National Register of Historic Places Registration Form

NPS

Form

10-900

(Oct.

1990)

United

States

Department

of

the

Interior

National

Park

Service

National

Register

of

Historic

Places

Registration

Form

OMB

No.

10024-0018

RECEIVED

2m

REGISTER

OFK'sFIFi

NATIONAL

PARK

SERVICE

This

form

is

for

use

in

nominating

or

requesting

determinations

for

individual

properties

and

districts.

See

instruction

in

How to

Complete

the National

Register

of

Historic

Places

Registration

Form

(National Register

Bulletin

16A).

Complete

each item by

marking

"x"

in

the

appropriate

box

or

by

entering

the

information

requested.

If an

item does

not

apply

to

the

property

being

documented,

enter

"N/A"

for

"not

applicable."

For

functions,

architectural

dassifications,

materials and

areas

of

significance,

enter

only

categories

and

subcategories from

the

instructions.

Place

additional

entries

and

narrative

items

on

continuation

sheets

(NPS

Form

10-900a).

Use

a

typewriter,

word

processor,

or

computer, to complete

all

items.

1.

Name

of

Property

historic

name

Nerdrum-Conrad

House

other

names/site

number

N/A

2.

Location

street

&

number

979 South

Fifth

Street

city

or

town

Coos

Bay

state

Oregon

________________________

fj

not

for

publication

___________________________________

E

vicinity

code

OR

county

Peoohutes

C0&S

code

017

zip

code

97701

3.

State/Federal

Agency

Certification

As

the

designated

authority

under

the

National

Historic

Preservation

Act,

as

amended,

I

hereby

certify

that

this X

nomination

__

request

for

determination

of

eligibility

meets

the

documentation

standards

for

registering

properties

in

the

National

Register

of

Historic

Places

and

meets the

procedural

and

professional

requirements

set

forth

in

36

CFR

Part

60.

In

my

opinion,

the

property

X

meets

__

does

not

meet

the

National

Register

criteria.

I

recommend

that

thi&

property

be

considered

significant

__

nationally

__

statewide

X

locally.

7y

c^rt^ft^

^~js£—

April

26.

2004

Signature

of

certifying

official/Title

Deputy

SHPO

Oregon State Historic

Preservation

Office

Date

State

or

Federal

agency

and

bureau

4.

National

Park

Service

Certification

I

hereby

certify

that

the

property

is:

Action

/

V/entered

in

the

National

Register

See

continuation

sheet.

determined

eligible

for

the

National

Register

See

continuation

sheet.

_determined

not

eligible

for

the

National

Register

jemoved

from

the

National

Register

_

other

(explain):

Nerdrum-Conrad

House

Name

of

Property

Coos.

Oregon

County

and

State

5.

Classification

Ownership

of

Property

categories

from

instructions)

DOMESTIC/Sinale

Dwelling

DOMESTIC/

Multiple

Dwelling

(Boarding

House)

LANDSCAPE/Garden____________

Current

Functions

(Enter

categories

from

instructions)

DOMESTIC/Sinale

Dwelling

LANDSCAPE/Garden

7.

Description

Architectural

Classification

(Enter

categories

from

instructions)

LATE

19

th

AND

20

th

CENTURY

REVIVALS/

Other:

Craftsman/American

Foursquare

with

some

Colonial

Revival

and

Arts

and Crafts

detailing

Materials

(Enter

categories

from

instructions)

foundation:

concrete.

waits:

wood

frame,

stucco

exterior

roof:

composition

shingles

other:

brick

(exterior

chimney)

Narrative

Description

(Describe

the

historic

and

current

condition

of

the

property

on

one

or more

continuation

sheets.)

See

continuation

sheets

NFS

Form

10-900-a

OMB

No.

1024-0018

United

States

Department

of

the

Interior

National

Park

Service

National

Register

of

Historic

Places

Continuation

Sheet

Section

number

7

Page

1

Nerdrum-

Conrad

House

(Name

of

property)

Coos.

Oreoon

(County,

State)

SUMMARY

STATEMENT

The

Nerdrum-Conrad

House,

constructed

in

1912, is

a

2%

story

residential

single-family

home

built

in

the

Craftsman/American

Foursquare

style

with

Colonial

Revival

and

Arts

and

Crafts

detailing.

It

has

a

hipped

roof

with

subtly

flared

eaves

and

three

hipped

dormers

on

the

east,

south

and

west

sides.

It

is

a

wood

framed

structure,

clad

in

stucco

with

painted

wood

trim

and

detailing,

a

composition shingle

roof,

deep

overhangs

and

an

off

center

entrance.

The

house

fronts

east

onto

Fifth

Street

with

the

entrance

portico

set

off

center

to

the

structure, but

centered

under

a

hip

roofed

entry.

A

pair

of

solid

wood

entrance doors

is

flanked

by

two

sidelights.

A

brick

chimney

rises

full

height

along

the

east

end

of

the

north

elevation.

On

the

main

level,

the

windows

are

primarily

6/1,

while

on

the

upper

levels

a

6/2

pattern

is

predominant.

Two

large

oriel

windows

provide

architectural

interest

on

the

south

side

of

the

house.

From

the

front

elevation

of

the

house,

a

modestly

landscaped

lawn

slopes

to

the

street.

The

32'

by

54'

footprint of the

four-level

house

is

set

on

the

northeast

portion

of

the

four-25

foot

lots

it

occupies,

with

a 12

foot

wide driveway running adjacent

to

the

north

side

of

the

house,

along

the

full

140

foot

length

of

the

lots.

A

modern

carport,

which

reflects

the

styling

of

the

main

house,

has

been

built

to

the

rear

of

the

house

and

can

be

accessed

either

through

the

Fifth

Street

alley

or

from

the

driveway

entrance

on

Fifth

Street.

The

property

is

located

in

the

historic

Fifth

Street

neighborhood,

an

area

well-known

locally

for

its

tree-lined

streets,

wide

sidewalks

and

generously

proportioned

homes.

The

house

has

retained

its

original

woodwork,

windows,

oak

flooring

and

floor

plan and

is

in

good

condition.

The

landscaped

garden

that

sits

on

the

two

southern

lots

of

this

property

is

included

as

a

contributing

site

due

to

the

presence

of the

original

formal

brick

path

and

circular

pond.

It

is

a

separate

tax

lot

from

the

house,

but

currently

under

the

same ownership

as

the

house.

The

property

has

historical

integrity

in

its

location,

design,

setting,

materials,

workmanship,

feeling,

and

association.

The

Nerdrum-Conrad

house

at 979

South

Fifth

Street

shares

a

common

heritage

with

The

Hjalte

Nerdrum

House

at

955

South

Fifth

Street

which

was

listed

on

the

National

Register

of

Historic

Places

on

May

27,1993.

The

two

houses

were

built

simultaneously

by

two

Finnish

brothers

who

had

come

to

Marshfield

(which

changed

its

name

to

Coos

Bay

in

1944)

to

supervise

the

construction

and

management

of

a

pulp

mill

owned

by

C.

A.

Smith.

The

two

houses,

while

not

identical,

feature

many

similar

interior

and

exterior

features.

Windows,

flooring,

doors,

hardware,

and

wood

trim

elements

are

identical

in

the two

houses

and

unique

in

Coos

Bay.

SETTING

The

Nerdrum-Conrad

House

and

garden site

is

located

on

Lots

23, 24,

25 and

26,

Block

44,

Railroad

Addition to

Marshfield

(now Coos

Bay),

Coos

County,

Oregon.

It

is

one

of

the

premier

houses

in

a

residential

historic

neighborhood developed

by

the

executives

and

associates

of

the

C.A.

Smith

Lumber

Company

beginning

in

1912.

Situated

on

the

higher

NFS

Form

10-900-a

OMB

No.

1024-0018

United

States

Department

of

the

Interior

National

Park

Service

National

Register

of

Historic

Places

Continuation

Sheet

Section

number

7

Page

2

Nerdrum-

Conrad

House

(Name

of

property)

Coos.

Oregon

(County,

State)

west

side

of

Fifth

Street,

it

afforded

views

of

the

bay

and

mill

industries

to

the

east.

As

originally

constructed,

the

house

occupied

only

lots

25

and

26,

but

lots 23

and

24

were

acquired

by

the

Conrad

family

in

1921

to

allow

for

the garden

expansion

to

the

south

of

the

house.

Although

divided

into

two

tax

accounts,

the

property

has been

unified

since

1921.

In

all,

the

property

measures

100

feet

by

140

feet.

The

house

has

a

rectangular

plan,

approximately

32

feet

by

54

feet,

with

the

shorter

dimension

facing

the

street.

A

paved

driveway

is

located

directly

north

and

runs

the

entire

140

foot

length

of

the

property,

accessing

a

drive-through garage

and

carport

which

exits

to

the

alley.

The

main

floor

of

the

house

is

raised

several

feet

above

ground

level,

allowing

for

high

basement

windows

to

light

the

basement

level.

The four-level

structure

includes

a

full

concrete

basement

divided

into

work

and

storage areas

and

a

partial bathroom;

a

main

floor

housing the

entry,

living,

entertaining,

kitchen,

and

utility

areas

plus

a

small

bathroom;

a

second

floor

consisting

of

five

bedrooms,

two

bathrooms

and

a

linen

closet;

and

a

substantial

attic

volume

containing

two

finished

rooms

and

large

storage

areas.

The

area

south

of

the

house

has

been

developed

into

a

garden

area

including

an

original

U-

shaped

brick walkway that

showcased

the

well-known

tulip

gardens

of

Mr.

W.

J.

Conrad.

Roses

have

replaced the

tulips

and

contemporary

plantings

are

interspersed

among

the

older

rhododendrons

planted

around

the

perimeter

of

the

garden

area.

At

the

western

open

end

of

the

brick

walk,

a

circular shallow

pond

remains

as

well,

but

due

to

the

development

of

several large cracks

in

the

concrete

basin,

it

is

currently filled

with

soil

and

utilized

as

a

planter.

A

large

Norway

maple

growing

at

the

eastern

edge

of

the

garden

begins

the

transition

from

the

more

private

residential

garden

area

to

the

expanse

of

sloping

lawn

and

plantings

visible

from

the

street.

A

six-foot

high

cedar

fence,

set

back

45

feet

back

from

the

street,

separates

the

two

areas.

EXTERIOR

Viewed

from

Fifth

Street,

the

Nerdrum-Conrad

house

exhibits

a

rectangular

form.

Although

Architect

Steven

Clay

has

described

the

house

as

a

"restrained

Colonial

Revival", its

unadorned

presentation

appears

to

be

more

Craftsman/American

Foursquare

in

nature.

The

original

architect

and

builder

of

the two

Nerdrum

houses

are

unknown,

but

particular

design

elements

of the

two

houses

and

use

of

materials

is

unique

in

the

area,

perhaps

reflecting

their

Finnish

heritage.

The

use

of

stucco

as

an

exterior

treatment

on

private

residences was

not

common

in

the

area

until

after

the

1920's.

in

an

era

and

area

of

unlimited

timber

resources,

wood

was

the

ubiquitous

building

material.

Thus,

the

use

of

stucco cladding

on

this

house

in

1912

represents

one

of

the

earliest

local

residential

applications.

NPS

Form

10-900-a

OMB

No.

1024-0018

United

States

Department

of

the

Interior

National

Park

Service

National

Register

of

Historic

Places

Continuation

Sheet

Section

number

7

Page

3

Nerdmm-

Conrad

House

(Name

of

property)

Coos.

Oregon

(County,

State)

The

house

rests

on

top

of

a

poured

concrete

wall

and

basement.

The

exterior

basement

walls

have

a

smoothed

finish

which

no

longer

reveals

the

form

imprints

as

the

inner

walls

do.

The

seamless

stucco

wails

rise

a

full

two

stories,

then

are

topped

with

a

hipped

composition

roof

punctuated

by

three

dormers,

one

each

on

the

east,

south

and

west

aspects

of

the

roof.

The

dashed

texture

of

the

stucco

is

applied

randomly.

The

streetside

entrance

to

the

house

is

off-center

on

the

southeast

comer.

Two large

solid

doors

are

flanked

by

horizontally divided

sidelites.

