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Prominent
Poysdorf dignitaries will visit
Roughly Hewn adds a Celtic flair to Tunes
on Tuesday
Council will get its first look at
Springbrook Village
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McKern buildings survive the big move |
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After many false starts, the historic structures make their
way to their new home |
By Amanda
Newman, Newberg Graphic
reporter
E-mail Amanda at
anewman@eaglenewspapers.com
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People
driving by the intersection of Springbrook and Wilsonville roads and
Highway 219 may notice the disappearance of a familiar landmark: the
McKern house.
The house and accompanying barn were both moved early Thursday
morning to their new home west of Sportsman Airpark.
“We won’t know where to turn!” one spectator bemoaned, laughing.
Other than that, the many people who gathered to watch the two
buildings travel seemed to agree that, in the words of many, the
house and barn were “worth saving.”
Efforts to save the barn and house — built by Oregon pioneer Luke
McKern Jr. in the 1850s and 1874, respectively — began in 2005, when
the property on which the homestead was located was purchased by
local developer Coyote Homes. A development, McKern’s Corner, is
planned for the property.
Friends of Historic Newberg stepped up to raise funds and
coordinate the moving effort.
“I don’t think we really understood when we started all this what a
monumental thing this would be, how magnificent,” said the historic
society’s spokesperson Lorraine Hall, watching the buildings make
their way into the first intersection. “So many people said, ‘those
things are not worth saving,’ (but) this was worthy of being done.”
The buildings were lifted onto hydraulic trailers and towed to
their destination under the guidance of Keith Settle of Northwest
Structural Moving. They traveled northwest along Highway 219,
turning left onto East Second Street to reach the property.
Despite the early hour, a crowd gathered to watch the move, with
spectators ranging from infancy to old age. People came out onto
their porches or into their driveways to watch the buildings pass
by. Instead of becoming frustrated at the delay, drivers along
the stopped along the travel route, smiled and began taking
pictures.
Spectators included Luke McKern’s grandson, Elery McKern, whose
father had grown up in the house. “I was happy that something might
possibly come out of saving (the buildings),” he said. “There aren’t
many of this vintage left. Regardless of whose family it would’ve
been, it’s a piece of history.”
Elery’s son, Scott McKern, was also in attendance. “It’s part of
the history of Newberg,” he said. “(But) obviously we have some
personal interest.”
“You don’t see that everyday,” he added as the buildings passed by.
Coyote Homes owners Marc, Matt and Mike Willcuts also showed up for
the move, all in good spirits. The three brothers seemed untroubled
by the two-year delay in their building project and happy to see the
buildings saved.
“We’re in the construction business, so we knew ... you set a date,
(but) it always takes longer,” Marc Willcuts said. “We were able to
push the project back.”
Regarding the buildings, which the historical society plans to turn
into a heritage museum, he added, “I think it’s gonna be neat for
the community.”
Coyote Joe’s Coffee, also owned by the Willcuts brothers, was on
site offering free hot drinks to spectators.
Despite their age, the two buildings were remarkably sturdy,
Lorraine Hall’s husband, Gordon, explained. “When (Keith Settle)
went underneath the house he came out smiling and said, ‘I’ll move
that!’”
Still, there were complications. The barn sat on a cement slab. It
was raised for the move and a steel superstructure created
underneath to mimic a floor during the move. The movers created a
bridge over a ditch bordering the property to enable the buildings
to exit. Verizon lowered its fiber optics line for the buildings to
pass over and PGE and Comcast took steps to protect their utility
lines.
Stop signs and street signs were moved or shifted and trees
bordering the route lost leaves and branches. The chimney, one of
the most vulnerable points of the structure, lost a few bricks along
the way.
The trip itself was slow going, particularly for the barn, 11 feet
wider than the house. But, after stopping at many corners for
careful maneuvering, the buildings arrived safely at their
destination.
“To me, this is like a vindication,” Lorraine Hall said. “I think
there’s a very human element in this, to honor the people that
sacrificed so much to live in this valley.”
The historic society purchased the two buildings from Coyote Homes
for $1 each. A bill of sale was signed by both parties shortly after
the move began.
Friends of Historic Newberg raised funds to cover most of the costs
involved in the actual move. Chehalem Park and Recreation District (CPRD)
stepped in with a loan to cover the balance of the moving costs and
the utility-related costs.
“It’s great to see the community come together and make an effort
like this,” said CPRD’s Jim McMaster. “I think when people want to
preserve the history of their area, it’s a good thing.”
CPRD Superintendent Don Clements added, “Heritage and culture, I
think, (are) important. If you kinda’ know where you’re coming from,
you can kinda’ know where you’re going.”
Next up for the project is constructing a foundation for the house.
The foundation, which must be installed within 45 days of the move,
will incur additional costs for the fund-raisers.
The historic society hopes to open the heritage museum by 2009, the
150th anniversary of Oregon’s statehood. Furnishings and vintage
quilts have already been donated to the museum, mostly from local
families with histories of their own.
“Our real dream for this is to fix it up so our kids (can know) the
Newberg Oregon Trail history,” Gordon Hall said. “I didn’t have any
concept of the house at all — I thought it was a derelict, (but) the
bones of it are just really incredible.” |
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From
Aug. 25, 2007,, Newberg Graphic
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