Theodore Roosevelt Junior High School (Eugene, Oregon)

Title: Theodore Roosevelt Junior High School (Eugene, Oregon)
LC Subject: Schools
Alternative: Heritage Research Associates Report No. 412, March 2016
Creator: Wolff & Phillips Wolff, George M. Phillips, Truman E.
Author: Liz Carter
Creator Display: George Melville Wolff (architect, 1898-1959) Truman E. Phillips (architect, 1902-1989) Wolff & Phillips (architecture firm, 1941-1952)
Description: Roosevelt Junior High School was found to be historically significant by the Oregon State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) but it is being replaced. In order to mitigate the loss of the school, District 4J has undertaken several measures to document the history and use of the school and its relationship to the community under the terms of an agreement with SHPO and the US Army Corps of Engineers, which has review authority for the project through issuance of a wetlands permit. This documentation is one of those measures. The 1949–1950 International Style Roosevelt Junior High (Middle) School, in Eugene, Lane County, Oregon, was designed by Portland architects Wolff and Phillips. Built to its current configuration over a period of years, it replaced the 1924 Roosevelt Junior High, which was converted to Condon Elementary School in 1953 and is now owned by the University of Oregon, known as Agate Hall. The subject school is representative of the community’s response to post-World War II population growth as well as the changing architectural trends of the mid-twentieth century. As evaluated under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, Roosevelt Middle School was found to be historically significant for its association with post-World War II educational shifts and trends, and for its architectural character as a good local example of the International Style, which came into common use in the years following the war. Although not the first post-war school constructed in Eugene—it was preceded by Colin Kelly Junior High—and certainly not the last to be built in response to the Baby Boom, Roosevelt became a lauded focal point of new, progressive pedagogical approaches, and the building reflected those ideas architecturally. The original portion of the new school building was constructed in 1949–1950, with historic-period additions made between 1950 and 1957 (in 1950, 1951, 1954, 1955, and 1957). As need dictated, various incremental additions were made in the 1960s (in 1965 and 1968), and some minor alterations in 1976 and 1978. The building suffered a fire in 1985, the repairs from which resulted in some change to its front (north) facade appearance. Overall, however, the building retains sufficient historical integrity to convey its period of construction and its original character, design and architectural style. Today, Roosevelt Middle School is representative of the design and evolution of mid-twentieth century school buildings throughout the region. The original plan and subsequent additions follow the trends and needs of that time: to provide communities with safe, pleasant, economical schools for the rapidly growing student population. The Eugene School District 4J will demolish the building in 2016 and starting Fall of 2016 students will attend the newly completed Roosevelt Middle School, currently under construction immediately to the west of the subject building. The building was destroyed in 2016. Carter, Liz. Theodore Roosevelt Junior High School, Eugene, Oregon, 1949-2016. Heritage Research Associates Report No. 412, March 2016. Eugene, Oregon, 2016.
Temporal: 1950-1959
Work Type: reports architecture (object genre) junior high schools (institutions)
Location: Eugene >> Lane County >> Oregon >> United States
Date: 1949/1950
Issued: 2016
Identifier: RMS_Historic_Documentation-HERITAGE_412_3.23.16.pdf
Rights: In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted
Source: Carter, Liz. Theodore Roosevelt Junior High School, Eugene, Oregon, 1949-2016. Heritage Research Associates Report No. 412, March 2016. Eugene, Oregon, 2016.
Type: Image
Format: application/pdf
Set: Building Oregon
Primary Set: Building Oregon
Institution: University of Oregon
Note: Prepared for the Eugene School District 4J, Eugene, Oregon