Frederick Ambruster Cottage
502 NE Tillamook Street, Portland
Enlisted on NRHP 16 Feb 2001
Classified Late Victorian/Queen Anne, it was designed and built by David McKeen in 1898.
Zillow site: http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/502-NE-Tillamook-St-Portland-OR-97212/53812497_zpid/
Notes from the NRHP application (found HERE)
The Frederick Armbruster Cottage of 1898 is a single storey residential dwelling of the Queen Anne Victorian Cottage architectural style very popular during the last 15 years of the 19th Century. Even though it served as a neglected income property during the last three decades, it remains architecturally intact. Nearly all original features survive both inside and outside. It stands on the south side of NE Tillamook east of Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. inside the Eliot Multiple Property Submission Historic District.
This mixed use neighborhood in the close-in area of N & NE Portland was nominated for and registered as National Historic Multiple Property Submission from 1997 to 1998. The Eliot neighborhood encompasses most of the area formerly known as the town of Albina on the close-in east side of Portland adjacent to the Willamette River. Today, the City of Portland recognizes the boundaries as the Willamette River on the west, N & NE Fremont on the north, NE 7th on the east, and N & NE Broadway at the south. The district has a diverse variety of structures. The western portion (west of N Vancouver
Avenue) is predominantly industrial with many industrial buildings and is bisected by the 1-5 freeway. It also includes Emanuel Hospital near the Fremont Bridge ramp at the north end. The main portion of the district contains many commercial buildings and multi-family dwellings of both old and modern vintage along the major arterial streets of N Williams
Avenue, N & NE Russell Street and NE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. The side streets contain predominantly single family dwellings of old vintage. Many are a unique collection of surviving Victorian cottages in several styles. In many portions where there were vacant lots from previous clearing, many new dwellings, predominantly duplexes and higher density, have been built in designs that either contribute or not to the historic character of the district.The Armbruster Cottage is generally rectangular in form measuring 26.5' wide and almost 53* long. It is one storey high containing the main single family space, Total interior living space is about 920 square feet (according to Multnomah Tax Assessment records). It also contains an unfinished attic without stair access. The main portion of the structure has a steep-pitched hip roof with a gable end in the front and second smaller one on the west side. As typical in Queen Anne Cottage architecture, the front gable is supported by polygonal cut-away bay window. At the rear is a shed type addition with the same pitch as the hip roof that was extended in 1952. The ground elevation at the house is about 3* higher than the Tillamook street elevation and the main floor rises about 4* above the ground. The house is supported by a perimeter brick foundation rising about 4* from the ground level outside. Most of the foundation is sound but in a few spots, bricks and mortar have deteriorated and fallen out. Underneath the house is a full day-light basement with a concrete floor finished in 1952.(7) There is a 12* by 18* detached garage at the terminus of a narrow driveway that runs by the east side of the house. The face of the garage is about 22* from the rear of the house. This garage in present deteriorated condition is estimated to have been built during the 1910s since no building permit survives in archives and is shown on the 1923 Sanborn map and absent on the 1908 edition.(9) Nearly all Eastside Portland residential building permits from 1905 to 1920 were apparently destroyed in a fire in 1921.The garage has beveled shiplap siding on the side and rear elevations with plywood (added later) in the front. Much siding is missing in the rear and there is an opening where a window once was. It is of standard frame construction with the roof with a slight pitch to the rear. Most of the supporting base sill is rotten and much of the siding is very deteriorated.
This Queen Anne Cottage sits on lot 25 of Block 2 in Albina that is 50' wide and 125' deep. The front elevation sits back about 16' from the right-of-way of Tillamook Street, which is about 2' behind the back of the public sidewalk. Most of the other original houses built on the same side of the street have the same setback. The most westerly elevation is only set back 3' from the west property line. A 1 & 1/2 storey Queen Anne Cottage next door to the west built in 1901 is less than 2' west of that line and 5* from the subject cottage. Many of the houses on Tillamook Street on that immediate block are Victorians of the
Queen Anne style built from the late 1880s to 1901. Immediately across the street from the subject cottage are 3 of alike 2 storey houses of the Dutch Colonial Revival style built about 1905. To the west at #443 is a Vernacular Victorian (farmhouse type) built in 1879 and likely the oldest surviving structure known in Albina.
EXTERIOR DESCRIPTION
The Frederick Armbruster Cottage is a wood framed dwelling with an asymmetrical front layout of the Queen Anne Cottage architectural style. Common in Queen Anne Victorians, the roof is of a steeper pitched hip form with a gable end at the bay window. There is also a smaller simple gable on the west side. With the exception of the gable ends, the original cedar siding of beveled shiplap is intact. Like in most Victorians, this cottage has tall and narrow double-hung windows on all the elevations. With the exception of the bathroom window in the rear, all the original one-over-one window sashes of old growth red cedar construction survive. Spanning 100 years, only minor alterations were done at the rear and inside between 1949 and 1956.(7) At the north elevation (front) is a main gable end above and a polygonal cut-away bay
window. The upper gable is set back a few feet which differs from most Queen Anne cottages. The front entry is dominated by a recessed front porch. All original exterior architectural features such as an acorn above the bay window, turned columns supports, balustrades, and embellishments above the porch survive. Simple shingles cover the upper gable end containing a pair of small windows that light the attic. The gable is clipped at the top. The shiplap siding on this north side is in good shape. Inside the front porch, original tongue & groove flooring is intact except for dry-rot at the northwest corner. Smaller width tongue & groove ceiling boards remain intact above.
