Building Oregon
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Work provided by University of Oregon

Reed-Cobb-Bowser House and Barn (Merlin, Oregon)

Alternative Title
  • Reed-Cobb House (Merlin, Oregon)
  • Country Club Orchard Clubhouse (Merlin, Oregon)
Date
  • 1910-1911
Description
  • National Register of Historic Places (Listed, 2017)
  • The Reed-Cobb-Bowser House and Barn is located on Merlin Road in the unincorporated town of Merlin, approximately seven miles northwest of Grants Pass, in rural Josephine County. Built in 1910-11, the 2-1/2 story Craftsman-style house is associated with early 20th century movement in many parts of western Oregon to promote residential-agricultural development on relatively small, usually 5 to 10-acre parcels. In 1909, a group of wealthy investors led by brothers William T. and Franklin E. Reed began purchasing property around Merlin for the purpose of both speculating on the land itself and fostering the development of an orchard economy in the area. The Reed-Cobb-Bowser House was originally built in 1910-11 as the headquarters and clubhouse for what became known as the Country Club Orchard development, as well as the residence of William T. Reed’s daughters, Grace and Marian Reed. Though initially successful, the project soon faltered, and by the early 1920s, undeveloped land began to be sold off to satisfy debt. The house remained in the ownership of William T. Reed, who, upon his death in 1924, passed ownership to Marian and Grace. Grace lived in the house with her husband, Everett Cobb until 1936, when the house was sold to miner Heber E. Bowser and his wife, Clementine, the wealthy heiress of Portland family wealth. Clementine, in addition to owning and managing several successful mines in the area, was also a well-known equestrian, and is responsible for the large and well-appointed horse barn that accompanies the house on the National Register. In addition to its association with the events of local development, the house is also recognized as an exceptional example of the Craftsman style of architecture, widely popular across the United States during the early 20th century.
  • This image is included in Building Oregon: Architecture of Oregon and the Pacific Northwest, a digital collection which provides documentation about the architectural heritage of the Pacific Northwest.
View
  • interior: Living Room, camera facing west from stairwell
Temporal
  • 1910-1919
Subject
Work Type
Location
Street Address
  • 1700 Merlin Road
GPS Latitude
  • 42.505212
GPS Longitude
  • -123.4000707
Rights Holder
  • The image is provided here by the Oregon State Historic Preservation Office and the University of Oregon Libraries to facilitate scholarship, research, and teaching. For other uses, contact the State Historic Preservation Office. Please credit photographer and the Oregon State Historic Preservation Office when using this image.
Identifier
  • OR_Josephine_Merlin_ReedCobbBrowser_006
Source
  • George Kramer (Kramer and Company). "Reed-Cobb-Bowser House and Barn," National Register of Historic Places Registration Form." (2017)
Institution
Submission Date
  • 04/13/2018
Modified
  • 08/11/2022
Collections

APA

Building Oregon, University of Oregon. (18 Apr 2024). Reed-Cobb-Bowser House and Barn (Merlin, Oregon) Retrieved from https://oregondigital.org/concern/images/fx71cq461

MLA

Building Oregon, University of Oregon. "Reed-Cobb-Bowser House and Barn (Merlin, Oregon)" Oregon Digital. 18 Apr 2024. https://oregondigital.org/concern/images/fx71cq461

Chicago

Building Oregon, University of Oregon. "Reed-Cobb-Bowser House and Barn (Merlin, Oregon)" Oregon Digital. Accessed 2024-04-18. https://oregondigital.org/concern/images/fx71cq461

Wiki

{{cite web | url= https://oregondigital.org/concern/images/fx71cq461 | title= Reed-Cobb-Bowser House and Barn (Merlin, Oregon) |author= |accessdate= 2024-04-18 |publisher= }}
Data Sources
Footer Number Term External URI
1 Dwellings http://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh85040193
2 Architecture http://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh85006611
3 Barns http://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh85011902
4 Architecture, American http://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh85006700
5 dwellings http://vocab.getty.edu/aat/300005425
6 houses http://vocab.getty.edu/aat/300005433
7 architecture (object genre) http://vocab.getty.edu/aat/300263552
8 built works http://vocab.getty.edu/aat/300265418
9 barns http://vocab.getty.edu/aat/300004900
10 Oregon >> United States https://sws.geonames.org/5744337/
11 Josephine County >> Oregon >> United States https://sws.geonames.org/5734120/
12 Merlin >> Josephine County >> Oregon >> United States https://sws.geonames.org/5740247/
13 University of Oregon http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n80126183

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