The Shelton McMurphey Johnson House, or Castle on the Hill, in

Eugene, Oregon Eugene ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Lane County, Oregon, United States. It is located at the southern end of the Willamette Valley, near the confluence of the McKenzie River (Oregon), McKenzie and Willamette River, Willamette rivers, ...

, United States, is a

Victorian-era In the history of the United Kingdom and the British Empire, the Victorian era was the reign of Queen Victoria, from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. Slightly different definitions are sometimes used. The era followed th ...

residence that is listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

. It is named for the three families who called it home over the years. The house is now open for public tours and pre-arranged private events.

Location

The house is located at 303 Willamette Street in Eugene, at the south side of

Skinner Butte Skinner Butte (often mistakenly called Skinner's Butte) is a prominent hill on the north edge of downtown Eugene, Oregon, United States, near the Willamette River. A local landmark, it honors city founder Eugene Skinner and is the site ...

, overlooking the train depot and the city's downtown.

History

The Queen Anne-styled house, built in 1888 for T. W. Shelton, was designed by

Salem Salem may refer to: Places Canada * Salem, Ontario, various places Germany * Salem, Baden-Württemberg, a municipality in the Bodensee district ** Salem Abbey (Reichskloster Salem), a monastery * Salem, Schleswig-Holstein Israel * Salem (B ...

Oregon Oregon ( , ) is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is a part of the Western U.S., with the Columbia River delineating much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while t ...

architect

Walter D. Pugh Walter David Pugh (April 4, 1863 – November 23, 1946) was an American architect based in Salem, Oregon, Salem, Oregon, United States. The son of a carpenter, Pugh began designing buildings in Salem when there were only a few thousand residents ...

. It has undergone several modifications, including an enlargement in the 1910s for Robert McMurphey, and a remodel by Curtis and Eva Johnson in 1951 which restored its original turret. The house suffered two major fires, one during its initial construction, and a second one in 1950 during the Johnson remodel. The house was deeded to Lane County by Eva Johnson in 1976. It is now owned by the City of Eugene and kept open to the public by Shelton McMurphey Johnson Associates, a nonprofit group.

Architecture/Site

The Queen Anne-styled house is a recognizable city structure due to its high decorative carved wood, large circular tower, and green exterior paint and trim. The house is two stories tall with a basement and an attic with an estimated 54' x 37' dimension rectangular plan on 1.25 acres of land. The original property site included the house, a barn, and a carriage house, and a garage was added later on. Today, only the house exists. New additions include a chicken coop, a greenhouse, and a dog kennel. Many of the original trees and undergrowth still exist on the property today. The total cost of the original project in 1888 was $8,000. The site of the house in on

. Skinner Butte hold historic significance to the founding of Eugene, Oregon by the settler Eugene Skinner. This 100-acre area of land that emcompasses the butte provides many recreational activities such as hiking, rock climbing, and the Shelton McMurphy Johnson house museum.

References

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External links

Shelton McMurphey Johnson House websiteImages of Shelton McMurphey Johnson House
from

University of Oregon Libraries Knight Library is the main facility of the University of Oregon's (UO) library system. It is located on the university's campus in Eugene, Oregon, United States. The library design is emblematic of the architecture of the university's older buildin ...

digital collections Museums in Eugene, Oregon Historic house museums in Oregon Queen Anne architecture in Oregon Houses completed in 1888 Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Eugene, Oregon 1888 establishments in Oregon