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

Eugene, Oregon Eugene ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is located at the southern end of the Willamette Valley, near the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, about east of the Oregon Coast. As of the 2020 United States Census, Eu ...

, United States, is a

Victorian-era In the history of the United Kingdom and the British Empire, the Victorian era was the period of Queen Victoria's reign, from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. The era followed the Georgian period and preceded the Edwardi ...

residence that is listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

. 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, near the Willamette River. A local landmark, it honors city founder Eugene Skinner and is the site of the municipal ...

, 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,

Oregon Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...

architect Walter D. Pugh. 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 and garage exist. New additions include a chicken coup, 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 buildi ...

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