Reed-Cobb-Bowser House and Barn (Merlin, Oregon)
- Title
- Reed-Cobb-Bowser House and Barn (Merlin, Oregon)
- LC Subject
- Architecture, American Architecture Dwellings Barns
- Alternative
- Country Club Orchard Clubhouse (Merlin, Oregon) Reed-Cobb House (Merlin, Oregon)
- Description
- 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. National Register of Historic Places (Listed, 2017) 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
- South- and West-facing elevations, camera facing SW, from driveway
- Temporal
- 1910-1919
- Work Type
- architecture (object genre) built works houses dwellings barns
- Latitude
- 42.505212
- Longitude
- -123.4000707
- Location
- Oregon >> United States Merlin (United States >> Oregon) Josephine County >> Oregon >> United States
- Street Address
- 1700 Merlin Road
- Date
- 1910/1911
- Identifier
- OR_Josephine_Merlin_ReedCobbBrowser_002
- Rights
- In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted
- 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.
- Source
- George Kramer (Kramer and Company). "Reed-Cobb-Bowser House and Barn," National Register of Historic Places Registration Form." (2017)
- Type
- Image
- Format
- image/tiff
- Set
- Building Oregon
- Primary Set
- Building Oregon
- Institution
- University of Oregon