantry. The kitchen has been extended to the rear of the house and now
includes an eating area with a fireplace. It is completely modern, unlike the original kitchen which was the domain of the servants and therefore completely functional. A door in the west wall of the kitchen exits to a former service porch now a mudroom. In the southwest corner is a door which exits to the servants stair hall. This area has simple painted wood detailing, including a simple rail with square wood balusters. The stair hall exits on the west wall to a small hall under the main stair landing, which was originally marked as a coat closet but now serves as a pass through to the front hall. A recently constructed marble top built in is located on the south wall. A small coat closet, formerly a part of the service porch, is located on the north wall. A powder room is located through a door on the west wall. This powder room has been completely modernized.
On the second floor, the main hall is spacious and light-filled, thanks to the landing windows. Large, three part built in linen cupboards are located on the east and west walls of the hall. There are four large bedrooms on this floor and a sitting room (which could be another bedroom.)
The master bedroom is located in the southeast corner of the house. It has a small vestibule, where the closet door is located. The room has a octagonal bay with a window seat on the south wall, and a glass multi-pane door on the east wall leading to the roof of the sun porch, which is finished as a deck. On the north wall of the room is the door to the bathroom. This room has original white tile walls and hexagonal tile floors. A sink on the east wall has a window over it and is flanked by matching built in cabinets with mirrored medicine chests above. The bathtub and toilet are located on the west wall. The bathroom retains a high degree of integrity despite some early changes.
A door in the north wall of the bathroom leads to a small interior hallway with a closet at its east end. A door in the north wall of the hall leads to another bedroom. This room has two double-hung sash in the east wall and a small closet in the west wall. A door in the north wall of the room leads to the large sleeping porch. This room has a low tray ceiling finished in painted wood boards, stucco walls, and sliding four pane windows on the west, north and east sides. Another door in the west end of the north wall of the sleeping porch leads to the servant stair.A third bedroom is located in the center of the south side of the house. This room has two double hung sash which overlook the roof of the entrance portico. The fourth bedroom is located in the northwest corner of the house. It has two windows on the west wall and one on the north. A door on the south wall leads to the second bathroom on this floor.
The bathroom originally had cabinetry similar to that in the master bathroom, but it was modernized and retiled in the 50s or 60s. One double hung window is located on the west wall. On the south wall of the bathroom is a door to the sitting room, which could easily be another bedroom.
This room has a fireplace in the northwest corner, which has a simple wood surround with a bracketed mantelpiece. It has been retiled in recent years. An octagonal bay with a window seat marks the south wall, and a vestibule in the northeast corner accesses a closet and the door to the hall. A small bathroom, originally a half-bath, is located on the north wall of the hall between the stairs and the northwest corner bedroom. It was converted to a full bath in the 1990s.
The third floor is accessed by the rear stairs, as it was originally the servants quarters. It is particularly spacious, with high ceilings, ample windows, and simple finishes. The stairs enter into a roomy hall in the northeast corner of the house. A small door in a Palladian window leads to a balcony overlooking the back yard. There are two bedrooms on this floor, as well as a bathroom and a large playroom. The playroom has a small kitchen, probably constructed in the 1970s. This floor has served as an apartment for a nanny.
Major Alterations
The majority of the alterations which have been made to the Boschke-Boyd House appear to have been done recently, well outside of the historical period. The powder room, upstairs hall bathroom, and living room and sitting room fireplaces, were all retiled in the 1990s in the same style of handmade tiles with wide grout lines. The most major change is an addition to the rear of the house, constructed in 2002, to accommodate a larger, modern kitchen. This addition has a fireplace and extends to a large rear patio and retaining walls.
NARRATIVE STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE
Summary
The Boschke-Boyd House is significant under criterion B, for its association with William E. Boyd. Boyd, who lived in the house for 28 years, was the owner and general manager of the Benson Hotel in Portland for 36 years.
George W. Boschke, Original Owner
George Boschke had this mansion built for him in 1912. Boschke was one of the most widely known engineers in the west, having had a long career with the Southern Pacific and Union Pacific Railroads, ending his career as the chief engineer of the SP. George Washington Boschke was born in Boston, Massachusetts on October 10,1864, of immigrant parents At five, he moved to California with his father, a highly trained engineer who taught his trade to his son (Brooke). After receiving his education, Boschke begin his career in the engineering department of the Southern Pacific Railroad Company. He became chief engineer of the Oregon Washington Railroad and Navigation Company and maintenance engineer for the Southern Pacific Company in Oregon in April 1905. While in this position he directed the construction of the Steel Bridge (Oregon Journal March 3, 1932). Boschke entered private engineering practice in Portland in 1914.
George W. Boschke and Carrie Margaret Smith were married on August 3,1&90, in Santa Rosa, California (Sonoma Democrat). The Boschkes lived in Portland for many of the years he worked for the Southern Pacific. They were here from at least 1904 to 1914, although they may have spent a portion of that time in California.