Early

photographs

(1916)

show

only

a

single,

larger

glass

door,

flanked

by single

narrow

sidelites.

The

door

was

likely replaced

in

the

early

1950's

when

Dr.

Eugene Sorum

owned

the

home.

A

large

open

portico

frames

the

entry,

supported

on

two

squared

columns.

The

lower

portion

of

the

columns

is

poured

concrete

formed

to

resemble

blocks

while

the

upper

section

is

wood.

Each

open

wail

of

the

portico

is

topped

with

flattened

Tudor-arched

stucco

surfaced

beams

on

which

the

hipped

portico

roof

rests.

Two

sets

of

full-width

stairs

lead

from

the

portico.

One

projects

out

to

the

street,

while

the

other

hugs

the

house

and

provides

a

sideways exit

to

the

driveway.

To

the

north

of

the

porch

is

a

large

Chicago

window

(a

large

fixed

center

sash

flanked

by

narrower

movable

sashes

on

each

side).

At

the

upper

level

of

the

front

elevation

are

symmetrically

placed,

6/2

double

hung

sash

windows,

representing

placement

of

two

of the

bedrooms

on

the

second

floor.

The roof

slope

is

interrupted

by

a

hipped

dormer

containing

two

small

3/2

windows.

The

south

elevation

contains

two

oriel

windows,

placed

at

different

levels.

One

is

located

midway

between

the

stories

and

represents

the

middle

landing

of

the

interior

stairwell.

The

second

is

placed

on

the

lower

level

in

a

room

which

has been

a

dining

room,

a

family

room,

or

a

game

room

over

the

years.

When

the

house

was

built

in

1912,

it

was

placed

on

two

25

foot

wide

lots,

leaving

only

a

5-6

foot

space

on

the

south

exposure

to

the

property

line.

At

that

time,

another

house

occupied

the

neighboring

lot.

In

1921

the

Conrad

family

purchased

that

lot

and

the smaller

house

was

moved

to

another

location.

Subsequently,

the formal

garden

area

was

developed

with

a

brick pathway

and

a

circular

pond.

A

conservatory

was

added

to

the

south elevation

of

the

house

by

the

Conrads

in

1925,

but

was

removed

in

the

1970's

when

an

owner

attempted

to

sell

off

the

extra

lot.

On

this

side

of

the

house,

the

stucco

surface

has

scars

from additions

and

subtractions,

but

is

currently

representative

of

the

original

appearance.

Upper

level

windows

are

6/2

double

hung

and

display

placement

of

bedrooms

and

a

closet.

The

dormer

at

the

roof

level

is

not

original

to

the

house,

but

was

built

to

match

the

design

of

existing

dormers.

A

concrete

exterior

stairwell

descends

to

the

exterior

entrance

of the

basement

at

the

rear

comer

of

the

house.

NPS

Form

10-900-a OMB

No.

1024-0018

United

States

Department

of

the

Interior

National

Park

Service

National

Register

of

Historic

Places

Continuation

Sheet

Section

number

7

Page

4

Nerdrum-

Conrad

House

(Name

of

property)

Coos.

Oregon

(County,

State)

The

rear

(west)

elevation

is

comprised

of

a

glassed-in

deck

and

porch,

covered

with

translucent

corrugated

roofing material.

This

feature,

although not

original,

is

extremely

functional

and

is

not

visible

from

either

the street

or

the

alley.

The

upper

level

remains

with

its

original

stucco

cladding,

punctuated

by

6/2

double

hung

sash

windows

for

a

bedroom,

closet

and

bathroom.

The

hipped-roof dormer

on

the

roof

level

is

original,

with

two

small

3/2

double

hung

sash

windows.

To

the

rear

of

the

house

is

a

fenced

off

area,

containing

a

dog

run

and

fruit

trees.

A

garage/carport

combination

structure

is

at

the

extreme

rear

(northwest)

corner

of

the

property.

The

north

elevation

remains

entirely

in

its

original

configuration.

Its

significant

feature

is

the

projecting

brick

chimney

which extends

from

the

basement

past

the

roof

level.

Three

narrow

basement

windows

stretch

along

ground

level,

with

other

windows

placed

as

appropriate.

Between

the

house

and

its

property

line

to

the

north

is

a

12

foot

wide

asphalt

driveway

that

runs

the

length

of

the

property.

The

wood

trim

of

all

the

windows

in

both

of

the

Nerdrum

brothers'

homes

exhibits

a

uniform

design

not

seen elsewhere

in

older

Coos

Bay

homes.

By

no means

intricate,

it

is

still unique.

A

single

1

inch

by

6

inch

board

appears

to

have

been

run

through

a

planner

several

times

using

different

widths

and

depths.

One

pattern

is

seen

on

exterior

molding,

while

a

slightly

varied

design

is

used

on

interior

trim.

For

the

most

part,

the

Nerdrum-Conrad

house

is

a

boxy

structure,

lacking

in

frilly

ornamentation.

This

perhaps

represents

a

deliberate

trend

away

from

the

preceding Victorian

gingerbread

era.

The

curious

exceptions

are

the

scroll-like

rafter

tails

used

as

eave

supports

and

the similarly

scrolled modiliions

under

the

portico

eaves.

These

were

difficult

to

discern

until

a

contrasting

paint

scheme

was

used

to

highlight

them.

INTERIOR

The

interior

of

the

Nerdrum-Conrad

house

retains

most

of

its

original

features,

such

as

rooms

and

their

use,

flooring,

doors,

windows,

hardware,

crown

molding

and

picture

rail

trim,

baseboards,

French

doors,

hot-water

radiators

that

still

heat

the

house,

and

some

plumbing

and

electrical

components.

The

original

kitchen

has

been

converted

into

a

smaller

utility

room

with

a

small

bathroom

added.

A

main

level

maid's

room

was

made

into

a

much

larger,

functional

kitchen

in

the

1960's.

The

lath

and

plaster

wails

were

wallpapered

early

and

often,

but

are

in

good condition

below

the

layers.

A

majority

of

the

windows

still

function

as

double-

hungs

should

and

those

that

don't

are

being

stripped

and

restored

so

that

they

do.

First

Floor

The

first

floor

contains

an

entry,

a

"great

room"

which

lends

itself

to

being

a

living room

and

a

formal

dining

room,

an

informal

living

area

that

opens

to

the

kitchen

over

a

half

wall,

a

utility

room,

a

walk-through butler's

pantry

and

a

small

bathroom.

Interior

stairs

that

descend

NPS

Form

10-900-a

OMB

No.

1024-0018

United

States

Department

of

the

Interior

National

Park

Service

National

Register

of

Historic

Places

Continuation

Sheet

Section

number

7

Page

5

Nerdrum-

Conrad

House

(Name

of

property)

Coos.

Oregon

(County,

State)

to

the

basement

are

at

the

rear

of

the

house,

while

the

more

elaborate

stairway

that

accesses

the

bedroom

level

is

at

the

front

of

the

house,

making

a

strong

visual

impression

from

the

entry

hall.

The double

solid

wood

exterior

doors

on

the

west

side

of

the

portico

open

into

a 12

foot

by

14

foot

entry

room.

The

ascending

stairway

is

at

the

open

west

side

of

the

entry

area.

Two

steps

up

is

a

landing

from

which

the

stair

continues

to

the

south

and

up

five

steps

to

an

intermediate

landing

where

the

stair

reverses

and

takes

its

final

flight

of

ten

steps

to

the

top

landing.

The

stairway

has

stained

fir

treads,

each

of

which

supports

three,

one

inch

square

balusters,

which

in

turn

are

capped

by

a

stained

fir

rail.

Three

heavy

square

newel

posts

articulate

and

support

this

assembly

through

its

direction

changes.

The

treads

have

differing

widths,

with

the

stair

becoming

a

bit

narrower

with

each

flight.

The

bottom

tread

in

the

entry

hall

is

80

inches

across,

the

one

up

from

it

is

70

inches,

while

the

four

treads

in

the

middle

flight

are

60

inches

wide,

and

the

last

group

of

ten

treads

dwindles

to

a

mere

54

inches

across!

The

living

room

(the

eastern

end

of the

18

foot

by

36

foot

"Great

Room")

is

accessed

to

the

north

of the

entry

through

a

pair

of

French

doors

flanked

by

narrow

sidelites.

The

focal

point

of

the

living

room

is

the

brick

fireplace

on

the

north

exterior

wall.

It

is

surrounded

by

tile trim

and

a

simple

wood

mantle.

On

either

side

of

the

fireplace

are

symmetrical

6/1

double

hung

sash

windows.

A

large

three-part

window

occupies

the

greater

part

of

the

eastern

end

of

this

room,

allowing

cheerful

quantities

of

warm

morning

light

to

enter.

The

western

end

of

this

room

is

the

natural

location

of

a

formal

dining

room.

It

is

likely

that

a

wall

with

2

sets

of

French

doors

once

separated

the two rooms

that

are

now

one.

A

slight

bulge

on

the

ceiling

would

indicate

this,

but

recorded

evidence

is

lacking.

At

any

rate,

the

crown

molding at

the

wall

and

ceiling

juncture

is

seamless,

as

are

the

floor

baseboards.

Picture

railing

was

originally

installed

about

10

inches

below

the

crown

molding,

but

was

removed

long

ago.

Two

large

6/1

windows

are

installed

side-by-side

on

the

north

wall

of

this

room.

The

informal

dining/leisure

area

is

directly

south

of

the

formal

dining

room

and

is

accessed

through another

set

of

French

doors.

A

low

wood

paneled

wainscot

extending approximately

30

inches

up

from

the

floor

is

in

place

on

three

walls.

A

section

is

missing

from

one

wall

and

the

fourth

wall

has

been

reconstructed

to

create

an

open

area into

the

kitchen.

A

trio

of

French

door

panels

form

an

oriel

window

in

this

room

that

overlooks

the

garden

area

to

the

south

of

the

house.

At

the

northeast

comer

of

this

room

is

a

door

that

opens

to

reveal

an

understair

closet

and

storage

area

as

well

as

a

return

to

the

entry

area.

The

southwest

corner

of

the

house

originally

served

as

the

servants'

quarters

and

bathroom,

but

was

reconfigured

in

the

1960's

to

accommodate

a

larger,

more

functional

kitchen,

NPS Form

10-900-a

OMB

No.

1024-0018

United

States

Department

of

the

Interior

National

Park

Service

National

Register

of

Historic

Places

Continuation

Sheet

Section

number

7

Page

6

Nerdrum-

Conrad

House

(Name

of

property)

Coos.

Oregon

(County,

State)

Between

this

area

and

the

original

kitchen

to the

north

is

the

butler's

pantry.

There

is

no

built-

in

cabinetry

remaining,

but

it

is

likely

that

it

was

similar

to the

one

existing

in

the

Hjalte

Nerdrum

house.

The

northwest

corner

of

the

house

contained

the

original

kitchen. Early

photos

show

wood

cabinetry,

but painted

steel

cabinets

are

currently

in

place,

suggesting

an

early

remodel,

perhaps

in

the

1930's.

Linoleum

flooring

is

still

in

place,

both

on

the

floor

and

on

the

countertops.

A

small

bathroom

has

been

built

in

a

corner

of

this

room

and

laundry facilities

have

been

moved

up

from

the

basement

into

this

area

which

is

currently

used

as

a

utility

room.

An

interior

stairway

to

the

basement

is

located

between

the

utility

room

and

the formal

dining

room.

With

the

exception

of

the

kitchen

and

utility

areas

at the

rear

of

the

house,

the

flooring

throughout

the

first

level

is

narrow

oak

laid

in

a

concentric,

diagonal

pattern

and

interlaced

at

room

junctions.

It

is

in

good

condition

and

is

well-maintained.

The

ceiling

height

throughout

the

main

level

is

nearly

10

feet.

Suspended

ceilings

have

been

installed

in

the

kitchen

and

bathroom,

but

original

plasterwork

is

visible

above

the

ceiling

tiles.

Second

Floor

The

second

floor

is

reached

via

the

main

stairway

as

described

in

the

preceding

section.

The

stair

terminates

in

a

central

hall

which

traverses

the

house

east

to

west.

All

second

floor

rooms

are

accessed

from

this

hall.

