From the hotel at the Convention Center, cross the intersection at Liberty and Ferry to the southeast corner and walk east through the landscaped city park toward High Street.
At the next corner, walk south through Pringle Parkade to High Street.
Walk up hill, passing Salmon Run Building on Pringle Creek.
Continue over Pringle Creek bridge to the first house on the right. The National Register Historical Gaiety Hill/ Bush's Pasture Park Residential District begins there.
The Steiner House at 537 High (Arts and Crafts, c. 1920) replaced the 1906 home of Frank and Marian Derby. For about ten years after 1948, this was the family home of Dr. R.E. Lee Steiner, the Superintendent of the Oregon State Hospital. His daughter Rita had (before 1921) had married Dan Fry, Jr. who lived across High Street.
The owner of this home when this Historic District was established in 1987 was Richard Reese, the dean of the Willamette University School of Law.
The Jarman House at 537 High Street (NR, Spanish Colonial) was built in 1929 for Daniel B. Jarman, an executive with J. C. Penney, replacing the 1907 Hughes home. The second owner was Louis Lachmond, a prominent local businessman and civic leader who moved to this neighborhood in the late 1940s when his home on Court Street was relocated for the construction of the North Capitol Mall.
The Smith-Fry House at 606 High Street (Rural Gothic) was built in 1859 by Joseph Showalter Smith and became the home of Governor Lafayette Graves and George Edes. The house was the center of social and political life in the earliest years of Salem’s history. Daniel Fry purchased the house and surrounding hillside property in 1909. It was extensively remodeled in 1947 after the Fry family sold the property.
The Pearce House at 490 Oak Street (Colonial, 1924) was built for Carl and Ethel Webb and then owned by Dr. Julius and Ruth Garnjobst. For about 20 years, until her death in 1978 it was the home of Dr. Helen Pearce, a local scholar and historian, and her sister Dorothy, a well known musician. Their family home on Winter Street had been demolished for the relocation of the Presbyterian Church in 1957-8.
Continue walking south on High Street. Turn right at Leslie Street. The 1938 Cape Cod residence at 440 was designed by Clarence Smith and built for Edith, the widow of Hal Patton. Their Victorian Cooke-Patton mansion had been demolished in 1937 for the construction of the State Library. She brought with her a fireplace and the wrought iron grillwork now at front entrance.
The iron grillwork Edith Patton rescued can be seen above the third floor dormer of the Cooke-Patton house on Court Street, demolished in 1937. This site is now the Oregon State Library lawn. The library is located on the site of the Thomas Kay house, the next door neighbor to the west (on the right in this photograph).
Continuing south on High Street, the next intersection is Mission Street. To the right, on the south side at 460, is the 1920 Della Smith house, designed by Clarence Smith. The property was noted for her beautiful garden.
After crossing Mission Street, you will see the Italianate Virgil Pringle House at 883 High Street, named for one of the early pioneers of the city who lived here in the last years of his life, (c.1880-1887) near the stream that bears his name. This 1880s residence achieved significance as the Salem residence of Mark O. Hatfield and his family home while governor 1959-67.
This 1880s house at 975 High Street (Italianate) was the residence in 1932 of Alton D. Hurley. Earlier owners are being researched. It was originally on the corner of High and Bush Street, but was moved to its present location in the 1920s when the Norman Farmhouse was built on that site by the Kirk family.
Another view of this house (in its second location) showing its original site on the High and Bush Streets corner now occupied by the Kirk House.
The Cashatt House (Craftsman Bungalow) at 1015 High Street was the home of Dr. Carl and Cleo Cashatt from its construction in 1925 until 1942. It retains its original appearance and interior features.
The Harding House at 1043 High Street (NR, Italianate) was built in 1884 for lawyer, state legislator, and U.S. Senator Benjamin F. Harding (1823-1899). it is also remembered as the home of Jacob and Louise Amsler. He was a trusted employee of the Bush family, sometimes known as manager of the estate when it was the home of "Miss Sally". Stories of “Jacob” are woven into the history of the Bush House.
As you walk south on High Street, bungalows line the right side. Bush House Museum and Bush Pasture Park is on the left. An Art Fair is held in the pasture for four days each July.
A Craftsman Bungalow at 1099 is a fine example with an unusually clear vision from front windows past the front porch, supported only at either end. It was the originally the home of Louis and Anne Siegmund. He was a Salem councilman, mayor and later a county commissioner.
The Franklin House at 1373 High Street (Bungalow, before 1926) is listed in the District nomination the Lindbeck residence. However, it was originally the home of Orie F. and Maude Franklin. Before 1928 they build a new home at 3920 Portland Road similar to this, but with a second floor.
In North Salem, the 1927 Franklin House on Portland Road still retains the design of their High Street home ~ adding a full second floor.
The Royal House at 1395 High (Italianate) was built in 1882 by the Rev. James H. B. Royal who bought the whole block for $900. The house was built by Emma’s brother, Holly Austin Cornell. Later owners found family records of previous tenants wedged in the bricks of the living room fireplace. The present owners have carefully preserved historical records of the house.
In the next block, the Martin House at 1560 High Street (Bungalow, b. 1921) was an early farmhouse with a pyramidal roof, now remodeled with dormer windows. In 1921 it was occupied by Enos and Annie Martin.
