F.E. Bowman Apartments
1624-1636 Tillamook Street, Portland
Enlisted on NRHP: 16 June 1989
Classified as Bungalow/Craftsman, this property was designed by Frederick E. Bowman and built in 1913.
Zillow site: http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1624-NE-Tillamook-St-1636-Portland-OR-97212/53887460_zpid/
Further images found HERE
Comments from the NRHP application, found HERE:
The Craftsman style Bowman apartment house was constructed in 1913. The builder was Frederic E. Bowman who constructed numerous buildings throughout Portland in the early decades of the 20th century. The building is in excellent condition, retaining integrity of design, materials, and workmanship. It has been in use as a multi-family residence since its
construction.
The building is prominently sited on the southwest corner of the intersection of Tillamook and 17th streets in the Irvington neighborhood in Portland's northeast sector. The neighborhood extends from Fremont Street on the north 12 blocks south to Halsey Street; and from 7th Avenue on the west 17 blocks east to 24th Avenue. Largely developed around the turn-of-the-century, the housing stock ranges from large, almost palatial, single family dwellings in an array of popular period styles, to modest, tract-type bungalows. Multifamily dwellings are scattered throughout the neighborhood although they tend to be concentrated on its southern periphery. Mature street plantings grace most of the right-of-ways. In recent years many of the older homes have undergone rehabilitation as young professionals have moved into the area.
The Bowman apartment house is located on the southern edge of the neighborhood several blocks north of Broadway Avenue. Broadway, a heavily trafficked collecter lined with commercial uses, links the residential neighborhoods of northeast Portland with the downtown core area. The building is sited on a double lot and is oriented to the north. A rock retaining wall
stretches across the front of the lot which is landscaped with mature foundation plantings—including hydrangeas, camelias and other historic plant materials; a large maple tree tree at the rear of the lot; and several small deciduous trees in both parking strips. An round brick planter is located in the courtyard formed by the arms of the U.
Across Tillamook Street to the north of the subject building are two large single family dwellings designed in the Colonial Revival style; to the east across 17th Avenue is an apartment building which appears to have been constructed in the 1960s, although its form and massing are vaguely reminiscent of the subject property. Adjacent to the south of the subject apartment is a fourplex designed in the Colonial Revival style; and adjacent to the west is a two-story Mediterranean style apartment house also constructed by Bowman.The two-story wood frame Bowman apartment house is U-shape in plan. It restson a poured concrete foundation and has a daylight basement. The building has a hip roof with deep eaves and exposed rafters. The roof form is repeated in the full-height porch bays on both the facade and rear elevation. The bays are adorned with built-in window boxes. The exterior walls of the first floor are veneered with irregularly shaped "clinker" brick that is applied in mosaic fashion; the corners are finished with alternating courses of header and stretcher bricks simulating quoining. The second floor exterior walls above the wide molded beltcourse are stuccoed and there is mock half-timbering on the walls of the projecting porch bays. There are two primary entrances to the building each serving four units. These entrances are identical in design: massive gabled hoods supported by rustic purlins and braces shelter a single-leaf door which is illuminated by large, rectangular, beveled lights. The door openings are framed by a header course of brick. Multi-paned sidelights with beveled glass flank the openings. The concrete porch deck is scored to resemble quarry tile. Fenestration is varied. The facade is illuminated by double-hung sash and fixed sash windows all of which are multi-paned. A small polygonal window bay—a characteristic feature used by the builder in many of his designs—is located between the second story porches. On the side elevation are wide, twelve-over-one double-hung sash windows with virtually no surrounding trim. Some are arranged in pairs. Casement windows—usually in pairs—are located on all elevations which face the courtyard. Alterations to the exterior of the building include replacement of several windows on the rear of the building and one window on the facade with aluminum frames. The current owner plans to restore these windows with wood replicas
of the originals.