Dry-rot at the base of the porch corner has caused the porch to sink separating the columns at the top. The front door is original and of simple Victorian design with an upper glass pane. A etched glass transom above the front door adds light to the foyer. The east elevation is one continuous exterior wall of the beveled shiplap siding intersected by a pair of double-hung windows at each end with a single window near the center that lights the butler's pantry. The rear elevation has a small open porch at the southeast corner that is original.
Adjacent in the center of the back is an enclosed area with a shed-like extension that matches the roof pitch.(Photo 4) This area served originally as the mudroom where the outside wall was even with the open porch. In 1952, the enclosed portion
was expanded another 4' south to service a stairway from the main floor to the basement.(7) A second rear door at ground level services the mudroom. On the westerly portion of this elevation is an envelope where the mudroom wall connects to the main house. The only bathroom window exists on this side. Much of the paint is absent on the siding and corner trim and the siding is deteriorated and cracked in places. The west elevation has less exposure to weathering elements and is in better condition due to the close proximity of the neighboring house. It has a simple squared off gable end with simple shingles in the upper section. There is a pair of small double-hung windows set in the upper gable as in the front elevation. On the main level, there is a 30' section of wall with shiplap siding bisected by two separate bedroom windows. At the north end is a small envelope with another bedroom window on the north face and a small single paned window on the west face that helps light the foyer,
INTERIOR DESCRIPTION
The Frederick Armbruster Cottage is a simple Queen Anne Cottage with an asymmetrical interior floor plan. All of the original moulding around the doors and windows survives in all rooms except the bathroom. The mouldings of cedar are of a
beaded simple casing pattern with miter cuts at the corners without the presence of bullseyes. This simple moulding design is common in Shingle Style and Colonial Revival houses of this period. Most of the interior doors of the four paneled Victorian design are present as well along with the pressed iron hardware. All the decorative window hardware still remains as well. In all the rooms except the bathroom and closets, the ceilings are 10' high. With the exception of the bathroom, lath and plaster cover the wall surfaces and ceilings. In many areas, the plaster walls are damaged due to mildew and moisture problems exasperated by vacancy of about two years. The original floors are of Douglas-fir 3" wide tongue & groove but overlaid in every room. Sometime during the early to mid 20th Century, oak flooring was installed in the parlor, dining room, and both bedrooms. The flooring is cupped in many areas due to moisture damage but sound enough to be sanded and refinished.
When one enters the front door, a small foyer is first met that opens to the parlor to the left or the dining room straight ahead. The baseboard moulding is still present. A small window at the west end helps illumination and the floor is covered by black vinyl. A standard doorway on the east side leads to the parlor. Inside the parlor, the three windows that form the configuration of the front bay light from the north. (Photo 5) The center window is larger than the others. Original Victorian baseboard moulding survives in this room but the picture moulding is absent. To the south is a large opening through
a thick wall that used to house a pair of pocket doors. One of the doors was found stored in the basement but the other is missing. This opening leads into the dining room,which is larger than the parlor. It is lit by a pair of standard Victorian era double hung windows on the east wall. The wainscot with natural finish survives but was covered over by a smooth glossy paneling around the 1950s that rises 4' above the floor, A door near the west end of the south wall opens into the kitchen. At the southwest corner is a nice set of built-in cabinets glazed in glass with period hardware making them original to the
house. Near the south end of the west wall is another door leading into the first bedroom.The first bedroom is lit by two windows, one on the north wall and the other on the west. At the east end of the north wall is a door for a walk-in closet. Picture and baseboard moulding survives in this room. The ceiling in this room was textured sometime during the last 40 years unlike most smooth plaster surfaces in the other rooms. Near the east end of the south wall is another door that leads into the second bedroom. Only a single double-hung window on the west wall near the south end provides light. Original
mouldings are intact in this room but painted white. At the southwest corner on the south wall is a door for a walk-in closet. On the east wall is another door leading into the kitchen. This spacious kitchen appears to retain its original floor plan with a walk-in pantry on the north side. To the north is a short hallway that connects to the dining room. On the west wall near the north end is a cabinet that used to be the space for a dumbwaiter, which still remains inside the shaft below the shelving. The original wainscot was covered with wallboard during 1950s remodeling. The floor covering is of modern vintage vinyl. A pair of windows in the main area and a single window in the pantry help light the spaces. There is much moisture damage to the wall surfaces and windows. A 1950s vintage door on the west wall at the immediate south end goes into a small bathroom. This bathroom was remodeled in 1956 with fixtures of that vintage.(7) The floor is covered with small ceramic tiles of different colors. The walls and ceiling were covered with a shiny textured wallboard material. The lone double-hung window is an aluminum frame replacement. Inside immediately above the door is an attic crawl space. Returning to the kitchen on the south wall are two doors that both lead outside. The one to the east with a glass pane opens to the open back porch. The westerly one goes to steps where the mudroom is at ground level. Another glazed door directly ahead leads to
the back yard. To the left and behind is another flight of stairs to the finished full basement. It is lit by several daylight windows on the west, north, and east elevations. In the center of the basement is an oil furnace of the octopus type probably dating from 1952 and is connected to a central chimney.