The

bedroom

(#1)

in

the

southeast

comer

of

the

house

is

located

at

the

east

end

of

the

central

hall.

The

room

has

two 6/2

double

hung

sash

windows,

one

each

on

the

south

and

east

exterior

walls.

The

eastern

window

has

replaced

an

original

French

door

that

opened

to

a

small

balcony

over

the

portico.

The

current

owner

hopes

to

reconstruct

this

feature

based

on

old

photographs.

A

small

closet

along

the

east

exterior

wall

has

been

removed

and

replaced

with

built-in

cabinetry

closets

that

flank

the

southern

window.

The

original

flooring

is

exposed

in

this

room,

revealing

3

!4

inch

fir

planks

installed

in

east

to

west

linear

fashion.

In

the northeast

corner

of

this

room

is

a

door

that

opens

to

the

master

bedroom

to

the

north.

This

was

likely

a

nursery at

one

time

or

another,

with

passage

through the

small

closet.

The

changes

in

this

room

were

made

by

the

Conrad

family

during

the

1920's.

NPS

Form

10-900-a

0MB

No.

1024-0018

United

States

Department

of

the

Interior

National

Park

Service

National

Register

of

Historic

Places

Continuation

Sheet

Section

number

7

Page

7

Nerdrum-

Conrad

House

(Name

of

property)

Coos.

Oregon

(County,

State)

The

bedroom

(#2)

directly

to

the

north

of

the

stair

terminus

and

located

on

the

northeast

corner

is

the master

bedroom.

This

14

foot

by

20

foot

room

has

two

windows, located

on

the

north

and

east

exterior

walls

toward

the

northeast

corner.

The

chimney

from

the

fireplace

on

the

main

floor

passes

through

this

room,

projecting

into

the

room

about

12

inches

on

the

north

exterior

wall,

about

the

middle

of

the

room.

The

original

closet

of

this

room

(located

on

the

west

interior

wall)

and

that

of

the

adjoining

bedroom

to

the

west

were

converted

to

a

master

bathroom

by

the

Conrads

in

1924,

according

to

dates

stamped

into

the

plumbing

fixtures.

This

bathroom

is

not

directly

accessible

from

the

hall,

but can

be

entered

from

either

of

the

bedrooms

that

it

connects.

The

master

bath

measures

6

by

9

feet

and

contains

two

narrow

casement

windows

that

swing

outward

from

the

exterior

north

wall.

The

floor

is

tiled

with

1

inch

hexagonal

"penny

tiles",

while

the

walls

are

tiled

with

4

%

inch

square

white

tiles

to about

4

feet

up

from

the

floor.

The

bathroom

is

outfitted

with

a

pedestal

sink

and

64-inch

built-in

cast

iron tub,

both

of

which

date

to

the

original

conversion.

The

toilet

is

a

modern

one,

replacing

a

model

whose

water

tank

was

bolted

to

the

tile

wall

in

a

higher

location.

The

north

bedroom

(#3)

is

located

in

the

center

of

the

second

level.

It

contains

one

window

and

was

Mr.

Conrad's

dressing

room.

When the

closet

for

this

room

was

removed

to

allow

room

for

the

bathroom,

mirrored

cabinetry closets

were

built-in

on

the

west

wall.

A

linen

closet

measuring

5

feet

by

6

feet

is

accessed

from

the

hall,

between

the

master

bedroom

and

bedroom

#3.

A

lace

curtained

glass

panel

door

opens outward

into

the

hall

to

allow

entry

to

the

storage

shelves.

The

main

bathroom

is

located

at

the

west

end

of

the

hall

on

the northwest

corner

of

the

house.

It

is

large

for

a

bathroom,

measuring

12

by

14

feet.

It

has always

been

a

single

bathroom,

according

to

a

Conrad

family

member.

It

was

remodeled

in

the

1950's

by

Dr.

Sorum

and

his

family

who

updated

to

the

newest

pink

ceramic fixtures

including

double

sinks,

a

square

cast

iron

bathtub,

a

separate

shower

stall

and

a

toilet.

The

bathroom

contains

a

small

linen

closet

as

well

as

a

laundry

chute

which

opens

to

the

utility room

below.

A

transom

window

at

the

far

west

end

of

the

hall

allows

light from

another

closet

to

continue

through

and

light

the

hall.

Bedroom

#4

is

at

the

southwest

comer

of

the

house

and

has

two

windows,

one

each

on

the

west

and

south

exterior

walls.

This

room

overlooks

the

garden

below

and

gathers

sunlight

most

of

the

day.

A

closet

in

this

room

contains

a

smaller

3/2

double

hung

sash

window.

The

door

to

the

closet

is

absent.

NFS

Form

10-900-a

OMB

No.

1024-0018

United

States

Department

of

the

Interior

National

Park

Service

National

Register

of

Historic

Places

Continuation

Sheet

Section

number

7

Page

8

Nerdrum-

Conrad

House

(Name

of

properly)

Coos.

Oregon

(County,

State)

The

original

laundry

chute

opens

into

the

hall

between

bedroom

#4

and

bedroom

#5.

It

is

no

longer

functional

due

to

the

kitchen

remodel

below

it,

but

remains

intact.

Bedroom

#5

is

in

the

center

of

the

house

on

the

south

side.

Its

single

window

on

the

south

exterior

wall

looks directly

over

the

garden

below.

When

the

window

in

this

room

was

restored,

the

initials

"R

K

C"

were

found

inscribed

under

layers

of

paint

on

the

panel

cover

for

the

window

weights.

Roger

Kruse

Conrad

was

bom

in

1918

and

this

was

his

bedroom

as

a

child.

Visible

from

the

window,

the

large

Norway

maple

blocks

most

of the

view

beyond

the

garden.

This

room

also

has

a

closet

with

a

small window.

The

door

has

been

removed

from

this

closet

as

well.

A

narrow

attic

stairway

occupies

a

portion

of

the

interior

north wall

of

the

room,

leaving

it

somewhat

L-shaped.

Woodwork,

doors,

door

trim

and

hardware

on

the

second

floor

are

all

original,

functional

and

in

good

shape,

with

the

exception

of

2

doors

in

the

main

bath.

Picture

rail

is

present

in

all

bedrooms.

In

bedroom

#5,

the

picture

rail

was

repositioned

to

the

top

of

the

wall,

probably

in

the

1920's,

judging

the

clues

layer

of

wallpaper

and

paint

have

left

behind.

The

fir

floors

throughout

the

second

floor

have

all

been

carpeted,

with

the

exception

of

bedroom

#1.

Ceiling

height

in

the

second

floor

rooms

is

about

9

feet,

somewhat

lower

than

the

main

floor.

Two

original

light

fixtures

from

1912

remain

in

the

hallway.

They

were

initially

installed

in

the

entry

and

the

middle

landing

of

the

main

stair,

but

were

moved

to

the

hall

later.

Attic

Level

The

attic

stair

can

be

accessed

by

two

doors; one

in

the

second

floor

hall

and

the

other

in

bedroom

#5.

The

two

doors

are

at

right

angles

to

each

other.

The

door

opening

to

the

hall

appears

to

be

a

later

addition,

likely

installed

when

the

house became

a

boarding

house

in

the

1930's.

The

attic

could

then

be

used

for

living

quarters,

independent

of the

second

floor

room.

When the

Conrad's

owned

the

house,

the

attic

was

unfinished

and

was

a

play

area

for

Roger.

His sister,

Virginia

Grant

(now

86),

says

that

because

the

door

to

the

attic

was

in

Roger's

bedroom,

he

felt

the

entire

attic

was

his.

With

a

pool

table

in

place,

it

became

a

game

room.

At

some

point,

the

space

was

paneled

with

plywood

stamped

"Reject"

from

Coos

Bay

mills

and

divided

into

two

rooms,

each

having

a

small

closet.

Light

and

ventilation

came

from

the

dormer

windows,

one

in

each

room.

The

attic

was

not

insulated,

and

the

house

radiator

heat

is

not

plumbed

into

the

attic,

so

it

must

have

been

a

cold place

in

the

winter.

NPS

Form

10-900-a

OMB

No.

1024-0018

United

States

Department

of

the

Interior

National

Park

Service

National

Register

of

Historic

Places

Continuation Sheet

Section

number

7 Page 9

Nerdrum-

Conrad

House

(Name

of

property)

Coos.

Oregon

(County,

State)

At

the

middle

of

the

area,

where

the

ceiling

reaches

a

flat

point,

it

is

over

8

feet

high.

The

sloping ceiling extends

down

and

becomes

a

wall

at

about

5

feet

above

the

floor,

giving

the

rooms

a

comfortable

volume.

Storage

areas

have

been

created

behind

the

walls.

A

third

dormer

was

added

to

the

south

elevation

of the

house

to

provide

for

emergency

exiting

when

the

attic

area

is

occupied.

It

is

larger

than

the

originals,

but

built

in

the

same

style.

Basement

Level

The

full

basement

served

originally

for

laundry,

canning, storage,

boiler

and

fuel

storage.

Although

a

boiler

has

heated

the

house

since

its

construction,

boiler fuels

have

changed.

Wood,

coal,

natural

gas

and

oil

have

been

available

through

the

years

and

scars

on

the

basement

floor

indicate

coal

storage.

A

natural

gas

line

extends from

the

street

into

the

basement, but

it

is

not clear

if

it

was

utilized

as

a

fuel.

Clothes

drying

lines are

still

strung

across

the

basement

ceiling.

Framing

remnants

of

a

dumbwaiter

and

a

laundry

chute

are

visible

at

the

ceiling

level.

A

small

room

in

the

northwest

corner

contains

an

original

toilet

with

wall-hung

tank

and

black enameled

seat,

although

it

is

no

longer

used.

Several

"treasures"

have

been

discovered

in

the

basement

including

doors,

oak

flooring

installed

in

the

conservatory,

wood

paneling

from

the

original

kitchen

and

decades-old

roils

of

wallpaper.

Also

old

wiring

from

an

intercom

system

that

Mr.

Conrad

used

to

communicate with

the

house

staff

was

found.

The

main

level

floor

joists

are

visible

from

the

basement.

They

are

said

to

be

western

cedar

and

are

a

full

32

feet

long,

spanning

the

entire

width

of

the

house.

A

support

beam

rests

under

them

at

the

mid

point,

but

this

explains

why

a

movement

made

on

the

south

side

of

the

house

can

be

felt

on

the

north

side.

The

ceiling

height

in

the

basement

is

about

7

feet

from

the

concrete

floor

to

the

floor

joists.

Some

of

the

walls

have

been

painted

and

it

appears

that

a

small

basement

apartment

may

have

been

in

place

at

some

time.

With

both

interior

and

exterior

stairs

and

plumbing

already

in

place,

it

would

have

been

logical.

Garden

Site

The

formal

garden

area

to

the

south

of

the

house

contains

two

significant

features

which

have

been

maintained

since

its

creation.

Although

the

property

was previously

a

home

site,

it

has

been

in

use

as

a

garden area

since

its

purchase

by

the

Conrads

in

1921.

The

U-shape

brick

pathway

remains

in

its

original

configuration,

opening

to

the

shallow

circular

pond

at

the

east

end.

Early

photographs

show

a

single

upright

pipe

as

a

fountain.

The current

owners

have

placed

a

removable

concrete statue

over

the

pipe,

but

continue

to

use

it

as

a

fountain.

NPS

Form

10-900-a

OMB

No.

1024-0018

United

States

Department

of

the

Interior

National

Park

Service

National

Register

of

Historic

Places

Continuation

Sheet

Section

number

7

Page

10

Nerdrum-

Conrad

House

(Name

of

property)

Coos.

Oregon

(County,

State)

The

brick

walk

is

three

feet

wide

and

forms

the

perimeter

of

an

area

65

feet

long

by

35

feet

wide.

The

common

red

brick

is

laid

in

a

running

bond

pattern

with

comers

interlaced.

A

circular

brick

topped

pond,

seven

feet

in

diameter,

is

centered

at

the

open

east

end

of the

pathway.

The

shallow

concrete

basin

has

developed

deep

cracks

and

no

longer

holds

water.

It

has

been

filled

with

garden

soil

and

planted

with

water-loving

plants

that

receive

spray

from

the

fountain.