George W. Boschke died at the age of 67 on March 3,1932, of pneumonia. He was living in San Francisco at the time, on a leave of absence from his position as chief engineer at the Southern Pacific Railroad pending his retirement (Oregonian March 4,1932).William E. Boyd
William E. Boyd was well known in Portland as the owner and general manager of the Benson Hotel, with his partner Robert K. Keller. William Elbert Boyd was born March 4,1880 in Clontarf, Minnesota (Obituary, Oregonian, March 2,1965). He attended high school and business college in Sauk Center, Minnesota (Men of Note). From the beginning of his career, Boyd worked in the hotel business, starting in small hotels in northern Minnesota. Along the way he met Robert Keller, a dining car superintendent on the Northern Pacific Railroad. The two worked together at the Waldorf Hotel in Fargo, North Dakota, eventually becoming the proprietors. Boyd managed the Waldorf for twelve years before coming to Portland (Obituary, Qregonian, March 2,1965). Boyd and Keller saved their money and legend is, approached Simon Benson with $50,000, and made a deal to buy the Benson Hotel. Together they carried a debt of $500,000 (Men of Note). Boyd and Keller became the owners of the hotel on August 1,1919 (Obituary, Qregonian. March 2,1965). For the next 36 years, Boyd acted as the general manager of the Benson Hotel. "Billy's warmth of greeting, dignity of carriage, love of order and detail and sound knowledge of what first class work is, has helped to make the Benson known not only across the land, but abroad for its sturdy adherence to quality and dignified hotel living" (Men of Note). Under Boyd's leadership, the hotel survived prohibition, even as the neighboring Hotel Oregon closed in 1924, not being able to complete with the more posh Benson. The Hotel Oregon reopened in 1932, but still the Benson continued to succeed (Tess and Robinson). Boyd maintained the stature of the Benson for his entire tenure, managing with ingenuity and ability, modernizing the hotel while keeping it true to its character.
Keller worked behind the scenes, keeping the hotel books. Upon his retirement in 1944, Keller sold his interest in the hotel to the Western Hotel Group, later known as Westin Hotels (Benson Hotel Shares Sold). Boyd maintained his ownership and continued managing the hotel, retiring on July 1,1956. Boyd was married in 1910 in Fargo, North Dakota. His wife may have died before he moved to Portland, for her name is not recorded in any documents. They had two sons, William E. Boyd, Jr., and Donald R. Boyd, who grew up in the Irvington house and graduated from Grant High School. William E. Boyd, Jr.,
was the assistant manager of the Benson Hotel in the early 1950s (Obituary, Oregonian, Sept 26,1972).William E. Boyd bought 2211 NE Thompson Street in 1922 (Roos, 1999). He lived in the house until about 1950 (Portland City Directories).
After Boyd left Irvington, he moved to 2545 SW Terwilliger Blvd, where he lived until his death at age 85 on March 1,1965 (Obituary, Oregon Journal March 2,1965). He left an estate worth $652,592, which he left mostly to his sons (Six-Figure Estate Filed). William E. Boyd was a member of the Imperial Blue Lodge, Scottish Rite, Al Kadar Shrine, Jesters, Shrine Patrol, and the Rotary Club (Obituary, Oregonian, March 2, 1965).
The Benson Hotel
Before the Lewis and Clark Exposition of 1905, there were only a couple first-class hotels in Portland. The exposition exposed the need for more hotel space, as the demand quickly exceeded the supply. After the exposition, as tourism in Portland continued to increase, more hotels such as the Multnomah, Mallory, Congress, New Smith, and Carlton were built, and others such as the Imperial, Perkins and Hotel Oregon were expanded (Tess and Robertson). The Benson Hotel was originally known as the New Hotel Oregon when it opened in 1913. Designed by the firm of Doyle, Patterson and Beach, the hotel was estimated to cost $1,250,000 to $1,500,000. It was adjacent to the 1905 Hotel Oregon and originally was operated as an annex of that hotel. The hotel is in the French Renaissance style and constructed of off-white glazed terra cotta and red brick over a structure of reinforced concrete (Tess and Robertson).
The new hotel opened on March 4,1913, coinciding with the taking of the oath of office by President-elect Woodrow Wilson. It was touted as the most elegant hotel west of Chicago, and was an immediate success. The demand for reservations at the opening was so great that reservations were taken around the dock right up to the event. Newspapers praised the hotel as the "crowning achievement in the development of the city's facilities for caring for visitors" (Tess and Robertson).
After a year of successful operation, Simon Benson, the hotel's backer, decided to take over direct management of the building, rename it the Benson Hotel and operate it separately from the Hotel Oregon.The reason for the takeover is not dear, but may have been related to Benson's aversion to the use of alcohol. Under Benson's leadership, the hotel set a standard of excellence unsurpassed in the city. That reputation has persisted throughout its history, and today it is still an elegant first-class hotel. The most significant spaces of the hotel are the lobby, mezzanine, original ballroom and banquet room. These
spaces are in original condition, finished in Circassian mahogany, walnut, marble and ornamental plaster with bronze fixtures. It is a City of Portland Historic Landmark and listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
Joseph Jacobberger
Although the drawings are labeled Jacobberger and Smith, the design of the Boschke-Boyd House is almost assuredly that of Joseph Jacobberger, based on the many similarities between this house and earlier houses designed by him.
