O. B. McFadden House

The O. B. McFadden House is the historic home of Obadiah B. McFadden[lower-alpha 2] and is located in Chehalis, Washington. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in 1975 and is situated south of Millett Field. The house is the oldest structure in Lewis County and the oldest residence in Chehalis.

For other uses, see McFadden House.
O. B. McFadden House
McFadden House
O.B. McFadden House is located in Washington (state)
O.B. McFadden House
O.B. McFadden House
Location475 S.W. Chehalis Avenue, Chehalis, Washington[lower-alpha 1]
Coordinates46°39′29″N 122°57′54″W
Arealess than one acre
Built1859 (1859)
Architectural styleBungalow log cabin
NRHP reference No.75001861[1]
Added to NRHPApril 1, 1975

History

O.B. McFadden and his wife, Margaret (Mary), purchased the property in 1859. The land, originally part of the Saunder's family settlement claim, was situated in a wilderness area.[2][3] As part of the agreement, the Saunders, who were the founders of present-day Chehalis, built the home for the McFadden family.[4][5][6]

The home was once used as the local post office for the town of Saundersville (also Saunder's Bottom), before it became known as Chehalis. Mary McFadden was the postmaster between 1867 and 1870, with John serving as such until 1874.[7]

Repairs to the dwelling were undertaken by a homeowner in 1911, as the building was described to be in a dilapidated state.[3] A city council representative, Howard Miller, owned the home for several decades and undertook a restoration in 1982.[8]

Architecture and features

The home is a 1+1⁄2 story to two-story log cabin bungalow built with mortise and tenon construction of hewed-logs.[3][9][10] At its original build, it contained eight rooms, including four bedrooms in the attic, or second floor, and had 10 foot (3.0 metres) ceilings.[11][8]

Due to its age and renovations since its construction, the home retains little of its original build, but the exterior walls and some floor support remains intact. The mortise and tenon joints are considered unusual, but provide a solidity to the structure. During one of the restorations, a dormer was added and at other points the house was placed on a post foundation and two porches were built. No photographs have been found to show the O.B. McFadden home in its original state.[10]

Significance
O. B. McFadden House, HABS WASH,21-CHEHA,1-1

The house was officially accepted to the NRHP list on April 1, 1975.[1] The home is considered the oldest structure in Lewis County[2][6] and the longest continuously occupied residence in the state.[12][13] As of 2023, the McFadden House was one of eleven NRHP sites in the city of Chehalis.

Notes
  1. The original address, before a city wide change, was 1639 Chehalis Avenue[1]
  2. His first name is often spelled as "Obediah" in early sources.

See also

References
  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. Ott, Jennifer (July 1, 2008). "Chehalis - Thumbnail History". HistoryLink. Retrieved October 4, 2023.
  3. The Chehalis Bee-Nugget staff (April 28, 1911). "Repairing Old Landmark". The Chehalis Bee-Nuggett. p. 1. Retrieved October 4, 2023.
  4. "Historic Resources of Chehalis". National Park Service. August 1991. p. 3. Retrieved October 4, 2023.
  5. Weyeneth, Robert R. (1991). "The Origins and Urban Development of Chehalis" (PDF). Columbia - The Magazine of Northwest History. 5 (4): 5. Retrieved October 4, 2023.
  6. Ott, Jennifer (July 2, 2008). "Schuyler and Eliza Saunders settle at future site of Chehalis on May 1, 1850". HistoryLink. Retrieved October 4, 2023.
  7. The Chehalis Bee-Nuggett staff (January 19, 1934). "Beautiful and Commodious New Federal Building". The Chehalis Bee-Nuggett. p. 8. Retrieved October 4, 2023.
  8. The Chronicle staff (December 7, 2007). "Chehalis Oldest Home Restored". The Chronicle. Retrieved October 4, 2023. From a 1982 report
  9. "WPA - Historic American Buildings Survey - McFadden House" (PDF). Library of Congress. April 1937. HA.BS Ho. WASH-83
  10. "National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: O. B. McFadden House". National Park Service. Retrieved October 4, 2023. With accompanying pictures
  11. Writers' Program of the WPA (WA state) (1941). Washington: A Guide to the Evergreen State. Portland, Or : Binfords & Mort. p. 492. Retrieved October 4, 2023.
  12. "Chehalis Comprehensive Plan" (PDF). Lewis County. 2017. p. 11. Retrieved October 4, 2023.
  13. Crowner, Paul (November 16, 2009). "Even in Oregon, Centralia Is Known as Washington's Hub". The Chronicle. Retrieved October 4, 2023.
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