It

is

not

known

which

plants

in

the garden

might

survive

from

the

historic

period.

An apple

tree

in

the

northwest

comer

is

obviously

quite

old,

judging

from

its

thick,

gnarled,

lichen-laden

branches

and

deeply

rounded

healed

scars.

Rhododendrons

along

the

south

border

are

over

11

feet

tall.

A

prominent

feature

to

the

immediate

east

of

the

fountain

is

a

tall

Norway

Maple,

which

towers

over

the

two-story

houses

on

either

side

of

it.

it

may

be

the

tree

pictured

as

a

seedling

in

an

early

photograph.

Based

on

recollections

of

Virginia

Conrad

Grant,

who spent

her

childhood

in

the

house,

red

tulips

were

in

abundance

throughout

the

garden.

In

the

fall

of

2002,

approximately

200

red

tulip

bulbs

were

planted

to

recreate

the

visual

impression.

There

was

no

sign

of

the

brick

pathway

when

the current

owners

purchased

the

property

in

1993.

It

lay

buried

below

several inches

of

well

established

soil

and

lawn.

In

the

process of

refurbishing

the

lawn

area,

the

top

surfaces

of

just

a

few

bricks

were

revealed.

Throughout

the

summer,

the

pathway

was

uncovered.

The

brick

tops

are

worn

and

rounded, but

still

maintain

the

feel

of

a

solid

walking

surface.

The

garden

area

was

known

to

be

the site

of

many

social

gatherings,

including

weddings,

school

plays and

special

events.

At

one

point

in

the

1970's,

a

realtor-owner

of

the

property attempted

to

sell

the

garden

lot

(which

is

a

separate

tax

parcel)

as

a

building

lot.

Fortunately,

this

did

not

occur,

as

the

large

house

benefits

from

the

proportional

addition

of

lawn

and

garden

area.

The

current

owner

is

exploring

the

feasibility

of

permanently

joining

the two

tax

lots.

Alterations

to

the

House

Occupants

of

houses

inevitably

make

changes

to

create

an

environment

that

reflects

their

individual

preferences.

W.

J.

Conrad

and

his

family

made several

modifications

in

the

1920's,

which

are

outlined

below.

During

the

"boarding

house"

phase

of

its

life,

the structure

apparently

saw

little

change

in

appearance,

perhaps

benefiting

from

this

period

of

benign

neglect.

When

Dr.

Sorum and

his

family

bought

the

property

in

the

1950's,

it

was

returned

to

use

as

a

single

family

residence

and

some

updates

were

carried

out.

Large

families

were

attracted

to

the

house

and

subsequently

in

the

late

1960's

a

kitchen renovation

occurred.

NPS

Form

10-900-a

OMB

No.

1024-0018

United

States

Department

of

the

Interior

National

Park

Service

National

Register

of

Historic

Places

Continuation

Sheet

Section

number

7

Page

11

Nerdrum-

Conrad

House

(Name

of

property)

Coos.

Oregon

(County,

State)

In

the

mid

1970's,

the

house

was

professionally

redecorated,

painted

and

carpeted,

but

structural

change

was

minimal.

1920's

From

early

photographs,

it

appears

that

the

first

change

the

Conrad

family

made

was

to

remove

a

fence

that

surrounded

the

property.

Comprised

of

square

concrete

pillars

placed

about

12-15

feet

apart

and

connected

by

wooden

upright

fence

boards,

the

Conrad

home

and

the

two

homes

to

the

north

employed

the

same

fence

style.

These

three

neighbors

(Conrad,

Dr.

Dix

and

A.E.

Adelsperger)

became

friends

and

business

associates.

The

removal

of fences

paralleled

the

melding

of

their

lives

in

other

aspects.

Another

early

change

was

the

removal

of

a

2-paneled French

door

that

opened

onto

an

exterior

balcony

above

the

entry

portico.

It

was

replaced

with

a

window

matching

the

existing

one

on

the

upper

level,

creating

a

symmetrical

facade.

Presumably,

at

the

same

time,

a

smaller

central

window

was

removed.

The

current

owners

believe

this

was

probably

a

window

into

a

closet

between

the

two

bedrooms,

which

was

also

removed.

Virginia

Conrad

Grant

who

was

a

newborn when

the

family

moved

into

the

house

in

1916,

remembers

most

of

the

changes

made

to

the

house,

but

does

not

recall

this

one.

The

house

as

originally

constructed

probably

had

only

two bathrooms;

one

on

the

main

floor

adjacent

to

the

maid's

bedroom

and

one

large

bathroom

on

the

second

level

to

serve

the five

bedrooms.

The

Conrads

gutted

two

closets

between

the

master

bedroom

and

the

bedroom

to the

west

to

create

a

master

bath

in

1924,

according to

dates

imprinted

on

plumbing

fixtures.

It

appears

that

the

white

hexagonal

ceramic

"penny"

floor

tiles

as

well

as

the

square

4-inch

white

wall

tiles

date

back

to

this

time.

The

original

closet

doors

were

left

in

place,

creating

a

walk-through

to

the

master's dressing

room,

which

had

built-in

mirrored

closets.

Downstairs,

the

Conrad

family

removed

a

north-south

interior

wall

separating

the

living

room

from

the

parlor

area.

A

new

"Great

Room"

was

created,

allowing space

for

their

grand

piano

and

generous

seating

around

the

fireplace.

The

most

impressive

feature

added

during

the

Conrad

tenure

was

a

conservatory

added

to

the

southeast

comer

of

the

house

in

1923.

Measuring

15

by

25

feet,

this

room

could

be

accessed

by

French

doors to

the

south

of

the

entry

or

from

a

single

wooden

door

in

the

dining

room.

This

room

would

have

been

sunlit

most

of

the

day.

Photographs

reveal

that

care

was

used

to

replicate

the

arches

and

decorative

woodwork

already

in

place

on

the

front

of

the

house.

This

addition

of

this

room

correlates

with

the

acquisition

of

the

additional

lot

to

the

south

for

a

garden

area.

It

was

removed

in

the

1970's

when

the

owner

at

that

time

wished

to

separate

and

sell

the

extra

lot.

NFS

Form

10-900-a

OMB

No.

1024-0018

United

States

Department

of

the

Interior

National

Park

Service

National

Register

of

Historic

Places

Continuation

Sheet

Section

number

7

Page

12

Nerdrum-

Conrad

House

(Name

of

property)

Coos.

Oregon

(County,

State)

1930'S

After

the

Conrad

family

lost

the

house

in

a

foreclosure

action

in

1933,

it

was

rented

out

as

a

boarding

house

operated

by

Zella

Bradburn

and

her husband

Dr.

George

A.

Brad

burn.

Local

high

school

teachers

are

remembered

as

tenants.

Dr.

Bradbum

died

in

1937

and

Zelda's

14

year

old

son,

Arle,

was

accidentally

killed

in

the

house

in

1938.

The

only

alteration

that

can

be

credited

to

this

time

was

the

paneling

of

the

attic area

into

two

additional

bedrooms

and

closets,

presumably

to

house

Zelda's

children.

Zelda

(Bradburn) Gillespie

became

the

owner

of

the

property

in

1943,

selling

it

in

1953

to

Dr.

Eugene

B &

Norma

Sorum.

1950's

It

is

known

that

the

Sorums

remodeled

the

main

bathroom

upstairs

to

accommodate

their

large

family.

The

matching

pink

plumbing

fixtures

are

imprinted

with

the

date

of

July

22,

1958.

A

claw-foot

tub,

single

sink

and

toilet

were

replaced

by

double

sinks,

a

square

bathtub,

a

separate

shower

stall

and

a

toilet.

In

the

basement

they

added

sump

pumps,

making

it

a

useable

area year-round.

They

also

built

an

entertainment

patio

behind

the

house.

Only

the

concrete

slab

remains.

1960's

During

the

ownership

of

the

John

Whitty

family,

the

most

obvious

interior

change

was

made

with

the

changing

of the

kitchen

space.

No

longer

needed,

a

maid's bedroom

was

converted

into

a

larger,

more

functional

kitchen

at

the

southwest

corner

of

the

house.

The

was

kept

with

its

metal

cabinets

and

linoleum

floor

as

a

utility

room,

but

a

space

was

subtracted

for

a

new

half-bath.

The

butler's

pantry

now

became

a

main

passageway

and

the

cupboards

that

presumably

lined

the

wails,

as

they

are

in

the

neighboring

house,

were

removed.

1970's

In

order

to

separate

the

two

tax

lots,

the

conservatory

was

demolished.

The

south

side

of

the

house

was

hastily

repaired

by

installing

large

aluminum

sliding windows,

leaving

large

areas

of

mismatched

stucco

patches.

The

current

owner

removed

the

aluminum

sliders

and

replaced

them

with

three

wooden

French

door

panels,

designed

to

duplicate

the

oriel

projection

of

the

stairway

window

on

that

side

of

the

house.

Unknown

dates

The

front

porch

was

shortened

to

include

only

the

area

covered

by

the

portico.

A

second

set

of

stairs

was

built

to

access

this

north

side

of

the

porch.

The

flat

roof/balcony

combination

was

reroofed

into

a

hipped

structure

and

the

decorative

ratling

was

removed.

The

original

single

garage

was

replaced

by

a

modern

double

carport

set

further

back

on

the

northwest

corner

of

the

property.

Nerdrum

-

Conrad

House

Coos,

Oregon

Name

of

Property

County

and

State

8.

Statement

of

Significance

Applicable

National

Register

Criteria

(Mark

V

in

one

or

more

boxes

for

the

criteria

qualifying

the

property

for

National

Register

listing.)

A

Property

is

associated

with

events

that

have

made

a

significant

contribution

to

the

broad

patterns

of

our

history.

X B

Property

is

associated

with

the

lives

of

persons

significant

in

our

past.

(Locally)

C

Property

embodies the

distinctive

characteristics

of

a

type,

period,

or

method

of

construction

or

represents

the

work

of

a

master,

or

possesses

high

artistic

values,

or

represents

a

significant

and

distinguishable

entity

whose

components

lack

individual

distinction.

D

Property

has

yielded,

or

is

likely

to

yield,

information

important

in

prehistory

or

history.

Criteria

Considerations

(Mark

Y

in

all

the

boxes

that

apply.)

Property

is:

D

A

owned

by

a

religious

institution or

used

for

Religious

purposes.

a

B

removed

from

its

original

location.

D

C

a

birthplace

or

grave.

D

Da

cemetery.

D

E

a

reconstructed

building,

object,

or

structure.

D

Fa

commemorative

property.

D

G

less

than

50

years

of

age

or

achieved

significance

within the

past

50

years.

Areas

of

Significance

(Enter

categories

from

instructions)

Commerce__________

Industry

Period

of

Significance

1912-1934_____

1912

Significant

Dates

Significant

Person

(Complete

if

Criterion

B

is

marked

above)

Nerdrum.

Rolfe___________

Conrad.

W.J.________

Cultural

Affiliation

N/A

___

Architect/Builder

Unknown_____

Narrative

Statement

of

Significance

(Explain

the

significance

of

the

property

on

one

or

more

continuation

sheets.)

See

Continuation

Sheets

9.

Major

Bibliographical

References

Bibliography

(Cite

the

books,

articles,

and

other

sources

used

in

preparing

this

form

on

one

or

more

continuation

sheets.)

on

file

(NPS):

Primary

location

of

additional

data:

D

preliminary

determination

of

individual

listing

(36

D

State

Historic

Preservation

Office

CFR 67)

has

been

requested

n

Other

State

agency

D

previously

listed

in

the

National

Register

n

Federal

agency

D

previously

determined

eligible

by

the

National

Register

D

Local

government

D

designated

a

National

Historic

Landmark

D

University

D

recorded

by

Historic American

Buildings

Survey

D

Other

D

recorded

by

Historic

American

Engineering

Record

D

Name

of

repository:______

See Continuation

Sheets

NFS

Form

10-900-a

OMB

No.

1024-0018

United

States

Department

of

the

Interior

National

Park

Service

National

Register

of

Historic

Places

Continuation

Sheet

Section

number

8 Page

1

Nerdrum-

Conrad

House

(Name

of

property)

Coos.