Joseph Jacobberger was born in Alsace-Lorraine on March 19,1867 (Ritz), the son of Mr. And Mrs. Hubert Jacobberger (Carey). He came to the United States at the age of two with his family, and lived Omaha, Nebraska, where he earned a degree from Creighton University (Withey & Withey). After graduating, he worked for several years as a draftsman in architects7 offices (Carey), and worked for some time in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He moved to Portland in 1890, where he first worked for Whidden & Lewis.
Sometime in the 1890s he moved to Los Angeles, where his son, Francis, was born in 1898. He returned to Portland in 1900 (Ritz), where he opened his own practice in the Board of Trade Building (Carey). He began his practice by doing residential and small commercial and institutional buildings, but soon became well known. He built a relationship with the Catholic Church, (of which he was a member), and built many churches and other buildings for them. He partnered with Alfred H. Smith in about 1907. This partnership flourished, and the firm gained commissions for a number of large important buildings (Ritz).
Jacobberger's non-residential designs include (some in partnership with Smith) the Nortonia Hotel and the Willard Hotel, the Home of the Good Shepherd, St. Philip's Church, several buildings at Mount Angel College, Rose City Park School (Carey), the Knights of Columbus Building, St. Mary's Cathedral, The Church of the Madeleine, the Gardeners' and Ranchers' Market, and an addition to St. Vincent Hospital (Ritz).Jacobberger received license number 35 under the grandfather clause when architects began to be licensed in Oregon in 1919. He served as vice president on the Oregon State Board of Architect Examiners from 1926 until 1928. He was a member of the Oregon Chapter of the AIA beginning in 1914, and was president
from 1917 to 1919. (Ritz).
Development of Irvington
The land on which the Boschke-Boyd House is located was part of the "Irvington" plat, which was owned by David P. Thompson, Ellis G. Hughes, and John W. Brazee. The plat, which extended from 7th Avenue to 24th Avenue and from Tillamook Street to Freemont Street, was laid out by Thompson, and recorded on October 24,1887. Because lot sales were slow in previously platted portions of Irvington, no lots in this new plat were available until 1890, when lots between 7th and 14th Avenues were opened up (Roos, 1997). Although lots in Irvington were available as early as 1882, and much of the neighborhood was laid out by 1887, lot sales were slow, and few houses were constructed before the turn of the century. The developers of the neighborhood tried many schemes to entice new residents. A streetcar line was constructed, as well
as sidewalks and paved roads, and restrictions were placed on deeds. These covenants prohibited the sale or manufacture of liquor; the use of property for business, including livery stables, shops, factories, laundries or foundries; the occupation of any house by Chinese, other than servants; building within 25 feet of the street; and the construction of a building that cost less than $2500 (Roos, 1997). These strict regulations, which were carried on deeds until 1916, and thereafter continued by tradition, limited the area to the upper class. Lot sales did increase somewhat as a result of these schemes, although the bank panic of 1893 and the economic depression that followed again reduced sales to almost nothing through these years.
It was not until after 1900 that sales picked up again, and not until 1905, when the Lewis and Clark Centennial Exhibition spurred a building boom, that Irvington was more fully developed. The area of the Irvington plat east of 14 Avenue between Thompson and Brazee Streets were not opened up for sales until 1905, and even then street improvements were not complete (Roos, 1997). Construction in Irvington was booming by 1910. The most expensive lots were near the Irvington Club, opened in 1905, and along Knott Street. In early 1909, the Boschkes purchased their three lots for nearly $7000, and by August of 1910, the house was under construction by the Moore Brothers contractors. The cost of the house was estimated at $15,000, but it was almost certainly much higher upon completion. By January 1911, the house was complete (Roos 1999).Jacobberger Houses in Irvington Joseph Jacobberger was a prolific Portland architect who specialized in large houses for his wealthy clientele. He designed some of the largest houses in Irvington, including the C.H. and Myrna Gaylord House at 2209 NE Schuyler Street, a recently restored Neoclassical style house built in 1909; the J.C. Costello House, 2043 NE Tillamook Street, a Jacobethan English mansion built in 1910 and listed in the National Register; and the Michael F. and Mary A. Brady House at 2210 NE Thompson Street, a Jacobethan English/Arts & Crafts style house built in 1912 and located directly across the street from the Boschke-Boyd House (Roos, 1997). Jacobberger also designed the Arts and Crafts style Michael J. Walsh House, built of brick in 1915 and located at 2306 NE Siskiyou Street, and the Iva L. McFarlan House, a Colonial
Revival house erected in 1921 at 2215 NE 25th Avenue (Hawkins and Willingham). Also attributed to Jacobberger is the Arts and Crafts "A" House, built in 1911 at 2442 NE 24th Avenue. Jacobberger also designed the Church of the Madeleine in Irvington.