Interior
The spatial arrangement of the building remains intact as built with the exception of converting the basement into an apartment which appears to have been done soon after the building was constructed. Each arm of the U contains
four units. The ground floor units are entered from a small foyer at the first floor. The second floor apartments are entered via a simple stairwell, open at the string, which rises from the foyer to the second floor. The newel posts are large, rectangular pieces with molded caps. Each was originally adorned with a finial although all but two have been removed. The current owner plans to replace those that are missing with wood replicas. The balusters consist of simple rectangular piecesEach apartment unit has a bedroom, a sitting room (the outside units have sunrooms as oppposed to the sitting rooms of the inside units) large living room, kitchen, and a bath which are arranged around a short hallway. Ceilings in the dining and living rooms are coved. Woodwork throughout the building is simple and unadorned. The seven inch baseboards are crowned with a simple cap and door and window trim consists of modest architrave molding. Doors are the five-panel type common to the period with the exception of the entry doors which are made of richly textured mahogany. Fir floors are found throughout the units with the exception of the kitchens which are covered with linoleum and the baths which retain their original small, hexagonal-shape tiles. There is a "false" fireplace in the livingroom of each unit which consists of a prominent wood mantel supported by large consoles. The frontispiece is sheathed in ceramic tiles. Each of the dining rooms has a built-in hutch consisting of six drawers with leaded glass cupboards above. All of the original light fixtures have been replaced with period reproduction pieces. The only major alteration to the interior of the units was the replacement of the original kitchen finishes and fixtures some time during the 1940s
The two-story brick and plaster-clad apartment building of wood frame construction which is located at the southwest corner of the intersection of Tillamook Street and 17th Avenue in the Irvington district of northeast Portland, Oregon was erected in 1913 by local contractor Frederic E. Bowman. The building is considered the best example of a type and general stylistic character employed by Bowman's firm. It is interesting because it shows distinctly the influence of the Prairie School style advanced in Illinois by Frank Lloyd Wright and other architects beginning in 1900. The building has a U-shaped configuration with a narrow, central garden court. The north, or principal elevation, is distinguished by formally-placed projecting bays with second story balconies sheltered by hip roofs. Entrances centered between these flanking bays are hooded with bungaloid gables supported on purlins, beams and braces. On the wall above the entrances are small polygonal window bays on corbels. Spreading over the entire building is a hipped roof with broadly overhanging eaves. In addition to the roof, such characteristics as the contrasting division of exterior elevations into mosaic-patterned clinker brick veneer on the ground story with stucco on the second, the dark belt course and vertical striping of balcony fronts, and the vertical emphasis given to certain window openings through stacked, horizontal divisions reflect an appreciation of Wrightian archetypes like the Willits House in Highland Park. Only the absence of a conventional set back for a front yard distinguishes the building from its neighboring single-family residences. By its conservative roof line height and by the broken massing of its principal facade, the building was well integrated in its surroundings. In fact, this compatible apartment building and the others of its type were a response on the part of local builders to citizens' concern over the encroachment of large-scale multi-family residential housing facilities in the fashionable new subdivisions of East Portland in the early years of the 20th Century. This building contains eight living units above the basement. Interior finishwork is intact throughout, except that the kitchens were remodeled in the 1940s, and woodwork is uncharacteristically overlaid with enamel paint. Nevertheless,
the overall spirit of the Arts and Crafts is conveyed in door and window surrounds having architrave moldings and sill aprons, built-in cabinetry, and in the false fireplaces with ceramic tile surrounds and bracketed mantelpieces which are the focal points of the living rooms. The building is locally significant under Criterion C as the best preserved of the oldest apartment buildings in the Irvington neighborhood, and one which is distinctive in its reflection of current architectural fashion in the Mid-West.A comparative analysis of multi-family (Swellings and apartment buildings of medium and large scale throughout Portland's East Side was undertaken. The U-shaped, medium-scale apartment building at Tillamook and 17th was determined to be the exemplary representative of its type and class within that category, and it is a rare example of Arts and Crafts architecture influenced by the Prairie School.
This is one of three apartment houses erected in Irvington in 1913. With one exception, the rest of the 27 buildings examined were built after 1920. One of the contemporary apartment houses, the one located at 1825 NE 16th, was constructed by Bowman several months earlier than this, and, while it is nearly identical to this one, the 16th Street building has been compromised by alteration of its second story windows.
Frederic E. Bowman (1862-1948), a native of Illinois, arrived in Portland about 1909 and for twenty years adopted as a business title in local directory listings F. E. Bowman and Company, architects and building contractors. In early years he
was associated with his nephew, Mark Hawes. Later, he appears to have concentrated increasingly on real property transactions. Six eight-unit apartment buildings have been positively attributed to Bowman to date, and each is characterized by the U-shaped plan and two-story massing. The first four of this type were rendered in the Arts and Crafts vein, including the subject property. The later two were versions of Mediterranean or Mission style architecture.
There is no conclusive evidence to show who was responsible for design of the buildings. The name of George R. Wright, a draftsman in the office of prominent Portland architect A. E. Doyle, has been linked to the subject building because of the similarity between the subject building and an apartment house in southwest Portland (1825 SW Elm) designed by him. Otis J. Fitch is another believed to have been an associate of F. E. Bowman.The Bowman apartment house is locally significant under criterion c as the oldest and best-preserved apartment building in the Irvington neighborhood.
It is an exemplary apartment house of the type erected by Frederic E. Bowman, a prolific building contractor whose handsome multi-family dwellings—constructed throughout Portland in the early years of the 20th century—represent a distinctive category in the evolution of domestic architecture. The subject property was built in 1913 by F.E. Bowman and
Company. The date of construction is based on City of Portland building permit records and verified by tax assessor records.