Oregon

(County, State)

SUMMARY

OF

STATEMENT

OF

SIGNIFICANCE

The

residence

at

979

South

Fifth Street,

Coos

Bay,

Oregon

(known

as

Marshfield

until

1944),

was

built

for

Rolfe

and

Maja

Nerdrum

in

1912

and

was

later

owned

and

occupied

for

many

years

by

W.

J.

and

Laura

Conrad.

It

is

proposed

for

nomination

under

Criterion

B

because

it

is

associated

with

the

lives

of

two

individuals

important

in

Coos

County's

history

as

it

developed

in

the

early

years

of

the

twentieth

century.

Rolfe

Nerdrum

and

W.

J.

Conrad

were

among

the

principals

associated

with

the

development

of

the

timber

industry,

initially

for

the

C.

A.

Smith

Lumber Company

and

later

other

firms.

Although

Nerdrum's

stay

in

the

community

was

brief,

he

left

the

legacy

of

a

house

still

admired.

Conrad

committed

himself

to

the

timber

and

lumber

industry

for

life

and

remained

a

resident

of

South

Fifth

Street

until

his

death.

While

the

Nerdrum-Conrad house

is

not

being

nominated

under

Criterion

A

or

C,

it

is

possible

that

these

could

apply.

The

Hjalte Nerdrum

House

was

nominated

in

1992

under

Criterion

A

and

C

as

well.

Criterion

A

was

felt

to

be

justified

in

that

nomination because

"it

has

contributed

to the

broad

pattern

of

Coos

County's

history

...

[and]...

is

directly

associated

with

the

development

of

the

C.

A.

Smith

Lumber

Company,

a

firm

which,

by

1912,

had

become Coos

County's

dominant

single

economic

force

and

largest

employer,

a

position

it

and

its

successors

retained

until

...

1951".

Criterion

C

was

included

because

the

house

"embodies

the

distinctive

characteristics

of

an

urban,

socio-economic,

upper

class

residence

of

a

type

constructed

in

Coos

County

in

the

early

1900's".

These statements

are

also

true

for

Rolfe

Nerdrum's

home,

constructed

simultaneously

and

in

tandem

with

that

of

his

brother

Hjalte.

The

Statement

of

Significance begins

by

outlining

the

relationships

between

Nerdrum

and

Conrad,

their

roles

in

the

C.A.

Smith

Lumber

Company,

the

importance

of the

blending

of

business

and

personal

friendships

that

occurred

in

this

South

Fifth

Street

neighborhood

and

the

influence

the

house

and

its

owners

had

in

the

early

community

of

Marshfield.

Biographical

sketches

of

the

Nerdrums

and

the Conrads

will

be

presented

next,

followed

by

a

brief

history

of

Coos County's

forest

products

industry.

A

concluding

statement

will

present

the

essence

of

the

Nerdrum-Conrad

House's

history.

Relationships

Hjalte

and

Rolfe

Nerdrum

were

brothers

recruited

from

Finland

by

Charles

Axel

(C.A.)

Smith

to

build

and

supervise

a

new

pulp

mill

for

the

expanding

operations

in

Marshfield.

The

Nerdrum

brothers

had

devised

a

system

of

using

salt

water

to

run

a

family

pulp

mill

in

Finland

and

Smith

hoped

to

employ

the

same

method

in

the

Coos

Bay

mill.

Hjalte,

the

older

brother

and

manager

of

the

project,

purchased

three

25-foot

lots

and

had

his

house built

at

955

South

Fifth

Street,

while

Rolfe,

the

senior

supervisor, purchased

a

smaller

piece

of

two

25-foot

lots

south

of

Hjalte's

at

979

South

Fifth Street.

Two

similar

structures

were

built

NFS

Form

10-900-a

OMB

No.

1024-0018

United

States Department

of

the

Interior

National

Park

Service

National

Register

of

Historic

Places

Continuation

Sheet

Section

number

8

Page

2

Nerdrum-

Conrad House

(Name

of

property)

Coos.

Oregon

(County,

State)

simultaneously

and

with

many

elements

in

common

Hjalte's

house,

to

reflect

both

his

elder

status

in

the

family

and

employment,

was

proportioned

somewhat

larger

to

accommodate

a

grand

stair

and

surrounding

balcony.

Both

land

purchases

were

completed

in

July,

1912

and

grading

and

construction

began

immediately.

Work

on

the

new

pulp

mill

began

as

well,

but

suffered

construction

setbacks

and

eventual

technological

and

economic

failure.

The

November

18,1913

edition

of

the

Coos

Bay

News

reported:

"

..

.the

experimental

work

being

done

at

the

pulp

mill

was

developing

most

satisfactory

results.

It

is

claimed

that

the pulp

manufactured

from

the

waste

mill wood

is

of

a

much

better

grade

than anticipated,

and

everything

indicates

that

the

enterprise

will

undoubtedly

prove

a

complete

success.

This

will

probably

mean

the

building

of

more

pulp

mills

here,

and

eventually the

construction

of

a

large

paper

mill."

However,

the

salinity

of

the

local

bay

water

differed

from

that

in

Finland,

creating

corrosion

difficulties.

Additionally,

the

salt

content

varied

with

tides,

seasons

and

rainfall.

Along

with

the

start

of

World

War

I

and

other

financial

difficulties,

the

pulp

mill

was

short-lived.

In

1915,

the

Nerdrum

brothers

abruptly

left

town,

leaving

their

fully

furnished

homes

behind.

Ownership

was

transferred

to

Coos

Bay

Pulp

&

Paper

Company.

It

had

been

thought

that

the

families

returned

to

Finland,

but

a

1944

obituary

for

Hjalte

reveals

that

his

family

moved

to

California,

while

Rolfe

joined

the

Coast

Guard.

William

J.

and

Laura

Conrad

were

the

of

the

house.

W.J.

Conrad

had

come

to

Coos

Bay

in

1907

from

Minneapolis,

Minnesota

to

take

a

position

in

the

C.A.

Smith

Lumber

and

Manufacturing

Company

as

secretary

to

Amo

Mereen,

vice

president

of

the

company.

As

the

company

expanded,

Conrad's

positions

and

responsibilities

increased.

Ultimately,

W.J.

Conrad

Lumber

Company

became

its

own

entity,

surpassing

the

C.A.

Smith

in

community

longevity.

Several

other

C.

A.

Smith

Lumber

Company

executives

and/or

their

heirs

lived

in

the

900

block

of

South

Fifth

Street.

Among

these

were

Vemon

A

Smith,

Treasurer

(and

eldest

son

of

C.A.

Smith);

Albert

H.

"AP

Powers,

Vice

President

and

General

Manager

of

the

Smith-

Powers

Logging

Company;

A.E.

"Gus"

Adelsperger,

Timber

Superintendent;

Ward

Blake,

Assistant

Manager;

and

Dr.

George

Dix,

Chief

Physician.

Other

notable neighbors

in

the

900

block

included:

Dennis

McCarthy,

premier

timber

cruiser

of

the

era;

Wesley

Seaman,

prominent

attorney;

Ernest

Harrington,

office

manager

of

Western

White

Cedar

Company

(a

company

formed

by

Adelsperger

and

Conrad),

A.

T.

Forsythe,

vice-president

of

Western

White

Cedar

Company,

and

Clinton Going,

a

versatile

and

successful

businessman.

This

block

housed

a

veritable

powerhouse

of

influential

community

members who

occupied

important

commercial

and

political

positions

that

guided

early

Marshfield

in

its

development.

Being

the

center

of

the

elite

society,

their

wives

and

families

became

a

close-knit

group

whose

long-term

ties

continue

to

the

present

day.

NPS

Form

10-900-a

OMB

No.

1024-0018

United

States

Department

of

the

Interior

National

Park

Service

National

Register

of

Historic

Places

Continuation Sheet

Section

number

8

Page 3

Nerdrum-

Conrad

House

(Name

of

property)

Coos.

Oregon

(County,

State)

SIGNIFICANT

PERSONS

Rolfe

Nerdrum

Rolfe

Nerdrum

and

his

older

brother

Hjalte,

were

well

established

in

the

Finnish

pulp

and

paper

business

when

they

were

recruited

by

C.

A.

Smith

to

build and

supervise

the

operation

of

a

pulp

and

ultimately

a

paper

mill

at

Smith's

Isthmus

Slough manufacturing

site.

Their

grandfather

and

father

had

spent

their

lifetimes

establishing

and

managing

two

pulp

mills

in

Finland.

Smith announced

plans

to

build

a

pulp

and

paper

mill

in

the

Coos

Bay

Times.

April

24,1912

edition.

The

plant

was

to

be

constructed

under

the

supervision

of

Hjalte

and

Rolfe

Nerdrum,

with

Hjalte

being

the

general

manager

and

Rolfe

the

senior

supervisor.

In

the

1913-1914 edition

of

Folk's Coos

County

Directory,

Rolf(sic)

is

listed as

the

superintendent

of

the

Coos

Bay

Pulp

&

Paper

Co.,

while

Hjalte

is

listed

as

the

treasurer.

Their

families

were

scheduled

to

join

them

in

the

United

States,

leaving

Christiania,

Norway

on

June

28,1912.

The

brothers

traveled

to

Portland

in

early

July

to await

their

families'

arrival

and

the entire

group

returned

to

Marshfield

on

July

10,1912

aboard

the

U.

S. S.

Breakwater.

They

leased

temporary

housing

on

the

corner

of

Tenth

and

Donnelley

Street

in

Marshfield,

while

their

new

homes

were

constructed.

The

Coos

Bav

Times

reported

on

July

23,1912

:

"The

Njerdrum

(sic) Brothers started

grading

on

their

lots

on Fifth

street

yesterday

preparatory

to

the

erection

of

their

fine

residences

there.

The

contracts

for

the

building

have

not

yet

been

let

but

the

plans

are

being

figured

today."

On

July

27,1912,

Rolfe's

wife

Maja,

gave

birth

to

a

nine

pound

son

at

Mercy

Hospital.

"Mother

and

child

are

doing

well

and

the

father

is

proud

as

a

candidate

for

president

over

this

newly

arrived

young

American

citizen

who

some

day

may

be

president

himself

and is

already

that

far

ahead

of

this

father."

"Mr.

and

Mrs.

Nerdrum

recently

arrived

from

Finland to

make

their

home

in

Marshfield,

Mr.

Nerdrum

being

one

of

the

managers

of

the

new

Coos

Bay

Paper

and

Pulp

mill

being established

at

the

C.

A.

Smith

plant.

Many

friends

will

extend best

wishes

for

the

future

welfare

of

this

young

American."

Coos

Bay

Times.

July

27, 1912

Given

that

her

ship

travel

occurred

only

months

after

the

Titanic

disaster,

Mrs.

Nerdrum

must

have

been

greatly

relieved

to

have arrived

and

given

birth

successfully!

NFS

Form

10-900-a

OMB

No.

1024-0018

United

States

Department

of

the

Interior

National

Park

Service

National

Register

of

Historic

Places

Continuation Sheet

Section

number

8

Page

4

Nerdrum-

Conrad

House

(Name

of

property)

Coos.

Oregon

(County,

State)

The

South

Fifth

Street

area

was

proclaimed

the

"best

boulevard

in

the

city"

by

Reynolds

Development

Company

in

its

advertisement to

sell

land

in

an

adjacent

neighborhood.

The

few

remaining

lots

in

the

900

block

were

purchased

quickly

and

the

Nerdrum

homes

became

the

standard

that

other

new

residential

construction

sought

to

emulate,

as

evidenced

by

news

articles:

"C.

M.

Andersen

is

...

arranging

to

erect

a

new

house

on his

other

two

lots

on

South

Fifth

Street

between

the

two

fine

houses

the

Nerdrum

brothers

are

erecting."

Coos

Bay

Times.

September

11,1912

"A.

E.

Adelsperger

is

arranging

to

rush

a

fine

new

home

on

South

Fifth

Street,

opposite

the Nerdrum

homes

to

completion

this

winter.

It

will

be

strictly

modern

and

one

of

the

finest

in

town."

Coos

Bay

Times.

December

23,1912

"Architect

Turpen

has

nearly

completed

the

plans and

specification

for

the

fine

modern

bungalow,

which

Ward

M.