Turn left at Cross Street. The Colonial style Ross House at 787 was the home of Wayne and Shirley Hadley from 1950-2000. Designed by Clarence L. Smith, it was built in 1935 for Custer Ross, a prominent local attorney. This house was a collaboration of Clarence Smith and the landscape architect firm of Lord and Schryver, although the gardens contain no elaborate design.
Continue on Cross Street down the hill to Summer and turn left. On Leffelle Street turn right. The Moores House at 920 was moved to this location in 1951 when the North Capitol Mall was constructed. It had been the home of Cora Moores, the daughter of pioneer minister, Obed Dickinson.
Here is the 1920s Moores home as it appeared in its original location.
Moores House and the neighboring Thompson House were transported to this new location at the same time by a mover who trucked them over Bush Pasture Park. They are now owned by related families.
The Thompson House was originally located on Summer Street on a block of prominent Salem residences. This was the home of Dr. Frederick Thompson and was a center of Salem hospitality throughout the 1930s. Later it became the home of Judge Brand, a Justice in the Nuremberg Trials.
Here are the Thompson and Moores houses soon after their relocation to Leffelle Street.
The former Rectory of St. Paul's Episcopal Church at 1510 Davidson (Craftsman Bungalow) was originally located on the property of the second St. Paul’s Church on the corner of Church and Chemeketa Streets in 1922-3. The rectory was sold when the parish moved to its present location at Liberty and Myers in 1954.
Rev. George H. Swift and his wife pose in front of their rectory as the original location.
The Strang House (Vernacular, c. 1910), on the corner of Capitol and Lefelle Streets was first recorded as occupied by George and Edith Strang in 1928. It is probably one of the oldest houses originally built in this formerly farming neighborhood.
Retrace your steps along Lefelle, walking west. At Summer Street corner walk up hill.
Upper Leffelle Street has Historic District houses on the left and paths into Bush Pasture park on your right. Continue to Church Street and turn in to Bush Pasture Park.
Enter Bush Pasture Park at Church Street and walk north along path to the Bush home and barn.
Approaching the Bush home, you will first see the barn, to your left. That structure now houses Salem Art Association gallery and gift shop. But first stop and see the whimsical memorial to your right in this photograph.
Miss Sally Bush, who spent her life here, had a great love for animals, especially the cows of the pasture and the cats of her property.
From the Barn, Bush House carriage entrance is just ahead of you. If you wish to tour the Museum, buy tickets at the Barn.
The Conservatory is just to the rear of Bush House itself.
Continue around Bush House to path leading down the hill to rejoin Church Street.
At the north end of Bush Property, you join Church Street again. Turn left at Mission to pass two historic homes before you reach High Street again.
The Elizabeth Lord House at 545 Mission Street (Colonial) was built in 1932 with the collaboration of Clarence Smith and the Northwest’s first female landscape architects, Elizabeth Lord and Edith Schryver, the gardens reflect the talents of the Lord-Schryver professional partnership and still contain much of the original vegetation and design.
The Eyre House at 505 Mission Street (French Renaissance) was built on Summer Street in 1926, but was moved to this location in 1950 as the North Capitol Mall construction continued. It was designed by the noted Salem architect, Clarence L. Smith for David and Beryl Eyre, the second generation of a well-known Salem family. The house was moved to this site by Harry Dorman.
Return to High Street and walk north. Three handsome 1930s residences on the west side represent French Renaissance, English Cottage, and Colonial style architecture. The two residences across the street at 750 and 712 were orginally built for Daniel Fry's son and daughter.
At Leslie Street, turn right. The 1915 Bungalow at 535 is one of the several houses on "Fry Hill" built by Daniel Fry and rented to his emplyees at Fry Drug's downtown. In 1932 it was sold to J. G. and Elfrida Hunter by Hattie, the widow of Daniel Fry.
The Nelson House at 545 Leslie Bungalow, 1921) was rented to George and Hallie Nelson who bought the property in 1930. He was president of Nelson and Hunt Druggists (Court and Liberty). They still lived there in 1987. While property was rented to Nelson, there was another structure, 541, possibly a bakery on the front of this lot. Rose Kimball was listed at this address in 1926-7.
Turning into Church Street, north of Leslie Street, you are passing houses built by Danial Fry when the whole hill was his property. Many of his employees at Fry Drug Store lived in these houses.
At 651 Church Street is another Fry bungalow rental property. The original 1920s occupants were Conde and Marie McCullough. He was a bridge consultant and the engineer of many arched Oregon bridges along the coast and in the Columbia Gorge.
Conde McCullock probably influenced the design of this classic Pringle and Shelton Creek Bridge on Church Street just north of his home.
On the bridge, look on the left side to see where Pringle Creek and Shelton Ditch, a man-made waterway, flow together. This is the stream that you passed as you began the tour.
Crossing to the left and descending the steps will give a better view of the construction. It is an ornate, reinforced concrete structure with eight lampposts and two stairways. It is credited to R. A. Furrow, a city bridge engineer.
Just north of the bridge, turn left on to the paved path leading along the stream and back to High Street.
Entering the path, you will see Salmon Run building ahead of you.
The end of the path will take you back to High Street and the Pringle Building will be on your right. Retracing your steps though the park will complete the tour at Liberty and Ferry Streets where it began.