The City of Portland had its beginnings on the west side of the Willamette River in 1843. By the end of the century, however, increasing population and dense development led Portlanders to turn their sites across the river to the wide open spaces of the east side for further expansion. Prior to construction of the Morrison Street bridge in 1887, and the subsequent extension of streetcar lines, the study area consisted primarily of a small commercial center at Oak and Washington streets adjacent to the river, some scattered residential dwellings, and an abundance of farmland and orchards.
With the construction of the streetcar lines people were no longer entirely dependant on river traffic and development began to move out from the waterfront. By the out break of World War I large portions of the study area had been developed.
Two of the earliest "streetcar era" neighborhoods to develop were Sunnyside, platted in 1888, and Irvington, platted in 1887, both of which underwent initial development in the 1890s. Unlike Sunnyside which was conceived as a strictly middle class neighborhood, Irvington was planned as a self-contained middle to upper class residential district. Approximately 120 blocks in size, 11 were set aside for a park and commercial building activity was prohibited.From its earliest days Irvington contained some of Portland's grandest homes. Among its first residents were prominent Portland investors, lumbermen, bankers and others including F.E. Bowman the builder of the subject property. In the early years of the 20th century development in the neighborhood began to slow down due to competition from the newer Rose City Park and Laurelhurst developments. World War I reduced development activity even further. It was not until the post-war years, 1923 to 1930, that building activity of any note—particularly related to multi-family dwellings—resumed. It was during this latter period that Irvington—and for that matter all of the study area- -saw the construction of many of its multi-family dwellings. In order to determine the significance of the Bowman apartment house it was necessary to compare it to other buildings of its type. A specific study area
was defined in order to provide a meaningful context for evaluation of resources within a large and diverse city. Delineation of the area took into account topography, transportation systems, and social/economic patterns particularly as they relate to the development of individual neighborhoods on Portland's east side. The study area includes virtually all of Portland's central, inner eastside residential neighborhoods stretching from Fremont Street on the north to Powell Boulevard on the south; and from the Willamette River east to 24th Avenue. It includes all of the Irvington neighborhood, in which the subject building is located, as well as the Buckman and Ladd's Addition neighborhoods and portions of the Sunnyside and Hosford-Abernethy neighborhoods. Previous cultural resource studies were consulted to identify buildings of the same type within the study area. These included the City of Portland Historic Resource Inventory (1983); Central Southeast Portland Historic Resource
Inventory (1988); and the Ladd's Addition National Register District nomination (1988). In addition, a windshield survey was conducted in the Irvington and Richmond neighborhoods as these areas have never been intensively surveyed.
For the purpose of analysis multi-family dwellings have been divided into three categories: duplexes and fourplexes; medium-scale apartments (5-10 units); and large-scale apartments (12 or more units). The earliest multifamily housing type took the form of duplexes and fourplexes, the majority of which were built between approximately 1935 and 1912. In most instances they were designed in the popular Craftsman style and resembled single-family dwellings, the distinguishing feature being the paired entrances, or as in the case of some fourplexes, four entrances. Characteristic features include a one-and-one-half to two-story volume, rectangular in plan, capped by a lowpitched hip or gable roof with deep overhanging eaves. Buildings of this type are located throughout the study area although they are most prevalent in the Buckman and Sunnyside neighborhoods. Medium scale apartment houses, of which the subject building is one, were constructed beginning in approximately 1912. These buildings differ from the earlier duplexes and fourplexes in three major ways: construction material; plan; and massing. Unlike their wood clad predecessors, these buildings generally have masonry exterior surfaces, usually brick and stucco. Although rectangular plans remained common in the teens and 20s, U-shaped and H-shaped
configurations were introduced during this period as was a single, primary entrance—often with an elaborately embellished vestibule. These buildings were generally two to three stories in height with a raised basement which was often used as living space. The earliest examples of this building type were constructed in the Craftsman style. Later examples were generally designed in period revival styles particularly the Mediterranean, Spanish Colonial Revival, and Tudor.
Large scale apartment houses—ten or more units—were commonly constructed beginning shortly after World War I. By the late 20s they were being constructed in large numbers throughout the city. Anywhere from two to four stories in height, these buildings were often designed in a U or Ell-shaped plan, with symmetrical facades with central entrances. The earliest example, c. 1915, located in the Hosford-Abernethy neighborhood, was designed in the Prairie style. The majority, however, were designed in some variation of the period revival styles noted above. Unlike the other multi-family building types which were built by contractors, a number of the large scale apartments houses were architect-designed.
The Bowman apartment is an excellent representative of the medium scale apartment house, incorporating all of the distinguishing features noted above. A two-story, U-shaped complex consisting of eight units, it is also a fine illustration of a transitional building type bridging the gap between the early duplexes and fourplexes, which as a building type are more closely aligned with single-family dwellings and therefore not included in the comparative anaylsis, and the large, multi-unit complexes associated with the inter-war years.
