Their House Fell on Them

photo from the collection of Eileen and Doug Ebanks

Eileen and Doug Ebanks had already done a lot of research on their 1909 house when we met them in 2007. It was probably built by Adam Korb or his son David, both concrete contractors whose name can be seen pressed into many older sidewalks in Grant and SESNA neighborhoods. By 1962 when this photograph above was taken, the house was owned by Kenneth and Lucille Bass.

Walking in our Grant neighborhood one afternoon, we saw this house and were attracted by the handsome, blue-painted residence with matching fence, flowers and landscaping softening the strict lines. We introduced ourselves to the Eileen and Doug Ebanks who owned the property.

Photograph by Timothy Gonzalez of the Statesman Journal

Not many months after we met the Ebanks, we were alarmed to hear the house, on supports to excavate for a basement, had fallen in the middle of the night, July 24, 2008. Eileen, Doug and one of their young sons were sleeping inside. Eileen was seriously injured, the others only superficially. The photograph above was published in the Statesman Journal with an article stating that the Ebanks planned to rebuild their home as close to the original as possible.

Now, almost a year later, here is the rebuilt house as it appeared on June 21, 2009. They have stayed true to the spirit of the house, considering the present code requirements and the need to accommodate their careers and their family. Eileen is recovering from her back injury and so this is a happy ending to a story that could have been tragic. Yes, it has a basement ~ and will be painted blue.

The Fall of the House of Dalrymple

The Dalrymple House was built by James J. and Mary Evans Dalrymple on Marion Street in about 1862. The family had three daughters: Jess Albert, Lizzie Krause and Kate Griffith. After the family sold the house, it was owned for many years by Ola Clark, a well-remembered math teacher at the high school. It was later rented and had been abandoned when the photograph above was taken. Kate's grandson, Dr. John Griffith, remembers the interior window shutters, curving stairway, woodwork and hardware were still original in the 1960s.

On May 10, 1972, a crane lifted a detached portion of the second floor in order to place it on the moving platform for the move to a new location. The first floor of the house is still in place and the Garfield School is seen in the background. A local newspaper reporter was there to photograph the action.


Moments later, with with a photographer looking on, the crane slipped as it was lifting the second story onto the moving platform. This was probably the most spectacular house move in Salem history. A parking lot on the northwest corner of Marion and Winter Streets is the site where this elegant Italianate residence once housed the Dalrymple family.

These three photographs are from the Oregon Historical Photograph Collections, Salem Public Library, Salem, Oregon

Below is a series of 12 historic Salem buildings that were more successfully moved to new locations.

Moving Salem History #12 of 12

The three historical photographs in this feature are reproduced from the Oregon Historical Photograph Collections, Salem Public Library, Salem, Oregon.

The 1903 photograph above is from the Ben Maxwell Collection shows the 1872 Marion County Courthouse in the foreground (demolished in 1952 for the current building) and the 1876 State House (which burned in 1935) in the distance. Between these is the Federal Post Office which had just been built shortly before this picture was taken.

The photograph above was taken in the 1930s when ivy had covered the Post Office.

Our third photograph was taken in 1938 when the 200-ton Post Office was in transit, on rollers, to its new location on the campus of Willamette University, four blocks to the east on State Street. Only the remnants of the ivy can be seen and a few of the awnings. The move took about six months.

Here the Post Office stands in its second career as Gatke Hall of Willamette University. The elegant building retains its original architecture of more than a hundred years ago.
These twelve examples of local historical preservation illustrate the beautiful craftsmanship of past architectural styles. We are fortunate to live among these echoes of Salem history.

Moving Salem History #11 of 12

Trovar photograph, courtesy Oregon State Library

This Craftsman house was owned in 1907 by Willis S. Duniway and wife Alice. He was the son of Benjamin and Abigail Scott Duniway, a pioneer Oregon advocate of women's suffrage. When the residences of “Piety Hill” were demolished for the construction of the North Capitol Mall (1937-57), this one was spared. Then the residence of former Mayor Louis Lachmund, it was moved in 1937 to Willamette University to serve as residence of the president.

When the Johnson House at 325 Lincoln Street was selected for the Willamette University president, this house was moved to its present location in the 2430 State Street and is now part of a city-owned apartment complex. This is a prime example of how a house associated with Salem history can be useful today.

Salem's Moving History #10 of 12

photograph courtesy of Keith Chilcote

In this original 1890 location at 1118 Oak Street, this house was the residence of the John G. West family: the Wests were parents of Oswald West, later governor of Oregon. At the time the occupation of Mr. West was listed as "drover." In the mid 1890s the house was sold to C. M. Beak and in 1898 to Mrs. A. Klein. The Kleins continued in ownership and residency through the early 1920s. After being used by Willamette University and other owners, it was divided into six living units in 1993. In this late 1990s photograph, the house must be demolished or moved for the expansion of the Salem Hospital.