HISTORY OF THE ELIOT NEIGHBORHOOD
The Frederick Armbruster Cottage of 1898 sits on the plat of the Tpwnsite of Albina. On 28 May 1873, the plat of Albina was filed with the county by Edwin Russell and George H. Williams on a donation land claim originally settled by J. L. Loring and Joseph Delay. These two prominent men previously purchased most of the property from William W. & Albina Page. The Pages retained ownership of some blocks after platting and the town was named after Mr. Page's wife and daughter.(2) Russell, who previously immigrated fromEngland, was an ambitious businessman who saw a vision of a thriving city on the other side of the Willamette and managed a bank in Portland. He got a contract with the U. S, government to build a ship but borrowed heavily for his development efforts and his shipyard. He went broke in 1874 after a depression affected the banking industry and commerce and moved to San Francisco, George H. Williams was previously a senator and U. S. Attorney General and forced to sell his shares of the property as well. He later became mayor of Portland.(l) The plat, mostly undeveloped, was sold to James Montgomery and William Reid. By 1882, they along with several trustees developed the remainder of the plat after two more maps were filed with the cojanty with lot configurations in the block plans.(2) They laid out the upper portion primarily for residential building. The area around Williams and Russell Avenues became the commercial core. The lower portion by the docks on the river became rough and more industrial when the railroad terminal was built connecting Portland with the transcontinental system in 1883.(6)Albina grew from a population of 143 in 1880 to over 3000 in 1887 when it was incorporated as a city. It was a major bustling community in 1891 when it was annexed to the City of Portland along with East Portland. This stimulated more population growth and increased density. By the turn-of-the-century, many other subdivisions to the north and east were developed and opened up as streetcar lines were expanded. Some of these developments were touted as high-class communities with building and ethnic restrictions placed on deeds. This practice funnelled immigrants with less income to settle in the .Albina community, Housing was more affordable and located closer to the commercial center, railroad yard, grain mills, and waterfront. By 1910, higher density housing was being built at a faster pace along all the major streets. Many were buildings with store fronts below and apartments above and some were strictly apartment and flat buildings, During World War II, Portland gained a large influx of African-Americans to work in the
shipyards and many were allowed to live in Albina but segregated from other surrounding neighborhoods. After the Vanport Flood of May 1948, a greater influx of African-Americans settled in the community due to cheaper housing and imaginary lines drawn by the real estate interests. During the 1950s, Albina was in major decline as businesses left for outlying communities as the popularity of suburbs increased. During the 1960s and 1970s, urban renewal efforts worsened the effects as housing and small businesses were decimated. Today during the 1990s, the community is being revitalized as businesses are returning to surviving and new buildings along some of the original commercial corridors.(6)
HISTORY OF THE PROPERTY
On 19 July 1873, Block 2 of Albina was laid out on a map filed separately with the county and lot sales commenced.(2) This part of Albina was originally designated residential. The street running through the block was initially named Tusculum and changed in 1891 to Tillamook .(derived from the Irvington plat to the east). Early development at this time was very slow without streetcar service, Most of the Albina blocks to the north of this area were not open to development until 1882 when James Montgomery made improvements. On 4 September 1874, William W. & Albina Page sold lots 24 & 25 of block 2 to Robert D. Freeborn for $250.(2) Portland directories going back to 1873 list Robert Freeborn as a painter living in Couch's Addition at the NW corner of NW 16th & Irving. The family remained there after Robert's death about 1893. Daughter Alice L. Freeborn operated the firm Freeborn & Co., dealing with wallpapers & paints in the 1890s but they apparently did not build in Albina. On 4 August 1898, widow Sarah Freeborn and daughter Alice sold both lots 24 & 25 to Frederick Armbruster for $1030. (2) Fred Armbruster was an immigrant born in Germany in July 1864 and came to the States in 1885. When he purchased this property, he lived at 688 Milwaukie (old address, now 3424 SE in Brooklyn neighborhood) and was listed as a
baker.(5) He apparently married his wife Elizabeth after 1885. She was also a native of Germany (born December 1866) and immigrated in 1874. (10) On 3 September 1898, the Armbrusters took out a mortgage of $1000 to build their new house at 400 Tillamook (old #, now 502 NE). It is highly likely architect and carpenter David McKeen was hired to build due to finding a "D. McKene" penciled on back of moulding during current renovation work. Directories list David McKeen as a carpenter and architect living in a building or house at 164 1/2 Union (old #, now gone). It is believed he was a self taught architect
for houses, being an experienced carpenter. The cottage was completed by the end of 1898 due to the 1899 directory (compiled in 1898) listing at 400 Tillamook. At the rear of lot 25, the family started a pretzel business and had a bakery building completed by early 1899 (Appendix C). There was also a shed at the rear of lot 24.(9) During these early years, the whole family worked this business that was apparently expanded in 1903, when a 2nd mortgage was filed for $500. The 1900 Census lists five children in the household as Sanford Arthur (born July 1889), Frederick A. (June 1893), Elsie K. (October 1895), Edmund J. (January 1897) and Marie (November 1898). Unfortunately, Frederick Armbruster died (accident?) 21 December 1904 at the age of 40. (4) Elizabeth continued the pretzel business for over two more decades. Sanford also remained living in the house through the 1920s working with the business. Son Frederick A. became a driver for Gushing & Kock, a dying firm at 353 Union Ave N (now south of NE Weidler) by 1910 and by 1915, established his own printing business called Eureka Printing Co. Son Edmund J. was a driver by 1910 and later became a clerk for Southern Pacific Railroad. The mother Elizabeth remained living in the house until about 1941 or 42. (5) Her death was not indexed by the newspapers. On 17 June 1949, the Oregon Journal listed the obituary with a photo caption for Fred A. Armbruster who died at the age of 56 in his home at 3850 NE 33rd. He was a charter member and past president of the local chapter of the Printing
House Craftsman. The Issac Walton league numbered him among its charter members. He was survived by his wife Ruth and brothers Edmund and Sanford of Portland; and sisters Elsie Sadilek of Lake Oswego and Marie Fiddes of Seaside. (3)The 1943 directory lists George M. Kelly as the new owner and occupant* He worked as a foreman for Oregon Shipbuilding Corp. for the war effort.(5) On 2 February 1949, a plumbing permit was filed by new owner John Schmeer for new water pipes and sink. Schmeer lived in this house through the 1950s and later located at 737 NE Knott in Irvington, In 1950, he amazingly had another cottage moved unto the lot next door that previously stood on the site of the present Rose Quarters Arena. (7) He used this house as a rental until his death about 1996. After legal issues over his estate with other members of the family, title of the property was turned over to US Bank and sold to Chris Beniston in April 1999,
SIGNIFICANCE
The Armbruster Cottage of the Queen Anne Cottage design built in 1898, has significance under Criterion A & C. Under Criterion A, it is associated with the ethnic influence of residents in the district. Under Criterion C, it is architecturally intact and contributes as a representative of the many simple Queen Anne cottages built in the neighborhood.