There are 27 apartment houses in the Irvington neighborhood which were constructed prior to 1939. According to City of Portland building permit records only four of these buildings were constructed before 1920. In addition to the subject building these include 1825 N.E. 16th and 1022 N.E. Hancock, both of which were built the same year as the Bowman apartment house, and'a complex at 2238 N.E. 13th constructed in 1918. The subject building is one of the three oldest apartment complexes in the Irvington neighborhood. Of these three, the building at 1825 N.E. 16th,constructed by Bowman five months prior to the subject property, is almost identical in design to the subject building. Major alterations to the second story windows, however, have destroyed much of its original character. The building at 1022 N.E. Hancock was designed in the Craftsman style. A threestory building, it lacks distinctive design features and appears to have been stuccoed some time after it was constructed. The last of the four early apartment complexes, designed in the Prairie style, lacks physical integrity.
The Bowman apartment house, which is remarkably well preserved for a rental building dating to this early development period, is designed in the Craftsman style. It is one of seven apartments in Irvington in this stylistic category. It is distinguished from others in the study area by certain remarkable details including the richly finished exterior walls and its fine state of
preservation.
Frederic E. Bowman was born in Illinois in 1862. Nothing is known about his early life although census records indicate he completed secondary school. Bowman married Harriet V. (last name unknown) in 1881. The couple had one child who died in childhood. It is not known when the Bowmans moved to Portland. He first appears in the 1909 Portland City Directory listed under F.E. Bowman and Company—architects and building contractors. This listing appears in the directories through 1929 when it was changed to Bowman and Hawes Real Estate Company. Mark P. Hawes was Bowman's nephew and was vice-president and secretary-treasurer of F.E. Bowman and Company from 1910 until the formation of the new company. In 1935 the company name was changed again this time to the Bowman Investment Company with Bowman listed as president. No
other principals are listed. Bowman died on May 23, 1948. Although relatively little is known about Bowman's life a study of the six known surviving apartment complexes which he constructed reveal that he left behind a rich legacy. The buildings are nearly identical in overall plan and massing. Like the subject building, which is one of the earliest of the six and the prototype for the others, the buildings are 2-story, U-shaped designs, with eight units—each with easy access to an outdoor area. The buildings vary primarily in the amount and type of decorative detail as well as the overall size. The four earliest examples (1825 N.E. 16th, 1624 N.E. Tillamook, and 1825 S.W. Elm) were designed in the Craftsman tradition while
the later versions (624 N.W. 20th, 1610 N.E. Tillamook and 2004 N.W. Irving) were in the Mediterranean-California Mission styles. Bowman is credited with designing the unit at 624 N.W. 20th; however, several of "the buildings were designed by architects including: George R. Wright—a draftsman in the office of prominent Portland architect A.E. Doyle—who
designed the apartment at 1825 S.W. Elm; and, Otis Josselyn Fitch who designed the apartment at 2004 N.W. Irving. The Elm Street apartment is remarkablysimilar to the subject building stylistically and it is quite possible that Wright may have designed the subject property as well although there is no documentation to substantiate this claim. Bowman's apartments also show a progressive increase in overall size. Individual units in the earliest complex, which is located at 1825 N.E. 16th f are approximately 950 square feet. The subject property, built five months after the above-noted building, averages 1375 square feet per unit. In 1927 Bowman had expanded living area to approximately 1700 square feet in the gracious Mediterranean style building at 624 N.W. 20th. An examination of Sanborn Insurance maps and building permit records between 1901 and 1935 indicate that Bowman's apartment complexes were a unique departure from the standard multi-family building types of the period. His complexes account for all known medium-scale apartment houses constructed in Portland during this period. As a group these buildings represent some of the finest apartment houses in the city. All of the buildings are located in
middle to upper-class residential neighborhoods. In every instance they are well-integrated with the surrounding housing stock and designed in fashionable styles of the day. Of particular note, however, was Bowman's keen sensitivity to spacial concerns. During the ap artment boom of the teens and 20s multifamily housing was characterized by high density building with seemingly little concern for the comfort of the occupant: the amount of living space per unit averaged 850 square feet— significantly less than even the smallest of Bowman's complexes. Numerous newspaper articles from the period attest to citizen concerns regarding the proliferation of large apartment houses. These concerns ranged from rent profiteering to health questions related to the small size of the living areas and the lack of accessible outdoor space, as well as fears
regarding destruction of the quality of single-family residential neighborhoods. In many instances citizens took action. For example in 1921 residents of Irvington halted construction of a huge multi-unit complex planned for construction at 21st and Tillamook, four blocks from the subject building.
The Bowman apartment house is highly significant as one of the oldest and the best-preserved early apartment complex in the study area. It is also associated with an important period in Portland's history during which the growth and development of "streetcar" neighborhoods on the east side forever altered the character of the city. In addition, the building represents an
early example of the work of F.E. Bowman whose distinctive treatment of multifamily wellings provided a gracious alternative to available options of the day.
