The Holman Building

The Holman Building. . , Joseph Holman 1815-1880 , In 1840, Joseph Holman arrived in what is now called Oregon–the same year Methodist Missionaries began constructing the first framed buildings in Salem. Almira Phelps, one of his missionaries who arrived on the ship Lausanne in 1841, married Holman and connected him to the Methodist party. Holman, along with many other missionaries, voted in the Champoeg (or wolf) Meetings of 1843 to form a provisional government. That meeting eventually led to the creation of the Oregon Territory and then the State of Oregon. Holman dedicated his time to volunteer community boards, farming, and business, constructing the Holman Building on this site in c. 1855. His family buried him in the Salem Pioneer Cemetery after his death in 1880., Holman Building c. 1855-1949 , The Holman Building was originally planned for retail use but a fire altered its purpose. When the territorial Capitol burned in 1855, the Holman Building was revamped to become the Oregon Legislative Hall. Besides the Oregon State Legislature, the Secretary of State, and the State Treasurer conducted business here from 1859-1876, when they relocated to the newly built Capitol. Filling the vacancies were businesses whose owners recognized its convenient location for downtown shoppers and proximity to the streetcar line. Three businesses operated here until 1949 when the building was demolished to make way for the Marion Car and Rental Park. , Marion Car Park 1950-2019 , The Holman building was replaced by the Marion Car Park in 1950. Pietro Belluschi, a renowned area architect, designed the Marion Car Park to allow automobile parking on the roof and maintenance and repair in the basement and first floors. Viesko and Post, a local construction firm, completed the building with 150 parking spaces to serve both the adjacent Marion Hotel and a growing downtown. The Marion Car Park became the first elevated rooftop parking structure in Salem. The new one-story concrete-and-steel building contained automotive service facilities, complete with a ramp to the roof where approximately 150 vehicles could be parked. It served the Marion Hotel as well as downtown Salem’s growing parking needs. Car-related companies were located here, including the Marion Car Rental Company from 1957-1998, a Chevron gas station, an auto repair shop, and a parking lot., [Photo caption one] , The Holman Building is seen with streetcar tracks in the middle of Commerical Street SE. Courtesy of the Willamette Heritage Center 1993.013.1305b, [Photo caption two] , The early years of operation revealed open bays to the right for servicing of automobiles. Courtesy of the family of S.G. "Bob" Hinkle Jr., owner of Marion Auto Service.,