Blake

will

erect

on

South

Fifth

street,

between

Nerdrum

Brothers'

homes...

."

Coos

Bay

Times.

April

16,1913

Construction

of

the

Nerdrum

homes

apparently

occurred

in a

more

timely

and

flawless

manner

than

did

the

work

at

the

pulp

mill.

One

of

the

innovative

features

of

the

pulp

mill

was

a

concrete

tower

which

was

200

feet

tall.

However,

as

the

concrete

was

placed

by

the

wheelbarrow

load

and

pushed

up

multiple

ramps,

it

was

a

time

consuming

endeavor.

The

machinery

was

shipped

in

and

stored

in

a

warehouse

which

burned,

ignited

by

sparks

from

the

nearby

burner

at

the

Smith

mill.

The

damage

was

estimated

at

thousands

of

dollars

with

significant

loss

of

machinery

for

the

pulp

mill.

These

and

other

setbacks

delayed

the

opening

and

operation

of

the

pulp

mill

until

late

in

1913.

In

the

experimental

operation,

the

pulp

mill

appeared

to

be

successful,

but

corrosion

and

mechanical

problems

limited

the

life

of

working

parts.

A

rather

rapid

decline

occurred

and

by

early

1915,

the

Nerdrum

brothers

and

their

families

left

Marshfield. Behind

they

left

many

belongings,

their

household

furniture

and

two

gracious

homes

which

were

signed

over

to

the

Coos

Bay

Pulp

and

Paper

Company

on

April

16,

1915.

A

death notice

in

Marshfield

reported

that

Hjalte

Nerdrum

died

at

his

home

in

Anaheim,

California

on

September

4,1944.

His

brother

Rolfe

was

reported

to

have

joined

the

Coast

Guard.

As

part

of

a

business

reorganization,

the

homes

were

transferred

in

1916

to

the

C.

A.

Smith

Lumber

and

Manufacturing

Company.

In

April

of

1916,

W.

J.

Conrad,

his

wife

Laura,

and

their

two-week

old

daughter

Virginia

moved

into

the

house.

NPS

Form

10-900-a

OMB

No.

1024-0018

United

States

Department

of

the

Interior

National

Park

Service

National

Register

of

Historic Places

Continuation Sheet

Section

number

8

Page

5

Nerdrum-

Conrad

House

(Name

of

property)

Coos. Oregon

(County,

State)

William

Joseph

("W.

J.")

Conrad

and

Laura

D.

Kruse Conrad

While

the

Nerdrum

family

had

the

home

built

and

were

its

first

occupants,

it

is

the Conrad

family,

the

second

occupants,

who

developed

a

long-term

relationship

with

the

house

and

the

community.

W.

J.

Conrad

was

bom

in

La

Crosse,

Wisconsin,

on

September

3,1884

to

Alexis

and

Ellen

Conrad.

He

came

to

Marshfield

in

1907

from

Minneapolis

to

take

a

position

in

the

C.

A.

Smith

Lumber

Company

as

secretary

to

Arno

Mereen,

Vice

President

and

General

Superintendent

of

the

company.

An

abbreviated biography

of

W.

J.

Conrad

comes from

a

1928

article

honoring

Conrad

and

highlighting

his

achievements.

(Coos

Bay

Times

-Golden

Jubilee

Annual,

1878-1928,

pp.16

&

17.)

His

humble clerical

beginnings

with

C.A.

Smith

Company,

salaried

at

$100

per

month,

provided

the

opportunity

to

establish

himself

in

all

aspects

of

the

lumber

business.

His

residency

at

979

South

Fifth

Street

gave

him

a

more

intimate

access

to,

and

the

ability

to

become

an

influential

member

of,

the

early

20

th

century

political

and

industrial

powerhouse

of

the

Marshfield

area.

By

1912,

W.

J.

Conrad's

comings

and

goings

were

noteworthy

and

appeared

often

in

the

local

newspaper.

In

January

of

1914,

a

brief

entry

in

the

social

calendar

reported:

"Mr.

And

Mrs.

T.

B.

James

entertained

a

few

friends

at

a

duck

dinner

at their

home

in

West

Marshfield

on

Wednesday

evening.

Their

guests

were Miss

Lillian

Elmore and

Miss

Laura Kruse

and

Messrs.

R.

T.

Kaufinan

and

W.

J.

Conrad."

Coos

Bay

Times.

January

3,1914

The

evening

must

have

been

memorable,

as

a

year

and

a

half

later,

Laura

Kruse

and W.

J.

Conrad

were

married.

Laura

was

a

daughter

of

K.V.

(Knud

Vladimar)

and

Mette

M.

Jensen

Kruse.

Her

father

was

a

partner

in

the

Kruse-Banks Shipbuilding

Company,

the

largest

shipbuilder

on

the

bay.

She

was

bom

in

San

Francisco,

California

on

August

17,1890

and

had

moved

to the

area

with

her

family

in

1907,

when

her

father

took

a

position

in

Asa

Mead

Simpson's

shipbuilding firm

in

North

Bend.

The wedding

between

W.

J.

Conrad

and

Laura

Kruse

took

place

on

June

2,1915,

with

W.

J.

Conrad

being

described

as

"one

of

the

most

popular

young

men

of

this

city."

Following

the

ceremony,

a

theatrical "kidnap

the

Bride"

event

was

staged,

courtesy

of

the

Elks

club.

In

April

of

1916,

the

Conrads

took

up

residence

at 979

South

Fifth Street,

along

with

their

two-week

old

daughter,

Virginia.

Mr.

Conrad

was

active

in

several

areas

of

the

local

business

arena.

By

1924,

Folk's

directories

list

his

credits

as:

President,

Western

Dredging

Company;

Secretary,

Umpqua

Timber

Company;

Secretary-Treasurer

Coos River

Farm

Land

Company;

partner

in

the

Adelsperger

&

Conrad

Company;

Secretary,

Coos

County

Tax

Association;

Western

White

Cedar

Company,

and

Corporation

Finance

Company.

Diverse

as

the

titles

were,

they

involved

a

commonality:

the

lumber

business.

NFS

Form

10-900-a

OMB

No.

1024-0018

United

States

Department

of

the

Interior

National

Park

Service

National

Register

of

Historic

Places

Continuation Sheet

Section

number

8

Page

6

Nerdrum-

Conrad

House

(Name

of

property)

Coos.

Oregon

(County,

State)

After

only

seven

years

with

the

C.

A.

Smith

Lumber

Co.,

W.

J.

Conrad

had

become

a

strong

player

in

real

estate

acquisition.

From

buying

small

commercial

lots

speculatively,

he

moved

into

the

timber

brokerage

business.

With

neighbor

A.

E.

Adelsperger,

he

acquired

the

holdings

of

the Gardiner

Mill

Company

on

the

Umpqua

River,

which

were

subsequently

divided

and

re-sold

to

firms

and

individuals

who

established

the

community

of

Reedsport.

In

1917, he

and

other

businessmen

organized

the

Coos

Bay

Shipbuilding

Company

which

held

contracts

to

build

ships

for

World

War

I.

By

February

1918,

the

company

employed

nearly

500

men,

while

the

Kruse

(Conrad's

father-in-law)

and

Banks

shipyard

continued

in

operation,

employing

a

similar

number

of

workers.

The

Coos

Bay

Shipbuilding

Company

ceased operations

in

early

1919,

after

the

end

of

the

War.

Following

the

decline

of

the

C.

A.

Smith

Lumber

Co.

and

its

eventual

departure

from

the

area,

other

timber-related

businesses

came

into

being.

In

1922,

W.

J.

Conrad,

along

with

Adelsperger

and

others,

formed

Western

White

Cedar

Company

to

supply

the

Japanese

with

Port

Orford

White

Cedar

logged from

sites

managed

by

Al

Powers,

another

neighbor

in

the

Fifth

Street

neighborhood.

Conrad

joined

with Benjamin

Ostlind

(a

former

C.

A.

Smith

Lumber

Co.

employee),

to

establish

the

Coos

Veneer

and

Box

Company

which

manufactured

battery

separators

from

the

cedar.

In

May,

1927,

the

W.

J.

Conrad

Lumber

Company

was

formed

with

Conrad

as

its

president

and

Laura

Conrad

in

the

position

of

vice-president.

The

J.

R.

Thompson

Mill

was

purchased

and

converted

into

a

cedar

mill,

with

Thompson

directing

sawmill operations.

An

advantage

of

the

site

was

its

waterfront

location

which allowed

direct

loading

at

the

cargo

dock.

To

assist

with

cargo

handling,

the

Conrad

Lumber Company

owned

and

operated

its

own

barges.

W.

J.

Conrad's

successes

resulted

in

improvements

to

the

Conrad

home

as

well.

The

50

x

140

foot

lot

to

the

south

was

purchased

by

Laura

Conrad

in

1921

and

on

September

27,

1923,

The

Coos

Bav

Times

considered

it

newsworthy

that

he

had

started

"construction

of

a

sun

parlor

at

his

home

on

South

Fifth

street."

A

1928

promotional

article

ends

by

mentioning

some

of

his

other

interests:

"

In

spite

of

his

active

business

career,

Mr.

Conrad

finds

time

to

enjoy

life

as

he

goes.

He

is

active

in

the

Rotary

Club,

the

Coos

Golf

&

Country

Club,

the

Chamber

of

Commerce,

a

member

of

the

Marshfield

Athletic

Commission

and

likes

to

see

the

Democrats

win."

"Fortunate

is

the

man

who

discovers

a

hobby

in

which

he

may

completely

lose

himself.

Mr.

Conrad's

hobby

is

flowers

and

he

will

tell

you

of

those

he

himself

is

growing,

with

a

true

botanist's

enthusiasm.

To

the

rear

of

his

home

he

has

built

an

elaborate

greenhouse,

where

buds

both

beautiful

and rare receive

constant

attention."

Coos

Bay

Times-Golden

Jubilee

Annual

1878-1928.

pp.

16-17.

NPS

Form

10-900-a

OMB

No.

1024-0018

United

States

Department

of

the

Interior

National

Park

Service

National

Register

of

Historic

Places

Continuation Sheet

Section

number

8

Page

7

Nerdrum-

Conrad

House

(Name

of

property)

Coos.

Oregon

(County,

State)

The

garden

area

to

the

south

of

the

house

was

home

to

a

brilliant

display

of

red

tulips,

one

of

Virginia

Conrad

Grant's

vivid

memories.

Events

such

as

school

plays

were

staged

there

and

recorded

on an

early

movie

camera

by

the

proud

father,

W.

J.

Conrad.

Undoubtedly,

many

social

gatherings

took

place

here

where

warm sunlight

floods

a

wind-sheltered

landscaped

garden.

Laura

Kruse

Conrad

is

remembered

as

"a

wonderful

person",

"civic-minded",

and

"a

very

generous

lady"

by

those

who

knew

her.

In

addition

to

raising

her

three

children,

Virginia

(bom

in

1916),

Roger

(born

in

1918),

and

Dorothy

(bom

in 1926),

Laura

was

active

in

educational,

social,

and

political community

affairs

throughout

her

life.

Title

to

the

property

at

979

South

Fifth

Street

was

held

in

her

name

alone,

reflecting

a

fairly

common

practice

at

the

time

of

vesting

home ownership

in

a

wife's

name.

Mrs.

Conrad's

achievements

are

summarized

in

her

1974

obituary:

"Mrs.

Conrad

was

active in

community

affairs,

having

been

a

member

of

the

library

board

for

33

years,

serving

as

chairman

for

a

number

of

years.

She

was

a

past

president

of

the

Progress

Club

and

the

Women's

Civic

Club."

"

She

also

participated

in

American

Red

Cross

work,

Camp

Fire Girl

Activities,

was

instrumental

in

obtaining

the

first

ambulance

for

the

Bay

Area

and

had

been

prominent

in

other

civic

organizations."

The

World.

10/23/1974

In

an

article published

in

the

summer

2000

edition

of

Oregon

Historical

Society's

Spectator.

Mrs.

W.

J.

Conrad

is

included

in

a

1929

photograph

featuring

past

presidents

of

the

Progress

Club.