Classified as Bungalow/Craftsman, this property was designed by Frederick E. Bowman and built in 1913.
Zillow site: http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1624-NE-Tillamook-St-1636-Portland-OR-97212/53887460_zpid/
Further images found HERE
Comments from the NRHP application, found HERE:
The Craftsman style Bowman apartment house was constructed in 1913. The builder was Frederic E. Bowman who constructed numerous buildings throughout Portland in the early decades of the 20th century. The building is in excellent condition, retaining integrity of design, materials, and workmanship. It has been in use as a multi-family residence since its
construction.
The building is prominently sited on the southwest corner of the intersection of Tillamook and 17th streets in the Irvington neighborhood in Portland's northeast sector. The neighborhood extends from Fremont Street on the north 12 blocks south to Halsey Street; and from 7th Avenue on the west 17 blocks east to 24th Avenue. Largely developed around the turn-of-the-century, the housing stock ranges from large, almost palatial, single family dwellings in an array of popular period styles, to modest, tract-type bungalows. Multifamily dwellings are scattered throughout the neighborhood although they tend to be concentrated on its southern periphery. Mature street plantings grace most of the right-of-ways. In recent years many of the older homes have undergone rehabilitation as young professionals have moved into the area.
The Bowman apartment house is located on the southern edge of the neighborhood several blocks north of Broadway Avenue. Broadway, a heavily trafficked collecter lined with commercial uses, links the residential neighborhoods of northeast Portland with the downtown core area. The building is sited on a double lot and is oriented to the north. A rock retaining wall
stretches across the front of the lot which is landscaped with mature foundation plantings—including hydrangeas, camelias and other historic plant materials; a large maple tree tree at the rear of the lot; and several small deciduous trees in both parking strips. An round brick planter is located in the courtyard formed by the arms of the U.
Across Tillamook Street to the north of the subject building are two large single family dwellings designed in the Colonial Revival style; to the east across 17th Avenue is an apartment building which appears to have been constructed in the 1960s, although its form and massing are vaguely reminiscent of the subject property. Adjacent to the south of the subject apartment is a fourplex designed in the Colonial Revival style; and adjacent to the west is a two-story Mediterranean style apartment house also constructed by Bowman.The two-story wood frame Bowman apartment house is U-shape in plan. It restson a poured concrete foundation and has a daylight basement. The building has a hip roof with deep eaves and exposed rafters. The roof form is repeated in the full-height porch bays on both the facade and rear elevation. The bays are adorned with built-in window boxes. The exterior walls of the first floor are veneered with irregularly shaped "clinker" brick that is applied in mosaic fashion; the corners are finished with alternating courses of header and stretcher bricks simulating quoining. The second floor exterior walls above the wide molded beltcourse are stuccoed and there is mock half-timbering on the walls of the projecting porch bays. There are two primary entrances to the building each serving four units. These entrances are identical in design: massive gabled hoods supported by rustic purlins and braces shelter a single-leaf door which is illuminated by large, rectangular, beveled lights. The door openings are framed by a header course of brick. Multi-paned sidelights with beveled glass flank the openings. The concrete porch deck is scored to resemble quarry tile. Fenestration is varied. The facade is illuminated by double-hung sash and fixed sash windows all of which are multi-paned. A small polygonal window bay—a characteristic feature used by the builder in many of his designs—is located between the second story porches. On the side elevation are wide, twelve-over-one double-hung sash windows with virtually no surrounding trim. Some are arranged in pairs. Casement windows—usually in pairs—are located on all elevations which face the courtyard. Alterations to the exterior of the building include replacement of several windows on the rear of the building and one window on the facade with aluminum frames. The current owner plans to restore these windows with wood replicas
of the originals.