The Armbruster Cottage qualifies under Criterion A due to its location inside the Eliot Neighborhood Multiple Property Submission and association with the early ethnic influences. When the City of Albina was laid out in 1873, it was positioned in a prime location for the railroad industry. This was an ideal site for a transportation hub between Oregon and Washington, being sandwiched between the Willamette and Columbia Rivers. In the early 1880s, the transportation industry, comprised of the railroads and streetcars, brought large industry to Albina and a new socioeconomic class. As these railroad yards and industrial districts expanded, the distinction between residential and non-residential land was poorly defined. By 1900, the affluent managerial and business class was repelled into new restricted subdivisions such as Irvington and Piedmont. More
lower income groups filled in the gap as affordable housing and close proximity to work was desirable to them. Many of the cottages left by the original settlers were later divided up into apartments or fell into disrepair and only a fraction of them survive today in any condition. The change in the economic profile of the Albina residents was accompanied by a parallel shift in the cultural landscape. In the 1880s, working class Irish and German immigrants started filling the semi-skilled jobs provided by the railroads. The immigrants were first herded to cheap temporary structures close to the railroad tracks. This lower residential area of Albina was often called "Stringtown". This rough area served the new working class arrivals as the stepping stone up their social and career ladders. The growing working class also drew new immigrants from other
European and Scandinavian countries as their numbers swelled during the early 1900s.Many German immigrants settled in the southeastern portion of Albina and their influence in this section of the neighborhood encouraged German builders and property investors who supported younger working class German immigrants into the early 20th Century.
Frederick and Elizabeth Armbruster spoke German very well according to census information and dated literature from the 1900s found in a pocket door cavity. (10) The Armbruster family also contributed to local commerce by operating a pretzel baking and delivery service. This family of 7 housed in a two bedroom cottage managed to sustain themselves as home owners operating a small business that established an early niche in pretzel baking out of their backyard. This type of practice that was tolerated in Albina, was strictly prohibited on deeds in the Irvington subdivision immediately to the east of
this Albina block.(8) Their success acted as a magnet for other German families to this section of the neighborhood.The Armbruster Cottage qualifies under Criterion C as an intact architecturally significant structure conforming to the styles, forms, and methods of construction in the Pacific Northwest during the end of the 19th Century and the beginning of the 20th Century. It falls into the Late Victorian category as a Queen Anne, About one third of surviving residences in the neighborhood are in forms of the Queen Anne style. Very few were built entirely in the style as elements of the Stick-Eastlake and Shingle styles were used in the design or the style was toned down towards vernacular representations.
The Queen Anne style was introduced in Philadelphia at the Centennial Exposition in 1876 by Richard Norman Shaw. Originally a derivative of the true Queen Anne Period in England, this revival style was originally designed by architects for wealthy clients in pure form. It did not show up in Oregon until the mid 1880s but dominated the architectural scene here by 1890. The demand was fueled by printing and easy availability of inexpensive pattern books. Advancement of industrial technology allowed more mass production of building materials which lowered construction costs. This allowed the style to be utilized by the working class and local carpenters without formal architectural training. The mixing of elements with touches from other styles was often the result of this. The addition of decorative woodwork outside and inside was also
possible at lower costs due to advancement in manufacturing. In essence, the Queen Anne homes in the neighborhood are significant by demonstrating the masterful skill of local craftsmen.
Of the 4 subtypes of Queen Anne categorized by the City of Portland Landmarks Commission, the Armbruster Cottage most closely fits the Queen Anne /Shingle subtype due to the presence of simple shingles in upper gable ends. Due to the simple massing, porch ornamentation, and shiplap siding, it also has characteristics of the Queen Anne /Vernacular subtype.(6) It is an important contributing element to the unique collection of surviving Queen Anne cottages that make the Eliot neighborhood stand out in Portland. The Armbruster Cottage is also important as an example of this simple housing type without alterations on the exterior for over 100 years. The interior is also remarkably intact except for some changes made during the 1950s that are reversible. Several similar houses on the same block have had past and recent alterations such as enclosed front
porches, aluminum & vinyl siding, and vinyl replacement windows that rob the historic appeal at first sight.
SOURCES
1. HacColl, E. Kinbark, Jhe Shaping of 3 City: Business and Politics in Portland, 1885-1915, Portland, OR, The Georgian Press, 1976.
2. Hultnoaan County Deed Recordings. 1873-1914.
3. Oregon Journal, Obituary of Fred ft. ftnbruster, 17 June 1949, p 4.
4. Oregon Historical Society, vertical files and indexes.
5. Polk Coipany, Portland, East Portland, & Albina Directories, 1873-1955.
6. Portland Historic Landiarks Coaiission, Hultiple Property Subiission for the Eliot neighborhood, 8 Deceiber 1997.
7. Portland Buildings Bureau, building and pluibing penits.
8. Roos, R. E., The History I Developsent of Portland's Irvington Neighborhood, 1997.
9. Sanborn Fire Insurance Haps: 1901, 08, & 23. •
10. United States Census of 1900.
Classified Late Victorian/Queen Anne, it was designed and built by David McKeen in 1898.