Agnes

Ruth

Sengstacken,

the

subject

of

the

article,

is

credited

with

being

the

persistent

force

that

resulted

in

the

Marshfield Public

Library

and

obtaining

the

$12,000

Carnegie

grant

to

build

it.

Virginia

Conrad

Grant,

first-born

of

the

Conrad

children,

remembers her

early

years

with

fondness

and

admiration

of

her

parents.

Before

the

Stock

Market

Crash

of

1929

and

the

subsequent

Great

Depression

of

the

1930's,

the

Conrad

family

holdings

were

sizeable.

They

had

purchased

the

Sunset

Beach

resort

from

Louis

Simpson

which

gave

them

ownership

of

all

the ocean-front

land

between

there

and

Bastendorff

Beach.

Along

with

business

and

timber

lands,

the

family

owned

recreational

property

on

nearby

Ten

Mile

Lake

and

along

the

Coos

River.

However,

the

realities

of

the

Depression

spared

few

and

the

Conrads

lost

everything'"

as

Virginia

puts

it.

The

mortgage

on

the

home

at

979

South

Fifth

Street

was

foreclosed

and

the

property

was

sold

at

a

public

Sheriffs

auction

on

May

1,1933.

All

that

the

Conrad

family

owned

was

gone,

with

the

exception

of

an

undeveloped

waterfront

lot

which

would

become

the

site

of

the

Conrad

Lumber Company

in

the

post-Depression

recovery.

NFS

Form

10-900-a

OMB

No.

1024-0018

United

States

Department

of

the

Interior

National

Park

Service

National

Register

of

Historic

Places

Continuation

Sheet

Section

number

8

Page

8

Net-drum-

Conrad

House

(Name

of

property)

Coos.

Oregon

(County,

State)

Eventually,

the

Conrad

family

would

recover

financially,

but

the

Conrad

family

association

with

the

house

at

979

South

Fifth Street

had

ended.

When

finances

were

more

stable

for

the

Conrads,

they

purchased

the

original

Alfred

H.

"Al"

pierce

home

in

the

700

block

of

South

Fifth

Street

(known

as

480

Hall

Street)

where

W.J.

Conrad

lived

until his

death

in

1953

at

the

age

of

69.

Laura Conrad

remained

in

that

house

until

1974,

selling it

to

its

current

owners.

Conrad

Lumber

Company

remained

one

of

the

area's

larger

commercial

entities

until

it

was

purchased

by

Lumbermen's

Corporation

in

the

early

1990's.

The

land

remains

in

family

ownership

and

is

leased

to

the

new

firm.

Unlike

some

other

successful

businessmen

in

the

area,

W.

J.

and

Laura

Conrad

committed

themselves

to

the

development

of

Marshfield

and

the

Coos

Bay

area

for

life.

Like

a

long

marriage,

it

was

"for

better

and

for

worse".

They

were

resilient

and

energetic,

putting

their

combined

talents

to

work

in

benefiting

not

only

themselves,

but

their

families, neighbors

and

community

as

well.

The

significance

of

the

Nerdrum-Conrad

House

as

it

relates

to the

development

of

the

community

ended

in

1933,

but

its

history

continued.

After

foreclosure

proceedings,

the

house

became

a

rental

unit

that

was

used

as

a

boarding

house.

Not

until

1953

would

the

house

become

a

single-family

residence

again

when

it

was

purchased

by

Dr.

Eugene

Sorum

and

his

wife

Norma.

Fortunately,

the interior

and

exterior details

were

not

removed

or

damaged

during

the

"boarding

house"

life

of

the

structure. However,

Mr.

Conrad's

"sun

room:

was

removed

in

the

1970's

by

a

short-sided

realtor/owner

who

had

hoped

to

divide

the

two

lots

and

sell

them

independently.

The

plan

was

aborted

by

the

Planning

Commission,

but

not

before

the

demolition

of

the

addition. Fortunately,

the

garden

area

was

left

intact.

Benign

neglect actually

protected

the

pond

and

brick

pathways,

as

grass

grew

to

cover

the

features.

Not

until

1994

did

the

current

owners

discover

the

treasure

under

several

inches

of

well-

established

lawn.

Ownership

has

changed

12

times

since

1953.

The

current

owners

purchased

the

property

in

1993

and

have made

it

their

primary

residence since

1994.

02/27/03NPS

Form

10-900-a OMB

No.

1024-0018

United

States

Department

of

the

Interior

National

Park

Service

National

Register

of

Historic

Places

Continuation

Sheet

Section

number

8

Page

9

Nerdum-Conrad

House

(Name

of

property)

Coos.

Oregon

(County,

State)

HISTORY

AND

CONTEXT

of

COOS

COUNTY FOREST

PRODUCTS

INDUSTRY

Note:

Nathan

Douthifs

book,

The

Coos

Bav

Region.

1890-1944.

has

served

as

an

invaluable

resource

for

the

History

and

Context

Statement.

With

his

permission,

passages

have

been

borrowed

and

paraphrased.

Where

appropriate

it

has

been

quoted

directly

(see

footnotes

and

bibliography).

Additionally,

much

of

this

information

was

previously

submitted

with

the

nomination

of

Marshfield's

South

Fifth

Street

Historic

District

in

2001.

The

Development

of

Marshfleld

(Known

as

Coos

Bay

after

1944J

The harbor

of

Coos

Bay

is

situated approximately

450

miles

north

of

San Francisco,

California

and

200

miles

south

of

Portland,

Oregon.

This

natural,

U-shaped

channel

is

fed

by

the

Coos

and

Millicoma

Rivers,

which

flow

into

it

from

the

Coast

Range

to

the

northeast.

The

peninsula

that

extends

northward

into

the

bay

is

about

three

miles

wide

and

four

and

one-

half

miles

long.

The

city

of

Coos

Bay

(which

was

known

as

Marshfleld

until

1944)

occupies

the

southern

section,

while

the

city

of

North

Bend

is

at the

north

end.

The

"Coos"

(or

"Coose",

"Koose",

"Cowse"

or

"Kowse"

in

other

historical

references) name

originates

from

the

Coos

Indians

who

occupied

about

40

different

villages

around Coos

Bay.

Although

divided

into

two

linguistic

groups

with

the

Hanis

living

on

the

north

end

of

the

bay

and

the

Miluk

on

the

south,

the

Coos

Indians

were

peaceful

and

friendly

inhabitants

of

the

area.

1

Abundant

natural

resources

of

fish,

game,

roots

and berries,

along

with

a

temperate

climate contributed

to

the

Coos

being

content

within

the

bay

area.

Additionally,

the

treacherous

outlet

from

Coos

Bay

to

the

Pacific

Ocean

delayed

discovery

of

this

bountiful

land

by

earlier

sea

explorers.

Not

until

the

non-fatal

wreckage

of

the

U.

S.

three-masted

transport

schooner

Captain

Lincoln

on

January

3,

1852,

would

word

spread

of

the

beauty

and

richness

of

the

area.

As white

settlement

encroached,

and

the

native

population

was

either

displaced

or

absorbed,

it

was

lamented,:

"If

ever

God

created

a

Paradise

here

on

earth

for

the

red

man,

it

was

certainly

this

locality.

Truly

for

the

Indian

it

was

a

Paradise

lost

and

for

the

white

man

a

Paradise

gained."

2

The

townsites

of

Marshfleld

and

Empire

City

were

established

in

the

summer

of

1853

by

the

"Coos

Bay

Commercial

Company",

a

group

of

investors

and

adventurers

who

had

set

out

from

Jacksonville

for

the

purpose

of

establishing

a

settlement

on

Coos

Bay.

As

the

men

made

claims

on

the

lands,

James

C.

Tolman,

chose

the

area

that

was

to

become

Marshfleld,

naming

it

after

his

native

hometown

of

Marshfleld,

Massachusetts.

Another

member

of

the

company,

Freeman

G.

Lockhart

staked

his

claim

to

land

where

coal

had

been

discovered,

which

would

later

become

North

Bend.

3

As

early

as

1855,

two sawmills

were

operating:

those

of

H. H.

Luse

in

Empire

City

and

Ada

Meade

Simpson

in

North

Bend.

Both

men

incorporated

shipbuilding

into

their

businesses,

as

a

means

of

insuring

transportation

of

their

lumber

to

other

ports.

By

1893,

the

Coos

Bay,

Roseburg

and

Eastern

Railroad

had

been

1

Melody

J.

Caldera,

ed.,

South

Slough

Adventures. (Friends

of

South

Slough,

1995),

p.

45.

2

Emil

R.

Peterson

and

Alfred

Powers,

A

Century

of

Coos

and

Curry.

(Coos-Curry

Pioneer

and

Historical

Association,

1952),

p.

23.

3

Orvil

Dodge,

Pioneer

History

of

Coos

and

Curry

Counties. (Coos-Curry

Pioneer

and

Historical

Association,

t«O8

nmrWa

02/27/03NPS

Form

10-900-a

OMB

No.

1024-0018

United

States

Department

of

the

Interior

National

Park

Service

National

Register

of Historic

Places

Continuation

Sheet

Section

number

8

Page

10

Nerdum-Conrad

House

(Name

of

property)

Coos.

Oregon

(County,

State)

built

between

Marshfield

and

Myrtle

Point,

delivering

coal

from

the

Beaver

Hill

mine

to

the

bunkers

in

Coos

Bay

and

bringing

the

huge

logs

from

outlying

areas

to

the

Coos

Bay

mills.

4

Marshfield's

population

in

1890

was

1,461,

nearly

doubling

since

the

1880

census

and

making

it

the

largest

town

in

the

region.

The

North

Bend

area,

which

had

been

purchased

by

A.

M.

Simpson

in

1855

for

$500

became

a

company

town

until

its

incorporation

in

1903

by

Louis

J.

Simpson,

son

of

Asa

Simpson.

5

In

1899,

Asa

Simpson

had

sent

for

his

son,

Louis,

to

manage

his

interests

in

the

region.

Louis

arrived

at

age

21

with little

experience

in

either the

lumber

or

shipping businesses,

but

with

great

enthusiasm

and

a

good

business

sense.

He

purchased

the

townsite

just

south

of

North

Bend,

known

as

Yarrow

and

soon

developed

the

town

of

North

Bend,

adjacent to

Marshfield

along

the

same

harbor,

making

plans

for

it

to

grow

to

rival

cities

the

size

of

San

Francisco

and

Portland.

Until

that

time,

Marshfield

had

been

known

as

the

undisputed

largest

and

most

important

community

in

the

region.

6

Under

Louis

Simpson's

leadership

and

benevolence,

North

Bend

would

have

a

hospital,

library,

public

dock

and

other

amenities

in

short

order.

These

were

the

beginnings

of

civic

competition

that

remains

strong

today

between

the

two

neighboring

communities

that

developed

in

tandem.

The

news

of

Simpson's

success

quickly

spread

along

with

rumors

that

a

railroad

line

was

coming

to

Coos

Bay

that

would

link

it

to

inland

markets

of

the

state

and

the

nation.

Day

laborers

and

businessmen alike

were

swept

up

in

the

land

speculation

fever

during

the

first

decade

of

the

century.

In

1905,

the

speculative

fever

reached

a

high

pitch.

Local

newspapers

carried

reports

of

visits

to

Coos

Bay

by

investors

from

San

Francisco,

Los

Angeles,

Duluth,

Idaho,

Spokane,

Wisconsin,

and

even Scotland.

Among

the

investors

who

heard

about

the

promises

of

the

Coos

Bay

timber

market was

Charles

A.

Smith.

Bom

in

Ostergotland,

Sweden,

Smith

came

to the

United

States

with

his

family

around

age

13

and

settled

in

Minnesota.

After

finishing

his

public

education,

he

went

on

to

the

University

of

Minnesota.

As

a

college

student,

Smith

worked

part-time

in

a

hardware store

owned

by

John

S.

Pilsbury,

the

governor

of

Minnesota.

Smith's

association

with

Pilsbury

led

him into

the

lumberyard

business

and

later

into

lumber

manufacturing.

By

1893,

the

C.A.

Smith

Lumber

Company

had

been

formed

in

conjunction

with

the

building

of

a

new

mill,

which

was

the

largest

and

most

modem

in

Minneapolis.

As

his

operations

expanded,

Smith

became

one

of

the

leading

businessmen

in

his

home

state.