Interior
The spatial arrangement of the building remains intact as built with the exception of converting the basement into an apartment which appears to have been done soon after the building was constructed. Each arm of the U contains
four units. The ground floor units are entered from a small foyer at the first floor. The second floor apartments are entered via a simple stairwell, open at the string, which rises from the foyer to the second floor. The newel posts are large, rectangular pieces with molded caps. Each was originally adorned with a finial although all but two have been removed. The current owner plans to replace those that are missing with wood replicas. The balusters consist of simple rectangular piecesEach apartment unit has a bedroom, a sitting room (the outside units have sunrooms as oppposed to the sitting rooms of the inside units) large living room, kitchen, and a bath which are arranged around a short hallway. Ceilings in the dining and living rooms are coved. Woodwork throughout the building is simple and unadorned. The seven inch baseboards are crowned with a simple cap and door and window trim consists of modest architrave molding. Doors are the five-panel type common to the period with the exception of the entry doors which are made of richly textured mahogany. Fir floors are found throughout the units with the exception of the kitchens which are covered with linoleum and the baths which retain their original small, hexagonal-shape tiles. There is a "false" fireplace in the livingroom of each unit which consists of a prominent wood mantel supported by large consoles. The frontispiece is sheathed in ceramic tiles. Each of the dining rooms has a built-in hutch consisting of six drawers with leaded glass cupboards above. All of the original light fixtures have been replaced with period reproduction pieces. The only major alteration to the interior of the units was the replacement of the original kitchen finishes and fixtures some time during the 1940s
The two-story brick and plaster-clad apartment building of wood frame construction which is located at the southwest corner of the intersection of Tillamook Street and 17th Avenue in the Irvington district of northeast Portland, Oregon was erected in 1913 by local contractor Frederic E. Bowman. The building is considered the best example of a type and general stylistic character employed by Bowman's firm. It is interesting because it shows distinctly the influence of the Prairie School style advanced in Illinois by Frank Lloyd Wright and other architects beginning in 1900. The building has a U-shaped configuration with a narrow, central garden court. The north, or principal elevation, is distinguished by formally-placed projecting bays with second story balconies sheltered by hip roofs. Entrances centered between these flanking bays are hooded with bungaloid gables supported on purlins, beams and braces. On the wall above the entrances are small polygonal window bays on corbels. Spreading over the entire building is a hipped roof with broadly overhanging eaves. In addition to the roof, such characteristics as the contrasting division of exterior elevations into mosaic-patterned clinker brick veneer on the ground story with stucco on the second, the dark belt course and vertical striping of balcony fronts, and the vertical emphasis given to certain window openings through stacked, horizontal divisions reflect an appreciation of Wrightian archetypes like the Willits House in Highland Park. Only the absence of a conventional set back for a front yard distinguishes the building from its neighboring single-family residences. By its conservative roof line height and by the broken massing of its principal facade, the building was well integrated in its surroundings. In fact, this compatible apartment building and the others of its type were a response on the part of local builders to citizens' concern over the encroachment of large-scale multi-family residential housing facilities in the fashionable new subdivisions of East Portland in the early years of the 20th Century. This building contains eight living units above the basement. Interior finishwork is intact throughout, except that the kitchens were remodeled in the 1940s, and woodwork is uncharacteristically overlaid with enamel paint. Nevertheless,
the overall spirit of the Arts and Crafts is conveyed in door and window surrounds having architrave moldings and sill aprons, built-in cabinetry, and in the false fireplaces with ceramic tile surrounds and bracketed mantelpieces which are the focal points of the living rooms. The building is locally significant under Criterion C as the best preserved of the oldest apartment buildings in the Irvington neighborhood, and one which is distinctive in its reflection of current architectural fashion in the Mid-West.A comparative analysis of multi-family (Swellings and apartment buildings of medium and large scale throughout Portland's East Side was undertaken. The U-shaped, medium-scale apartment building at Tillamook and 17th was determined to be the exemplary representative of its type and class within that category, and it is a rare example of Arts and Crafts architecture influenced by the Prairie School.
This is one of three apartment houses erected in Irvington in 1913. With one exception, the rest of the 27 buildings examined were built after 1920. One of the contemporary apartment houses, the one located at 1825 NE 16th, was constructed by Bowman several months earlier than this, and, while it is nearly identical to this one, the 16th Street building has been compromised by alteration of its second story windows.
Frederic E. Bowman (1862-1948), a native of Illinois, arrived in Portland about 1909 and for twenty years adopted as a business title in local directory listings F. E. Bowman and Company, architects and building contractors. In early years he
was associated with his nephew, Mark Hawes. Later, he appears to have concentrated increasingly on real property transactions. Six eight-unit apartment buildings have been positively attributed to Bowman to date, and each is characterized by the U-shaped plan and two-story massing. The first four of this type were rendered in the Arts and Crafts vein, including the subject property. The later two were versions of Mediterranean or Mission style architecture.
There is no conclusive evidence to show who was responsible for design of the buildings. The name of George R. Wright, a draftsman in the office of prominent Portland architect A. E. Doyle, has been linked to the subject building because of the similarity between the subject building and an apartment house in southwest Portland (1825 SW Elm) designed by him. Otis J. Fitch is another believed to have been an associate of F. E. Bowman.The Bowman apartment house is locally significant under criterion c as the oldest and best-preserved apartment building in the Irvington neighborhood.
It is an exemplary apartment house of the type erected by Frederic E. Bowman, a prolific building contractor whose handsome multi-family dwellings—constructed throughout Portland in the early years of the 20th century—represent a distinctive category in the evolution of domestic architecture. The subject property was built in 1913 by F.E. Bowman and
Company. The date of construction is based on City of Portland building permit records and verified by tax assessor records.