Fortunately, the house was moved by Sarah and Keith Chilcote and restored to this welcoming appearance. It stands between the two houses they moved from Winter Street (see #8 and #9 of this series) at 2983 D Street.

Salem's Moving History #8 and #9 of 12

photograph courtesy of Keith Chilcote

The photograph above of residences at 772 and 774 Winter Street NE, was taken in the 1990s when these two Local Landmarks were about to be demolished or removed ~ fortunately, they were relocated and restored by the present owners, Sarah and Keith Chilcote. The house on the left was known historically as the German Methodist Parsonage. The one on the right is the Moon House.The North Capitol Mall Office Building stands there today. Below are earlier pictures in this location and ones taken recently on D Street.

This ghostly picture of the Parsonage was reproduced by Keith from damaged glass plates recovered when the house was moved. It must have been taken in the 1890s when Winter Street was still rural and unpaved. The property was owned by R. P. Boise from the time it was platted until it was sold to the German Methodist Episcopal South Church for use as a parsonage in 1894. The church paid $500 for the property at 772 Winter Street, indicating that there was a dwelling on the property at that time. The photograph was supplied by Keith Chilcote.

Bob Koval took the 1978 photograph above in the same location. Except for the change of front porch detail, the house appears to be as built. Winter Street was much changed in 80 years between the pictures ~ by the late 1970s a residential area almost in the core of the city and, of course, the street was paved.

Here it is today in its restoration at 2981 D Street.

The Moon house, next door to the Parsonage in the 1990s photograph, was built c.1896 for Amos Long, a teacher in the North Salem School. Oscar Moon bought the property in 1911 and resided there until 1941. After the 1940s the house was a rental. It was also photographed (above) by Bob Koval in 1978. We use his photographs through the courtesy of the Oregon Historical Photograph Collections of the Salem Public Library, Salem, Oregon

Here is the Moon House in its new location at 2983 D Street with its restoration highlighting the Queen Anne architecture and ornamentation.

Moving Salem's History #8 of 12

This house, shown in the 1990s when it was located on the corner of Oak and University Streets, was the residence of the John G. West, father of Oswald West, later governor of Oregon. In the mid 1890s the house was sold to C. M. Beak and in 1898 to Mrs. A. Klein. The Kleins continued in ownership and residency through the early 1920s. It was moved, shortly after this photograph was taken, for the expansion of the Salem Hospital.

Here it is today in its new location on D Street, lovingly restored and with bright new paint. The owner has restored several houses on this property and we are grateful to him for preserving this residential local history,

Salem's Moving History #7 of 12

Trover photograph, courtesy Oregon State Library Photograph Collection

This 1910 Bungalow-Colonial Revival home stood at the former 295 Summer Street (lawn in the center of the Mall today) until moved in 1940s for construction of the North Capitol Mall. It was originally the home of the Hinges family. The daughter, Hallie Parrish Hinges (1868-1950) was a well-known vocalist in Salem, being declared by Pres. Teddy Roosevelt during his visit here in 1903 as the "Oregon Nightingale". After 1926 it was owned by Samuel and Sara Kimball.
photo courtesy Oregon Historic Photograph Collections, Salem Public Library
The 1940s move of the Hinges/Kimball home by the state took it to 735 Capitol Street to be used as an office building. (Today the lawn area south of the Archives Building.) It was photographed in 1978 by Bob Koval. It remained here almost 50 years until the late 1990s when it was moved again for the Archives construction. It was placed three blocks further north on Capitol Street.

photo by Tom Green, Jr in 2008

Here is the same house, now in private ownership, as it appears in its third location at 1075 Capitol Street NE. Still a handsome building, this Local Landmark has survived two moves and almost 100 years!

Moving Salem's History # 6 of 12

In the 1940s photograph above, the Rev. George H. Swift and his wife Alice posed in front of the St. Paul's Episcopal Church Rectory at 554 Chemeketa Street. The church occupied an adjacent parcel on the corner of Chemeketa and Church Streets, having replaced the original St. Paul's Episcopal Church of 1854. In 1953 the third church was built at its present location at the corner of Liberty and Myers Streets, across from Bush's Pasture Park.


The former rectory was probably moved to this 1510 Davidson Street location in 1953. At the time it became a part of the Gaiety Hill/Bush Pasture Park National Historic Residential District in 1986, the writers of the nomination did not know the story of this house. We are grateful to Marylou Green, a long time church member who identified it for us.

Moving Salem History #5 of 12

Before 1911, the Heffley family built a handsome house (above) on Garden Road, now Market Street in the NESCA neighborhood. Their farm extended south to D Street. As the city grew, the property was divided and sold. The house itself was moved a few blocks south to Ellis Street. With no basement and its porches removed, it hardly looks like the same house in the recent photograph seen below.