Introduction to the Clackamas County Landmarks Self-Guided Tour

By Gail J. McCormick

September 1, 2018

This group of buildings is a list of Clackamas County Landmarks that are under the Molalla Area Historical Society’s care.  The boundary they service is the same as the Molalla Area School District boundary.  The areas served are Molalla Rural, Mulino, Union Mills, Liberal, Dickey Prairie, Marquam, Yoder and Clarkes.  The list is over fifty structures and would be an incredible heritage for any community.  These are buildings that are not in the Molalla City limits.  The Molalla City buildings are a separate part of the Molalla Area Historical Society’s website.

It is important that you know that the list is in driving order, so, you may conduct your own self-guided tour.  It starts at the Samuel and Nancy Engle House at 32336 South Molalla Avenue, which is a couple of blocks south of the historical Dibble House.  Almost all of the buildings can be seen from the street with the exception of a few on the south side of Herman Road.  Please do not pull into the driveways or contact the owners unless they have an open business.  It is important to honor their privacy. 

Dave Jackson, the graphic designer for the Molalla Area Historical Societies website, and I are volunteers for this project.  It is an unfinished project that we will be working on for about another year.  On each site you will find a limited amount of information: a building photo, the historical name, the address, the historical dates of the building and the architectural style.  The complete stories will not be finished in any particular order.  Writing the complete story depends on when I am able to finish its research.  As new stories are added, you will see a link in the list below that opens the story.

Members of the Historical Society are also working on a photo collection to be held at the Historical Society.  Over the coming years, these photos will be available for the many descendants of these early pioneer families.  If you have photos to share, please contact me and I will make arrangements to scan your photos.  You may contact me by email at Gjmcc887@aol.com or phone 503-632-3640.  I will welcome any comments on my stories and appreciate being advised if there are any errors.

Thank you and enjoy the tour!

Photo:  The Clackamas County Landmark plaque that is available to the owners of these buildings.

Clackamas County Landmark – Molalla Rural Group - #4

The Thaddeus & Helen Stipp Farm

29387 North Molalla Avenue

House: 1911 – 1951, Barn: 1909 - 1951

House Architecture:  Four Square Craftsman Bungalow, Classic Revival Style

Barn Architecture: 20th Century Western Gabled Roof with Cupula

Photo #1 – The Thaddeus & Helen Stipp Farm is located at 29387 North Molalla Avenue, in Molalla, Oregon.  The house and barn, built in 1911 and 1909, respectively, are in good condition.  Photo from the Gail J. McCormick Collection, 1990 personal photo.

Photo #2 – This marvelous early 1900’s photo of the Thaddeus Stipp barn is courtesy of the Molalla Area Historical Society.

@ 2018 Gail J. McCormick

Clackamas County Landmark – Molalla Rural Group - #5

The Aaron Burr Sturges Barn

12775 Barnards Road

1880 – 1883

Architectural Style – 20th Century Western Barn

Photo #1 – The Aaron Burr Sturges Barn is located at 12775 Barnards Road in Molalla, Oregon.  It appears to be in excellent condition.  Photo from the Gail J. McCormick Collection, personal photo.

@ 2018 Gail J. McCormick

Clackamas County Landmark – Molalla Rural Group - #6

The Herman M. & Ludwicka Timmer Farm

14708 South Macksburg Road

House & Barn: 1885 -1901

House Architecture: Vernacular / Italianate

Barn Architecture: 20th Century Western Barn

Photo #1 – The Herman M. & Ludwika Timmer House is located at 14708 South Macksburg Road in Molalla, Oregon.  The house appears to be in excellent condition.  Photo from the Gail J. McCormick Collection, 2018 personal photo.

Photo #2 – The Herman M. Timmer Barn is in good condition and in service at this time.  Photo from the Gail J. McCormick Collection, 2018 personal photo.

@ 2018 Gail J. McCormick

Clackamas County Landmark – Molalla Rural Group - #7

The William Hatchette & Susan Mary Vaughan House

14902 South Macksburg Road

1882 - 1912

Architecture:  19th Century Greek Revival / Italianate

Note:  National Landmark Status

Photo #1 – The William Hatchette & Susan Mary Vaughan House is located at 14902 South Macksburg Road in Molalla, Oregon.  It has been completely restored and is in excellent condition.  The house is on the National Historic Register.  Photo by Dave Jackson of Molalla.