The City of Portland had its beginnings on the west side of the Willamette River in 1843. By the end of the century, however, increasing population and dense development led Portlanders to turn their sites across the river to the wide open spaces of the east side for further expansion. Prior to construction of the Morrison Street bridge in 1887, and the subsequent extension of streetcar lines, the study area consisted primarily of a small commercial center at Oak and Washington streets adjacent to the river, some scattered residential dwellings, and an abundance of farmland and orchards.
With the construction of the streetcar lines people were no longer entirely dependant on river traffic and development began to move out from the waterfront. By the out break of World War I large portions of the study area had been developed.
Two of the earliest "streetcar era" neighborhoods to develop were Sunnyside, platted in 1888, and Irvington, platted in 1887, both of which underwent initial development in the 1890s. Unlike Sunnyside which was conceived as a strictly middle class neighborhood, Irvington was planned as a self-contained middle to upper class residential district. Approximately 120 blocks in size, 11 were set aside for a park and commercial building activity was prohibited.From its earliest days Irvington contained some of Portland's grandest homes. Among its first residents were prominent Portland investors, lumbermen, bankers and others including F.E. Bowman the builder of the subject property. In the early years of the 20th century development in the neighborhood began to slow down due to competition from the newer Rose City Park and Laurelhurst developments. World War I reduced development activity even further. It was not until the post-war years, 1923 to 1930, that building activity of any note—particularly related to multi-family dwellings—resumed. It was during this latter period that Irvington—and for that matter all of the study area- -saw the construction of many of its multi-family dwellings. In order to determine the significance of the Bowman apartment house it was necessary to compare it to other buildings of its type. A specific study area
was defined in order to provide a meaningful context for evaluation of resources within a large and diverse city. Delineation of the area took into account topography, transportation systems, and social/economic patterns particularly as they relate to the development of individual neighborhoods on Portland's east side. The study area includes virtually all of Portland's central, inner eastside residential neighborhoods stretching from Fremont Street on the north to Powell Boulevard on the south; and from the Willamette River east to 24th Avenue. It includes all of the Irvington neighborhood, in which the subject building is located, as well as the Buckman and Ladd's Addition neighborhoods and portions of the Sunnyside and Hosford-Abernethy neighborhoods. Previous cultural resource studies were consulted to identify buildings of the same type within the study area. These included the City of Portland Historic Resource Inventory (1983); Central Southeast Portland Historic Resource
Inventory (1988); and the Ladd's Addition National Register District nomination (1988). In addition, a windshield survey was conducted in the Irvington and Richmond neighborhoods as these areas have never been intensively surveyed.
For the purpose of analysis multi-family dwellings have been divided into three categories: duplexes and fourplexes; medium-scale apartments (5-10 units); and large-scale apartments (12 or more units). The earliest multifamily housing type took the form of duplexes and fourplexes, the majority of which were built between approximately 1935 and 1912. In most instances they were designed in the popular Craftsman style and resembled single-family dwellings, the distinguishing feature being the paired entrances, or as in the case of some fourplexes, four entrances. Characteristic features include a one-and-one-half to two-story volume, rectangular in plan, capped by a lowpitched hip or gable roof with deep overhanging eaves. Buildings of this type are located throughout the study area although they are most prevalent in the Buckman and Sunnyside neighborhoods. Medium scale apartment houses, of which the subject building is one, were constructed beginning in approximately 1912. These buildings differ from the earlier duplexes and fourplexes in three major ways: construction material; plan; and massing. Unlike their wood clad predecessors, these buildings generally have masonry exterior surfaces, usually brick and stucco. Although rectangular plans remained common in the teens and 20s, U-shaped and H-shaped
configurations were introduced during this period as was a single, primary entrance—often with an elaborately embellished vestibule. These buildings were generally two to three stories in height with a raised basement which was often used as living space. The earliest examples of this building type were constructed in the Craftsman style. Later examples were generally designed in period revival styles particularly the Mediterranean, Spanish Colonial Revival, and Tudor.
Large scale apartment houses—ten or more units—were commonly constructed beginning shortly after World War I. By the late 20s they were being constructed in large numbers throughout the city. Anywhere from two to four stories in height, these buildings were often designed in a U or Ell-shaped plan, with symmetrical facades with central entrances. The earliest example, c. 1915, located in the Hosford-Abernethy neighborhood, was designed in the Prairie style. The majority, however, were designed in some variation of the period revival styles noted above. Unlike the other multi-family building types which were built by contractors, a number of the large scale apartments houses were architect-designed.
The Bowman apartment is an excellent representative of the medium scale apartment house, incorporating all of the distinguishing features noted above. A two-story, U-shaped complex consisting of eight units, it is also a fine illustration of a transitional building type bridging the gap between the early duplexes and fourplexes, which as a building type are more closely aligned with single-family dwellings and therefore not included in the comparative anaylsis, and the large, multi-unit complexes associated with the inter-war years.