Zillow site: http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/502-NE-Tillamook-St-Portland-OR-97212/53812497_zpid/
Notes from the NRHP application (found HERE)
The Frederick Armbruster Cottage of 1898 is a single storey residential dwelling of the Queen Anne Victorian Cottage architectural style very popular during the last 15 years of the 19th Century. Even though it served as a neglected income property during the last three decades, it remains architecturally intact. Nearly all original features survive both inside and outside. It stands on the south side of NE Tillamook east of Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. inside the Eliot Multiple Property Submission Historic District.
This mixed use neighborhood in the close-in area of N & NE Portland was nominated for and registered as National Historic Multiple Property Submission from 1997 to 1998. The Eliot neighborhood encompasses most of the area formerly known as the town of Albina on the close-in east side of Portland adjacent to the Willamette River. Today, the City of Portland recognizes the boundaries as the Willamette River on the west, N & NE Fremont on the north, NE 7th on the east, and N & NE Broadway at the south. The district has a diverse variety of structures. The western portion (west of N Vancouver
Avenue) is predominantly industrial with many industrial buildings and is bisected by the 1-5 freeway. It also includes Emanuel Hospital near the Fremont Bridge ramp at the north end. The main portion of the district contains many commercial buildings and multi-family dwellings of both old and modern vintage along the major arterial streets of N Williams
Avenue, N & NE Russell Street and NE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. The side streets contain predominantly single family dwellings of old vintage. Many are a unique collection of surviving Victorian cottages in several styles. In many portions where there were vacant lots from previous clearing, many new dwellings, predominantly duplexes and higher density, have been built in designs that either contribute or not to the historic character of the district.The Armbruster Cottage is generally rectangular in form measuring 26.5' wide and almost 53* long. It is one storey high containing the main single family space, Total interior living space is about 920 square feet (according to Multnomah Tax Assessment records). It also contains an unfinished attic without stair access. The main portion of the structure has a steep-pitched hip roof with a gable end in the front and second smaller one on the west side. As typical in Queen Anne Cottage architecture, the front gable is supported by polygonal cut-away bay window. At the rear is a shed type addition with the same pitch as the hip roof that was extended in 1952. The ground elevation at the house is about 3* higher than the Tillamook street elevation and the main floor rises about 4* above the ground. The house is supported by a perimeter brick foundation rising about 4* from the ground level outside. Most of the foundation is sound but in a few spots, bricks and mortar have deteriorated and fallen out. Underneath the house is a full day-light basement with a concrete floor finished in 1952.(7) There is a 12* by 18* detached garage at the terminus of a narrow driveway that runs by the east side of the house. The face of the garage is about 22* from the rear of the house. This garage in present deteriorated condition is estimated to have been built during the 1910s since no building permit survives in archives and is shown on the 1923 Sanborn map and absent on the 1908 edition.(9) Nearly all Eastside Portland residential building permits from 1905 to 1920 were apparently destroyed in a fire in 1921.The garage has beveled shiplap siding on the side and rear elevations with plywood (added later) in the front. Much siding is missing in the rear and there is an opening where a window once was. It is of standard frame construction with the roof with a slight pitch to the rear. Most of the supporting base sill is rotten and much of the siding is very deteriorated.
This Queen Anne Cottage sits on lot 25 of Block 2 in Albina that is 50' wide and 125' deep. The front elevation sits back about 16' from the right-of-way of Tillamook Street, which is about 2' behind the back of the public sidewalk. Most of the other original houses built on the same side of the street have the same setback. The most westerly elevation is only set back 3' from the west property line. A 1 & 1/2 storey Queen Anne Cottage next door to the west built in 1901 is less than 2' west of that line and 5* from the subject cottage. Many of the houses on Tillamook Street on that immediate block are Victorians of the
Queen Anne style built from the late 1880s to 1901. Immediately across the street from the subject cottage are 3 of alike 2 storey houses of the Dutch Colonial Revival style built about 1905. To the west at #443 is a Vernacular Victorian (farmhouse type) built in 1879 and likely the oldest surviving structure known in Albina.
EXTERIOR DESCRIPTION
The Frederick Armbruster Cottage is a wood framed dwelling with an asymmetrical front layout of the Queen Anne Cottage architectural style. Common in Queen Anne Victorians, the roof is of a steeper pitched hip form with a gable end at the bay window. There is also a smaller simple gable on the west side. With the exception of the gable ends, the original cedar siding of beveled shiplap is intact. Like in most Victorians, this cottage has tall and narrow double-hung windows on all the elevations. With the exception of the bathroom window in the rear, all the original one-over-one window sashes of old growth red cedar construction survive. Spanning 100 years, only minor alterations were done at the rear and inside between 1949 and 1956.(7) At the north elevation (front) is a main gable end above and a polygonal cut-away bay
window. The upper gable is set back a few feet which differs from most Queen Anne cottages. The front entry is dominated by a recessed front porch. All original exterior architectural features such as an acorn above the bay window, turned columns supports, balustrades, and embellishments above the porch survive. Simple shingles cover the upper gable end containing a pair of small windows that light the attic. The gable is clipped at the top. The shiplap siding on this north side is in good shape. Inside the front porch, original tongue & groove flooring is intact except for dry-rot at the northwest corner. Smaller width tongue & groove ceiling boards remain intact above.
Dry-rot at the base of the porch corner has caused the porch to sink separating the columns at the top. The front door is original and of simple Victorian design with an upper glass pane. A etched glass transom above the front door adds light to the foyer. The east elevation is one continuous exterior wall of the beveled shiplap siding intersected by a pair of double-hung windows at each end with a single window near the center that lights the butler's pantry. The rear elevation has a small open porch at the southeast corner that is original.
