Marker Logo HMdb.org THE HISTORICAL
MARKER DATABASE
“Bite-Size Bits of Local, National, and Global History”
“Bite-Size Bits of Local, National, and Global History”
Eugene in Lane County, Oregon — The American West (Northwest)
 

Shelton – McMurphey House

Built 1888

 
 
Shelton - McMurphey House Marker image. Click for more information.
Photographed By Douglass Halvorsen, April 20, 2018
1. Shelton - McMurphey House Marker
National Register of Historic Places Inventory—Nomination Form:
Click for more information.
Inscription.
Designated as a Eugene Historic
Landmark, 1975. Deeded to Lane
County by Dr. Eva Johnson,
Dec. 1975

 
Erected 1979 by Oregon Lewis and Clark Chapter, DAR.
 
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Notable Buildings. In addition, it is included in the Daughters of the American Revolution series list. A significant historical month for this entry is December 1975.
 
Location. 44° 3.38′ N, 123° 5.531′ W. Marker is in Eugene, Oregon, in Lane County. Marker can be reached from Shelton McMurphey Blvd west of Pearl Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 303 Willamette Street, Eugene OR 97401, United States of America. Touch for directions.
 
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Eugene Skinner (approx. 0.3 miles away); Site of First Cabin in Eugene (approx. 0.3 miles away); Eugene Skinner Settled Here in 1846 (approx. 0.4 miles away); The Applegate Trail (approx. 0.4 miles away); Genesis of a City (approx. 0.4 miles away); Charles G. Dawes (1925) (approx. half a mile away); Al Gore (2007) (approx. half a mile away); Frank Kellogg (1929) (approx. half a mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Eugene.
 
Regarding Shelton – McMurphey House. The following is taken from the Shelton McMurphey Johnson
Paid Advertisement
Click on the ad for more information.
Please report objectionable advertising to the Editor.
Click or scan to see
this page online
House website:

A Brief History
The house was built in 1888 for Dr. T.W. Shelton. Salem architect W.D. Pugh designed the house, and Nels Roney, a prominent local builder, constructed the house for approximately $7,000.

After Dr. Shelton died in 1893, his widow deeded the house to her daughter and son-in-law, Alberta and Robert McMurphey, who raised a family and lived in the house for many years. In 1950, Eva and Curtis Johnson purchased the house, and Eva Johnson lived and worked there until her death in 1986.

Floor Plans, Furnishings, and Changes
The full basement originally included a laundry room with a wood stove for boiling the laundry, a fruit and vegetable storage room, and a wood-burning furnace. During the summer the basement was filled with wood for the coming winter. In 1988 the basement was remodeled to create an apartment for the groundskeeper and caretaker.

The first floor, which is open to the public, currently consists of a pantry, kitchen, back porch, a bathroom, dining room, parlor, hall, sitting room, bedroom and conservatory, as well as two rear porches and a veranda at the front entry.

In 1919, the conservatory or sun room was enlarged to create an office for Mr. McMurphey. Around 1930, a large, built-in cabinet was constructed in the first-floor hallway to house Native American artifacts and
Shelton - McMurphey House Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Douglass Halvorsen, April 20, 2018
2. Shelton - McMurphey House Marker
early colonial antiques.

The second floor contains three bedrooms, the “hired girl’s room”, a sleeping porch and a bathroom. The roof of the veranda and the conservatory on the first floor is roofed in copper and is accessible through the windows on the second floor.

The central staircase connects the attic story to the second floor. The attic area includes a small room in the turret, a south-facing room and a large open area. A stationary ladder through a roof scuttle provided access to the roof and a widow’s walk on top of the roof.

Over the years a number of changes have been made in the original floor plan. An upstairs bathroom was added, replacing the need for a washstand waste jar and under-the-bed chamber pot. An upstairs sleeping porch was constructed around 1912. The entire McMurphey family slept on the porch, using heated bricks wrapped in towels to keep their feet warm in winter.

The history of the house includes two major fires. The first one was set in 1887 by a disgruntled construction worker. In 1950, a fire destroyed parts of the house, which was being remodeled by the Johnsons.

In 1951, the Johnsons replaced the turret, which had been removed in 1915. They also restored the exterior of the house, and repainted it in the original green. Later, the upstairs sleeping porch was converted to a kitchen, and the
Shelton - McMurphey House image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Douglass Halvorsen, April 20, 2018
3. Shelton - McMurphey House
upstairs was rented to University students.

Today, the City of Eugene owns and maintains the Shelton-McMurphey-Johnson House with the help of local volunteers.

This former residence was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.
 
Also see . . .  Shelton McMurphey Johnson House. Visitor Information Website (Submitted on April 23, 2018, by Douglass Halvorsen of Klamath Falls, Oregon.) 
 
Shelton - McMurphey House image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Douglass Halvorsen, April 20, 2018
4. Shelton - McMurphey House
Shelton - McMurphey House image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Douglass Halvorsen, April 20, 2018
5. Shelton - McMurphey House
Shelton – McMurphey House image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Douglass Halvorsen, April 20, 2018
6. Shelton – McMurphey House
 
 
Credits. This page was last revised on June 30, 2022. It was originally submitted on April 23, 2018. This page has been viewed 278 times since then and 13 times this year. Last updated on July 29, 2020, by Douglass Halvorsen of Klamath Falls, Oregon. Photos:   1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on April 23, 2018, by Douglass Halvorsen of Klamath Falls, Oregon.   6. submitted on April 24, 2018, by Douglass Halvorsen of Klamath Falls, Oregon. • J. Makali Bruton was the editor who published this page.

Share this page.  
Share on Tumblr
m=153937

CeraNet Cloud Computing sponsors the Historical Marker Database.
This website earns income from purchases you make after using our links to Amazon.com. We appreciate your support.
Paid Advertisements
Mar. 28, 2024