Clackamas County Landmarks –Molalla Rural Group - #10

The Levi Robbins Barn #1

32850 South Adams Cemetery Road

1909 - 1933

Architecture:  20th Century Western Gothic Gambrel Barn

Builder:  Oliver Willard Robbins

Photo #1 – The Levi Robbins Barn #1 is located at 32850 South Adams Cemetery Road in Molalla, Oregon.  It appears to be in good condition today and is in service.  Photo from the Gail J. McCormick Collection, personal 2018 photo.

Photo #2 – The Levi Robbins Barn #1 when newly built.  Noteworthy is the window over the front door which was from an earlier Robbins Gothic / Vernacular Style house.   The barn was built by Oliver Willard Robbins for his parents.  The photo also shows a clear cut timber section behind the barn that was probably cut to build it.  Photo from the Gail J. McCormick

Collection, courtesy of the late Gena Cline.

@ 2018 Gail J. McCormick

Clackamas County Landmarks – Molalla Rural Group - #11

Adams Cemetery

South Adams Cemetery Road

1865 – Today

The First Grave at Adams Cemetery

By Gail J. McCormick

Jacob (1809-1896) and his wife, Sarah Robbins (1812-1865) and their nine children traversed the Oregon Trail in 1852.  They left Indiana in March and arrived at the Barlow House in late November.  It was a long, arduous journey.  Two of their youngest children, Theodore, age 8, and Aaron, age 5, died during the journey.  One child died at a camp at the mouth of the Sandy River and the other, at the Barlow House.  The children were buried at the place where they had died.

On Christmas Eve, 1865, Sarah Robbins suddenly died of heart failure.  Mr. Reese, one of the neighbors, gave a plot of land for a burying place.  It was a beautiful resting place, on a hill, overlooking the Molalla River.  Sarah Robbins grave was the first placed there.  Sometime later, Jacob Robbins “had his two little sons, Theodore and Aaron, brought and laid to rest beside their mother”.  If you would like to pay your respects, you can locate their graves by turning right through the front gate, past a grove of trees, near the center of the cemetery.

Photo #1 – The beautiful Adams Cemetery is at the end of Adams Cemetery Road in Molalla, Oregon.  It is on a hill overlooking the Molalla River.  Most of the Oregon Trail pioneers from the Molalla area are buried here.  Photo from the Gail J. McCormick Collection, 2018 personal photo.

Photo #2 – Jacob and Sarah Robbins.  Photo courtesy of the Molalla Area Historical Society.  The gravestone photos are from the Gail J. McCormick Collection, 2018 personal photos.

Photo #3 – “THEODORE, Son of J. & S. Robbins, died Nov 23, 1852, aged 8 years, 6 months, 17 days”

Photo #4 – “SARAH, wife of J. Robbins, died December 25, 1865, 53 years, 2 months, 2 days”

Photo #5 – “AARON, Son of J. & S. Robbins, died Nov 12, 1852, aged 5 years, 3 months, 6 days”

Bibliography:

“History of Jacob Robbins & Sarah Spillman”, by Harvey Robbins, Unpublished Manuscript, 1921

“Oregon Trail Trek” by Harvey Robbins, Page 135, Our Proud Past, V. I, by Gail J. McCormick, 1992

@ 2018 Gail J. McCormick

Clackamas County Landmark – Molalla Rural Group - #12

The William D. & Lucina Adams House

33258 South Adams Road

1895 - 1917

Architecture:  19th Century Queen Anne Style

Builder:  George Adams

Photo #1 – The William D. & Lucina Adams House is located at 33258 South Adams Road in Molalla, Oregon.  The architecture is the beautiful Queen Anne Style.  The home, at this time is in poor to good condition.  George Adams built the house for his parents during their elder years.  Photo from the Gail J. McCormick Collection, 2018 personal photo.

Photo #2 – William D. & Lucina Adams.  Photo from the Gail J. McCormick Collection.

@ 2018 Gail J. McCormick

Clackamas County Landmark - Molalla Rural Group - #14

The Daniel Albright Farm #2

14678 South Herman Road

House & Barn: 1875 - 1920

House Architecture: Vernacular

Barn Architecture: 19th Century Western Barn

Builder: House – Cyrus Hendershott

Photo #1 – The Daniel Albright Farm #2 is located at 14678 South Herman Road in Molalla, Oregon.  You cannot see the buildings from the road but the present owners do have a business called Stoller Farms.  Check their website and call first to make sure they are open.  This photo of the house is from the 1984 Clackamas County Resource Study.

Photo #2 – The 19th Century Western Style barn is stated to have hand hewn beams, dowel and pegs and square nails.  The photo is from the 1984 Clackamas County Resource Study.

@ 2018 Gail J. McCormick

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