Adjacent in the center of the back is an enclosed area with a shed-like extension that matches the roof pitch.(Photo 4) This area served originally as the mudroom where the outside wall was even with the open porch. In 1952, the enclosed portion
was expanded another 4' south to service a stairway from the main floor to the basement.(7) A second rear door at ground level services the mudroom. On the westerly portion of this elevation is an envelope where the mudroom wall connects to the main house. The only bathroom window exists on this side. Much of the paint is absent on the siding and corner trim and the siding is deteriorated and cracked in places. The west elevation has less exposure to weathering elements and is in better condition due to the close proximity of the neighboring house. It has a simple squared off gable end with simple shingles in the upper section. There is a pair of small double-hung windows set in the upper gable as in the front elevation. On the main level, there is a 30' section of wall with shiplap siding bisected by two separate bedroom windows. At the north end is a small envelope with another bedroom window on the north face and a small single paned window on the west face that helps light the foyer,
INTERIOR DESCRIPTION
The Frederick Armbruster Cottage is a simple Queen Anne Cottage with an asymmetrical interior floor plan. All of the original moulding around the doors and windows survives in all rooms except the bathroom. The mouldings of cedar are of a
beaded simple casing pattern with miter cuts at the corners without the presence of bullseyes. This simple moulding design is common in Shingle Style and Colonial Revival houses of this period. Most of the interior doors of the four paneled Victorian design are present as well along with the pressed iron hardware. All the decorative window hardware still remains as well. In all the rooms except the bathroom and closets, the ceilings are 10' high. With the exception of the bathroom, lath and plaster cover the wall surfaces and ceilings. In many areas, the plaster walls are damaged due to mildew and moisture problems exasperated by vacancy of about two years. The original floors are of Douglas-fir 3" wide tongue & groove but overlaid in every room. Sometime during the early to mid 20th Century, oak flooring was installed in the parlor, dining room, and both bedrooms. The flooring is cupped in many areas due to moisture damage but sound enough to be sanded and refinished.
When one enters the front door, a small foyer is first met that opens to the parlor to the left or the dining room straight ahead. The baseboard moulding is still present. A small window at the west end helps illumination and the floor is covered by black vinyl. A standard doorway on the east side leads to the parlor. Inside the parlor, the three windows that form the configuration of the front bay light from the north. (Photo 5) The center window is larger than the others. Original Victorian baseboard moulding survives in this room but the picture moulding is absent. To the south is a large opening through
a thick wall that used to house a pair of pocket doors. One of the doors was found stored in the basement but the other is missing. This opening leads into the dining room,which is larger than the parlor. It is lit by a pair of standard Victorian era double hung windows on the east wall. The wainscot with natural finish survives but was covered over by a smooth glossy paneling around the 1950s that rises 4' above the floor, A door near the west end of the south wall opens into the kitchen. At the southwest corner is a nice set of built-in cabinets glazed in glass with period hardware making them original to the
house. Near the south end of the west wall is another door leading into the first bedroom.The first bedroom is lit by two windows, one on the north wall and the other on the west. At the east end of the north wall is a door for a walk-in closet. Picture and baseboard moulding survives in this room. The ceiling in this room was textured sometime during the last 40 years unlike most smooth plaster surfaces in the other rooms. Near the east end of the south wall is another door that leads into the second bedroom. Only a single double-hung window on the west wall near the south end provides light. Original
mouldings are intact in this room but painted white. At the southwest corner on the south wall is a door for a walk-in closet. On the east wall is another door leading into the kitchen. This spacious kitchen appears to retain its original floor plan with a walk-in pantry on the north side. To the north is a short hallway that connects to the dining room. On the west wall near the north end is a cabinet that used to be the space for a dumbwaiter, which still remains inside the shaft below the shelving. The original wainscot was covered with wallboard during 1950s remodeling. The floor covering is of modern vintage vinyl. A pair of windows in the main area and a single window in the pantry help light the spaces. There is much moisture damage to the wall surfaces and windows. A 1950s vintage door on the west wall at the immediate south end goes into a small bathroom. This bathroom was remodeled in 1956 with fixtures of that vintage.(7) The floor is covered with small ceramic tiles of different colors. The walls and ceiling were covered with a shiny textured wallboard material. The lone double-hung window is an aluminum frame replacement. Inside immediately above the door is an attic crawl space. Returning to the kitchen on the south wall are two doors that both lead outside. The one to the east with a glass pane opens to the open back porch. The westerly one goes to steps where the mudroom is at ground level. Another glazed door directly ahead leads to
the back yard. To the left and behind is another flight of stairs to the finished full basement. It is lit by several daylight windows on the west, north, and east elevations. In the center of the basement is an oil furnace of the octopus type probably dating from 1952 and is connected to a central chimney.