There are 27 apartment houses in the Irvington neighborhood which were constructed prior to 1939. According to City of Portland building permit records only four of these buildings were constructed before 1920. In addition to the subject building these include 1825 N.E. 16th and 1022 N.E. Hancock, both of which were built the same year as the Bowman apartment house, and'a complex at 2238 N.E. 13th constructed in 1918. The subject building is one of the three oldest apartment complexes in the Irvington neighborhood. Of these three, the building at 1825 N.E. 16th,constructed by Bowman five months prior to the subject property, is almost identical in design to the subject building. Major alterations to the second story windows, however, have destroyed much of its original character. The building at 1022 N.E. Hancock was designed in the Craftsman style. A threestory building, it lacks distinctive design features and appears to have been stuccoed some time after it was constructed. The last of the four early apartment complexes, designed in the Prairie style, lacks physical integrity.
The Bowman apartment house, which is remarkably well preserved for a rental building dating to this early development period, is designed in the Craftsman style. It is one of seven apartments in Irvington in this stylistic category. It is distinguished from others in the study area by certain remarkable details including the richly finished exterior walls and its fine state of
preservation.
Frederic E. Bowman was born in Illinois in 1862. Nothing is known about his early life although census records indicate he completed secondary school. Bowman married Harriet V. (last name unknown) in 1881. The couple had one child who died in childhood. It is not known when the Bowmans moved to Portland. He first appears in the 1909 Portland City Directory listed under F.E. Bowman and Company—architects and building contractors. This listing appears in the directories through 1929 when it was changed to Bowman and Hawes Real Estate Company. Mark P. Hawes was Bowman's nephew and was vice-president and secretary-treasurer of F.E. Bowman and Company from 1910 until the formation of the new company. In 1935 the company name was changed again this time to the Bowman Investment Company with Bowman listed as president. No
other principals are listed. Bowman died on May 23, 1948. Although relatively little is known about Bowman's life a study of the six known surviving apartment complexes which he constructed reveal that he left behind a rich legacy. The buildings are nearly identical in overall plan and massing. Like the subject building, which is one of the earliest of the six and the prototype for the others, the buildings are 2-story, U-shaped designs, with eight units—each with easy access to an outdoor area. The buildings vary primarily in the amount and type of decorative detail as well as the overall size. The four earliest examples (1825 N.E. 16th, 1624 N.E. Tillamook, and 1825 S.W. Elm) were designed in the Craftsman tradition while
the later versions (624 N.W. 20th, 1610 N.E. Tillamook and 2004 N.W. Irving) were in the Mediterranean-California Mission styles. Bowman is credited with designing the unit at 624 N.W. 20th; however, several of "the buildings were designed by architects including: George R. Wright—a draftsman in the office of prominent Portland architect A.E. Doyle—who
designed the apartment at 1825 S.W. Elm; and, Otis Josselyn Fitch who designed the apartment at 2004 N.W. Irving. The Elm Street apartment is remarkablysimilar to the subject building stylistically and it is quite possible that Wright may have designed the subject property as well although there is no documentation to substantiate this claim. Bowman's apartments also show a progressive increase in overall size. Individual units in the earliest complex, which is located at 1825 N.E. 16th f are approximately 950 square feet. The subject property, built five months after the above-noted building, averages 1375 square feet per unit. In 1927 Bowman had expanded living area to approximately 1700 square feet in the gracious Mediterranean style building at 624 N.W. 20th. An examination of Sanborn Insurance maps and building permit records between 1901 and 1935 indicate that Bowman's apartment complexes were a unique departure from the standard multi-family building types of the period. His complexes account for all known medium-scale apartment houses constructed in Portland during this period. As a group these buildings represent some of the finest apartment houses in the city. All of the buildings are located in
middle to upper-class residential neighborhoods. In every instance they are well-integrated with the surrounding housing stock and designed in fashionable styles of the day. Of particular note, however, was Bowman's keen sensitivity to spacial concerns. During the ap artment boom of the teens and 20s multifamily housing was characterized by high density building with seemingly little concern for the comfort of the occupant: the amount of living space per unit averaged 850 square feet— significantly less than even the smallest of Bowman's complexes. Numerous newspaper articles from the period attest to citizen concerns regarding the proliferation of large apartment houses. These concerns ranged from rent profiteering to health questions related to the small size of the living areas and the lack of accessible outdoor space, as well as fears
regarding destruction of the quality of single-family residential neighborhoods. In many instances citizens took action. For example in 1921 residents of Irvington halted construction of a huge multi-unit complex planned for construction at 21st and Tillamook, four blocks from the subject building.
The Bowman apartment house is highly significant as one of the oldest and the best-preserved early apartment complex in the study area. It is also associated with an important period in Portland's history during which the growth and development of "streetcar" neighborhoods on the east side forever altered the character of the city. In addition, the building represents an
early example of the work of F.E. Bowman whose distinctive treatment of multifamily wellings provided a gracious alternative to available options of the day.