William D. Fenton House | |
Portland Historic Landmark
[1] | |
Location | 626 SE 16th Avenue Portland, Oregon |
---|---|
Coordinates | 45°31′05″N 122°38′57″W / 45.518144°N 122.649305°W |
Built | 1892 |
Architectural style | Queen Anne |
NRHP reference No. | 79002145 |
Added to NRHP | August 29, 1979 |
The William D. Fenton House in southeast Portland in the U.S. state of Oregon is a 2.5-story, single-family dwelling listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Built in the Queen Anne style in 1892, it was added to the register in 1979. [2]
Notable features of the asymmetrical house include many porches and projections, intricate decorative elements, variegated siding, a wrap-around veranda, a flare-top chimney, and a stained-glass side door. Much of the original interior woodwork, including the wainscoting and trim, is intact. The parlor and the master bedroom have elaborate fireplaces. [3]
Fenton (1853–1925), for whom the house was built, was a prominent lawyer and the general counsel for the Southern Pacific Railroad in Oregon. [3] In 1865, at age 12, he moved by wagon train from Missouri to Portland with his family. [3] After his admission to the Oregon bar in 1875, he was elected to the state legislature as a Democrat. [3] He moved to Portland in 1885, where he worked for the railroad and other corporations. [3] Fenton, one of the founders of the Oregon Historical Society, helped set up the Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition in Portland in 1905. [3] Fenton Hall, which housed the University of Oregon School of Law from 1937 through 1970, [4] was renamed for him in 1938. [3]