HISTORY OF THE ELIOT NEIGHBORHOOD
The Frederick Armbruster Cottage of 1898 sits on the plat of the Tpwnsite of Albina. On 28 May 1873, the plat of Albina was filed with the county by Edwin Russell and George H. Williams on a donation land claim originally settled by J. L. Loring and Joseph Delay. These two prominent men previously purchased most of the property from William W. & Albina Page. The Pages retained ownership of some blocks after platting and the town was named after Mr. Page's wife and daughter.(2) Russell, who previously immigrated fromEngland, was an ambitious businessman who saw a vision of a thriving city on the other side of the Willamette and managed a bank in Portland. He got a contract with the U. S, government to build a ship but borrowed heavily for his development efforts and his shipyard. He went broke in 1874 after a depression affected the banking industry and commerce and moved to San Francisco, George H. Williams was previously a senator and U. S. Attorney General and forced to sell his shares of the property as well. He later became mayor of Portland.(l) The plat, mostly undeveloped, was sold to James Montgomery and William Reid. By 1882, they along with several trustees developed the remainder of the plat after two more maps were filed with the cojanty with lot configurations in the block plans.(2) They laid out the upper portion primarily for residential building. The area around Williams and Russell Avenues became the commercial core. The lower portion by the docks on the river became rough and more industrial when the railroad terminal was built connecting Portland with the transcontinental system in 1883.(6)Albina grew from a population of 143 in 1880 to over 3000 in 1887 when it was incorporated as a city. It was a major bustling community in 1891 when it was annexed to the City of Portland along with East Portland. This stimulated more population growth and increased density. By the turn-of-the-century, many other subdivisions to the north and east were developed and opened up as streetcar lines were expanded. Some of these developments were touted as high-class communities with building and ethnic restrictions placed on deeds. This practice funnelled immigrants with less income to settle in the .Albina community, Housing was more affordable and located closer to the commercial center, railroad yard, grain mills, and waterfront. By 1910, higher density housing was being built at a faster pace along all the major streets. Many were buildings with store fronts below and apartments above and some were strictly apartment and flat buildings, During World War II, Portland gained a large influx of African-Americans to work in the
shipyards and many were allowed to live in Albina but segregated from other surrounding neighborhoods. After the Vanport Flood of May 1948, a greater influx of African-Americans settled in the community due to cheaper housing and imaginary lines drawn by the real estate interests. During the 1950s, Albina was in major decline as businesses left for outlying communities as the popularity of suburbs increased. During the 1960s and 1970s, urban renewal efforts worsened the effects as housing and small businesses were decimated. Today during the 1990s, the community is being revitalized as businesses are returning to surviving and new buildings along some of the original commercial corridors.(6)
HISTORY OF THE PROPERTY
On 19 July 1873, Block 2 of Albina was laid out on a map filed separately with the county and lot sales commenced.(2) This part of Albina was originally designated residential. The street running through the block was initially named Tusculum and changed in 1891 to Tillamook .(derived from the Irvington plat to the east). Early development at this time was very slow without streetcar service, Most of the Albina blocks to the north of this area were not open to development until 1882 when James Montgomery made improvements. On 4 September 1874, William W. & Albina Page sold lots 24 & 25 of block 2 to Robert D. Freeborn for $250.(2) Portland directories going back to 1873 list Robert Freeborn as a painter living in Couch's Addition at the NW corner of NW 16th & Irving. The family remained there after Robert's death about 1893. Daughter Alice L. Freeborn operated the firm Freeborn & Co., dealing with wallpapers & paints in the 1890s but they apparently did not build in Albina. On 4 August 1898, widow Sarah Freeborn and daughter Alice sold both lots 24 & 25 to Frederick Armbruster for $1030. (2) Fred Armbruster was an immigrant born in Germany in July 1864 and came to the States in 1885. When he purchased this property, he lived at 688 Milwaukie (old address, now 3424 SE in Brooklyn neighborhood) and was listed as a
baker.(5) He apparently married his wife Elizabeth after 1885. She was also a native of Germany (born December 1866) and immigrated in 1874. (10) On 3 September 1898, the Armbrusters took out a mortgage of $1000 to build their new house at 400 Tillamook (old #, now 502 NE). It is highly likely architect and carpenter David McKeen was hired to build due to finding a "D. McKene" penciled on back of moulding during current renovation work. Directories list David McKeen as a carpenter and architect living in a building or house at 164 1/2 Union (old #, now gone). It is believed he was a self taught architect
for houses, being an experienced carpenter. The cottage was completed by the end of 1898 due to the 1899 directory (compiled in 1898) listing at 400 Tillamook. At the rear of lot 25, the family started a pretzel business and had a bakery building completed by early 1899 (Appendix C). There was also a shed at the rear of lot 24.(9) During these early years, the whole family worked this business that was apparently expanded in 1903, when a 2nd mortgage was filed for $500. The 1900 Census lists five children in the household as Sanford Arthur (born July 1889), Frederick A. (June 1893), Elsie K. (October 1895), Edmund J. (January 1897) and Marie (November 1898). Unfortunately, Frederick Armbruster died (accident?) 21 December 1904 at the age of 40. (4) Elizabeth continued the pretzel business for over two more decades. Sanford also remained living in the house through the 1920s working with the business. Son Frederick A. became a driver for Gushing & Kock, a dying firm at 353 Union Ave N (now south of NE Weidler) by 1910 and by 1915, established his own printing business called Eureka Printing Co. Son Edmund J. was a driver by 1910 and later became a clerk for Southern Pacific Railroad. The mother Elizabeth remained living in the house until about 1941 or 42. (5) Her death was not indexed by the newspapers. On 17 June 1949, the Oregon Journal listed the obituary with a photo caption for Fred A. Armbruster who died at the age of 56 in his home at 3850 NE 33rd. He was a charter member and past president of the local chapter of the Printing
House Craftsman. The Issac Walton league numbered him among its charter members. He was survived by his wife Ruth and brothers Edmund and Sanford of Portland; and sisters Elsie Sadilek of Lake Oswego and Marie Fiddes of Seaside. (3)The 1943 directory lists George M. Kelly as the new owner and occupant* He worked as a foreman for Oregon Shipbuilding Corp. for the war effort.(5) On 2 February 1949, a plumbing permit was filed by new owner John Schmeer for new water pipes and sink. Schmeer lived in this house through the 1950s and later located at 737 NE Knott in Irvington, In 1950, he amazingly had another cottage moved unto the lot next door that previously stood on the site of the present Rose Quarters Arena. (7) He used this house as a rental until his death about 1996. After legal issues over his estate with other members of the family, title of the property was turned over to US Bank and sold to Chris Beniston in April 1999,
SIGNIFICANCE
The Armbruster Cottage of the Queen Anne Cottage design built in 1898, has significance under Criterion A & C. Under Criterion A, it is associated with the ethnic influence of residents in the district. Under Criterion C, it is architecturally intact and contributes as a representative of the many simple Queen Anne cottages built in the neighborhood.
The Armbruster Cottage qualifies under Criterion A due to its location inside the Eliot Neighborhood Multiple Property Submission and association with the early ethnic influences. When the City of Albina was laid out in 1873, it was positioned in a prime location for the railroad industry. This was an ideal site for a transportation hub between Oregon and Washington, being sandwiched between the Willamette and Columbia Rivers. In the early 1880s, the transportation industry, comprised of the railroads and streetcars, brought large industry to Albina and a new socioeconomic class. As these railroad yards and industrial districts expanded, the distinction between residential and non-residential land was poorly defined. By 1900, the affluent managerial and business class was repelled into new restricted subdivisions such as Irvington and Piedmont. More
lower income groups filled in the gap as affordable housing and close proximity to work was desirable to them. Many of the cottages left by the original settlers were later divided up into apartments or fell into disrepair and only a fraction of them survive today in any condition. The change in the economic profile of the Albina residents was accompanied by a parallel shift in the cultural landscape. In the 1880s, working class Irish and German immigrants started filling the semi-skilled jobs provided by the railroads. The immigrants were first herded to cheap temporary structures close to the railroad tracks. This lower residential area of Albina was often called "Stringtown". This rough area served the new working class arrivals as the stepping stone up their social and career ladders. The growing working class also drew new immigrants from other
European and Scandinavian countries as their numbers swelled during the early 1900s.Many German immigrants settled in the southeastern portion of Albina and their influence in this section of the neighborhood encouraged German builders and property investors who supported younger working class German immigrants into the early 20th Century.
Frederick and Elizabeth Armbruster spoke German very well according to census information and dated literature from the 1900s found in a pocket door cavity. (10) The Armbruster family also contributed to local commerce by operating a pretzel baking and delivery service. This family of 7 housed in a two bedroom cottage managed to sustain themselves as home owners operating a small business that established an early niche in pretzel baking out of their backyard. This type of practice that was tolerated in Albina, was strictly prohibited on deeds in the Irvington subdivision immediately to the east of
this Albina block.(8) Their success acted as a magnet for other German families to this section of the neighborhood.The Armbruster Cottage qualifies under Criterion C as an intact architecturally significant structure conforming to the styles, forms, and methods of construction in the Pacific Northwest during the end of the 19th Century and the beginning of the 20th Century. It falls into the Late Victorian category as a Queen Anne, About one third of surviving residences in the neighborhood are in forms of the Queen Anne style. Very few were built entirely in the style as elements of the Stick-Eastlake and Shingle styles were used in the design or the style was toned down towards vernacular representations.
The Queen Anne style was introduced in Philadelphia at the Centennial Exposition in 1876 by Richard Norman Shaw. Originally a derivative of the true Queen Anne Period in England, this revival style was originally designed by architects for wealthy clients in pure form. It did not show up in Oregon until the mid 1880s but dominated the architectural scene here by 1890. The demand was fueled by printing and easy availability of inexpensive pattern books. Advancement of industrial technology allowed more mass production of building materials which lowered construction costs. This allowed the style to be utilized by the working class and local carpenters without formal architectural training. The mixing of elements with touches from other styles was often the result of this. The addition of decorative woodwork outside and inside was also
possible at lower costs due to advancement in manufacturing. In essence, the Queen Anne homes in the neighborhood are significant by demonstrating the masterful skill of local craftsmen.
Of the 4 subtypes of Queen Anne categorized by the City of Portland Landmarks Commission, the Armbruster Cottage most closely fits the Queen Anne /Shingle subtype due to the presence of simple shingles in upper gable ends. Due to the simple massing, porch ornamentation, and shiplap siding, it also has characteristics of the Queen Anne /Vernacular subtype.(6) It is an important contributing element to the unique collection of surviving Queen Anne cottages that make the Eliot neighborhood stand out in Portland. The Armbruster Cottage is also important as an example of this simple housing type without alterations on the exterior for over 100 years. The interior is also remarkably intact except for some changes made during the 1950s that are reversible. Several similar houses on the same block have had past and recent alterations such as enclosed front
porches, aluminum & vinyl siding, and vinyl replacement windows that rob the historic appeal at first sight.
SOURCES
1. HacColl, E. Kinbark, Jhe Shaping of 3 City: Business and Politics in Portland, 1885-1915, Portland, OR, The Georgian Press, 1976.
2. Hultnoaan County Deed Recordings. 1873-1914.
3. Oregon Journal, Obituary of Fred ft. ftnbruster, 17 June 1949, p 4.
4. Oregon Historical Society, vertical files and indexes.
5. Polk Coipany, Portland, East Portland, & Albina Directories, 1873-1955.
6. Portland Historic Landiarks Coaiission, Hultiple Property Subiission for the Eliot neighborhood, 8 Deceiber 1997.
7. Portland Buildings Bureau, building and pluibing penits.
8. Roos, R. E., The History I Developsent of Portland's Irvington Neighborhood, 1997.
9. Sanborn Fire Insurance Haps: 1901, 08, & 23. •
10. United States Census of 1900.