He

held

the

positions

of

Vice

President

of

the

National

Lumber

Manufacturers

Association

and

served

as

a

regent

of

the

University

of

Minnesota.

Smith's

business

acumen

brought

him

to

Marshfield,

following

the

news

of

Louis

Simpson's

efforts

in

the

timber

market.

The

supply

of

timberiand

in

the

Great

Lakes

region

was

running

4

William

G.

Robbins,

Hard

Times

in

Paradise:

Coos

Bav.

Oregon.

1850-1986.

(University

of

Washington

Press,

1988),

p.22.

5

Peterson,p.l07.

02/27/03NPS

Form

10-900-a

OMB

No.

1024-0018

United

States

Department

of

the

Interior

National

Park

Service

National

Register

of Historic

Places

Continuation

Sheet

Section

number

8

Page

11

Nerdum-Conrad

House

(Name

of

property)

Coos.

Oregon

(County,

State)

out,

and

the

untouched

forest

in

the

Pacific

Northwest

was the

last

of

the

vast

reserves

of

timber

in

the

United

States.

The

future

of

Coos

Bay's

timber

economy

was

shaped

by

timber

land

"acquisitions"

of

the

C.A.

Smith

Lumber

Company

with

100,000

acres,

the

Weyerhaeuser

Timber

Company

with

27,075

acres,

and

Menasha

Wooden

Ware

Company

which

owned

nearly

100,000

acres,

all

purchased

during

the

first

decade

of

the

20th

century.

Although

the

manner

in

which

Smith

amassed

his

holdings

was

determined

to

be

illegal,

it

was

Stephen

Puter,

one

of

Smith's

field

agents

who

served

jail

time

for

the

offenses.

However,

during

his

incarceration,

Puter

wrote

a

scathing

expose'

of

the

commonplace

practices

that

placed

more

than

200,000

acres

of

land

meant

for

homesteads

in

the

hands

of

only

a

few

wealthy

businessmen

and

their

companies.

Puter

described

how

Fred

A.

Kribs,

Smith's

Pacific Coast

representative,

met

night

after

night

in

the

closed

Land

Office

with

the

Register

to

advantageously

prepare

the

selections

for

the

Puter

was

very

direct

in

his

remarks:

u

As

a

matter

of

fact,

Smith

has

been

involved

with

the

Government

upon

numerous

occasions,

running

through

a

long

course

of

years,

on

account

of

his

covetous

proclivities,

and

he

seems

to

be

imbued

with

shoplifting

instincts

wherever

the

public

lands

or

timber

are

concerned.

He

has

been

fined

repeatedly

for

his

offenses

throughout

the

States

of

Minnesota,

Wisconsin

and

Michigan,

and

has upon

more

than

one

occasion

undertaken

to

make

scapegoats

out

of

some

unfortunate

employees

instead

of

shouldering

the

blame

himself,

as

any

honorable

man

should."

7

Even

after

publication

of

Puter's

report

and

demands

that

the

government

cancel

the

fraudulent

claims,

Smith's

holdings

were

left

intact.

Until

the

turn

of

the

century,

the

Coos

Bay

region

thrived

with

a

well-established

mix

of

economic

bases

which included

agriculture,

logging,

milling,

shipbuilding,

coal

mining,

commercial

fishing

and

various

manufacturing

businesses.

After

1900,

it

changed

to

a

predominantly

forest-dependent

economy.

According

to

Nathan

Douthit,

a

local

historian,

"The

single

most

important

event

signaling

the

new

era

of

forest

industrial

development

on

the

South

Coast

was

the opening

in

1908

of

the

C.

A.

Smith

Lumber

Company

mill

on

Isthmus

Slough

Marshfield.

By

1920,

about half

of

the

sawmill

and

woodworkers

in

Coos

County

were

employed

by

this

mill

and

the

Smith-Powers

Logging

Company."

8

When

the

C.A.

Smith

Lumber

Company

opened

its mill

on

the

Isthmus

Slough

in

Coos

Bay

in

March

1908, a

new

era

began

in

the

history

of

Coos

Bay.

Smith

prided

himself

on

his

progressive

views

of

conservation,

and

felt

the

new

mill

should conserve

all

the

forces

of

operation

to

result

in

the

greatest

possible

economy

of

time,

labor

and

material.

The

Coos

Bay

Times reported:

S.

A. D.

Puter,

Looters

of

the

Public

Domain.

(The

Portland

Printing

House Publishers,

1908),

p.

312.

TVintViit

A

ClwAa.

tn

C^onnn

C^tii-K

frtoo*

UUn+t**,

/TkwMWMt

O*-,+~

T

T~

:*»«»:*,.

T>-~

02/27/03NPS

Form

10-900-a

OMB

No.

1024-0018

United

States

Department

of

the

Interior

National

Park

Service

National

Register

of

Historic

Places

Continuation

Sheet

Section

number

8

Page

12

Nerdum-Conrad

House

(Name

of

property)

Coos.

Oregon

(County,

State)

"This

mill

is

the

marvel

and

mystery

of

all

who

see,

and

is

looked

upon

by saw

mill

men

who

understand

it

as

a

sensation

and

a

revolution

in

the

manufacture

of

lumber.

It

is

the

closest

approach

to

perfection

of

any like

concern

on

the

round

earth.

It

is

the

most

effective

labor-saving

aggregation

of

devices

ever put

into

operation

on

wood.

Yet

it

is

an

economic

necessity,

for

it has

arrived

when

all

the

world

begins

to

realize

that

the

timber

resources

of

all nations

are

nearing

exhaustion,

and

when

it

is

important to

make

every

stick

of

timber

count."

9

The

new

mill

and

logging

operations

provided

jobs

for

nearly

one

thousand

men,

many

who

came

with

Smith

from

Minnesota,

and

shared

his

Scandinavian

heritage.

The

influx

of

workers

and

their

families

to

the

region

caused

the

population

of

Coos

Bay

to

swell

from

1,391

in

1900

to

2,980

by

1910.

According

to the

1910

census,

Scandinavians

(foreign-born

from

Denmark,

Finland,

Norway,

and

Sweden)

numbered

1,088

people

or

6.1%

of

the

total

county

population.

The

Scandinavian

influence

resulted

in

construction

of

churches

and

social

hails

that

fostered

a

sense

of

pride and

strength

by

keeping

cultural

traditions

alive.

Even

today,

that

influence

remains

evident.

As

substantial

strides

were

made

in

the

development

of

the

vast

natural

resources

of

Coos

Bay,

the

region

was

poised

for

greatness

with

the

exception

of

one

major

element

--

land

transportation.

By

the

turn

of

the

century,

the

Coos

Bay

Wagon

Road

was

the

only

major

land

route

from

Coos

Bay

to the

Willamette Valley

via

Roseburg

over

the

Coast

Range.

The

jolting

stage

coach

journey took

an

average

of

60

hours.

Travelers

could

also

opt

for

a

2-day,

86-mile

route,

beginning

with

a

beach

stage from

Coos

Bay

to

Winchester

Bay.

Passengers

then

boarded

a

steam

stemwheeler

to

go

up

the

Umpqua River

to

Scottsburg.

From

there,

a

stage

ran

to

Drain

where

passengers

could

board

a

north

or

south

bound

train.

In

August

1906,

the

Southern

Pacific

Railroad

began

grading

the

first

section

of

a

new

branch

of

their

line

from

Drain,

the

gateway

from

the

Willamette

Valley

to the

Coos

Bay

region.

However,

the

San

Francisco

earthquake

and

subsequent

fire

struck

taking

with

it

the

maps

and

field

notes

for

the

Drain

to

Coos

Bay

line.

It

would

be

four

years

before

another

attempt

was

made

to

begin

a

railroad

line

and

nine

years

until

the

first

train came

to

Coos

Bay

over

the

Coast

Range.

When

World

War

I

broke

out

in

the

summer

of

1914,

the

building

of

the

railroad,

a

bond

issue

for

port

improvements,

increased

coal mining

activity

and

other

signs

of

economic

progress

encouraged

the

temporary

illusion

that

Coos

Bay

might

be

able

to

escape

the

war's

effects.

But

by

late December,

the

mills

in

Coos

Bay

shut

down,

joining

those

elsewhere

in

the

Pacific

Northwest.

The

death

of

Asa

Meade

Simpson

in

1915

and

the

subsequent

sale

of

his

holdings outside

the

family

signaled

the

end

of

the

Simpson

family's

leadership

in

the

economic

development

of

the

Coos

Bay

Region.

Although

Louis

Simpson,

his

son,

stayed

in

the

area,

after

losing

the

state

gubernatorial

election

in

1918,

his

influence

was

diminished

even

further.

10

9

Coos

Bay

Times,

Feb.

29,1908

10

Martian

rVwttiit

Tlw»

rw,c

R<«,

P«rri««

1COn_1O/M

/!>;*«».

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D.—!«,

1OO1\

~

1A«

02/27/03NPS

Form

10-900-a

OMB

No.

1024-0018

United

States

Department

of

the

Interior

National

Park

Service

National

Register

of

Historic

Places

Continuation

Sheet

Section

number

8

Page

13

Nerdum-Conrad

House

(Name

of

property)

Coos.

Oregon

(County,

State)

By

the

summer

of

1917,

however,

the

local

economy

boomed

with

the

new

demand

for

manufactured

lumber.

And

although the

age

of

wooden

ships

was

thought

of

as

nearly

bygone,

the

war

and

increased

demand

for

shipping

breathed

new

life

into

an

old

industry.

The

Coos

Bay

Shipbuilding

Company

was

founded,

and

it

began

to

build

government

ships

under

contract.

By

the

time

the

war

ended,

the

shipbuilding

companies

in

Coos

Bay

had

contracted

to

build

twenty-two

ships.

The

end

of

the

war

had

severe

repercussions

for

the

regional

economy.

Suddenly

the

government

canceled

its

orders

for

spruce

and

cedar.

About

1200

men

were

laid

off

in

February

1919

by

the

Coos

Bay

Lumber

Company.

Within

weeks,

700

to

800

men

left

the

region

with

their

families.

All

things

considered,

however,

the

region's

economy

made the

transition

from

war

to

peace

time

with

less

trouble

than many

other

places

on

the

West

Coast.

Employment

recovered

by

the

fall

of

1919.

Between

1910

and

1920,

the

City

of

Coos

Bay

had

undergone

extensive

changes

in

appearance.

Much

of

the

tidal

areas

had

been

filled

in

with

dredging

spoils.

The

business

center

shifted

from

Front

Street,

its

main

street

for

half

a

century,

to

the

intersection

at

Central

and

Anderson.

A

fire

broke

out

in

July

of

1922,

destroying

most

of

what

had

been

the

heart

of

the

old

business

district

on

Front

Street.

A

new

City

Hall

was

built

in

1923 on

Central

Avenue.

By

1920,

with

a

population

of

7,302,

the Coos

Bay

region

ceased

to

be

a

coastal

frontier,

and

its

days

of

open

ended

urban

and

industrial

opportunity

were

fast

disappearing.

The

coal

mining

industry

reached

its

peak production

in

1904,

then

waited

in

vain

for

a

railroad

line

to

Coos

Bay

to

help

it

recover.

By

the

time

the

railroad did

reach

the

area

in

1916,

fuel

oil

replaced

coal.

By

1924,

this change

in

energy

use

forced

the

closing

of

the

area's

two

largest

mines

in

the

region.

The

major

change

in

agriculture during the

1910s and

1920s

was

growth

of

the

dairy

industry.

Farmers

who

had

used

their

lands

for

raising

cattle

and sheep

put

their

grazing

land

to

use

for

milk

cows

when

they

discovered

more

money

could

be

made

from

dairy

production. Dairy

farms

accounted

for

nearly

60%

of

the

regional

agricultural

income

by

1925.

The

biggest

shift

in

the region's

economy

between

1900

and

1920

was

the

growth

of

the

lumber

industry.

In

1904

the

total

value commerce

in

and

out

of

Coos

Bay

was

$3,557,934;

by

1920,

it

was

$9,747,510.

Increased

lumber

production

accounted

for

the

major

growth

in

Coos

Bay's

exports.

In

1897

there

were

28,124,700

board

feet

of

lumber

manufactured

in

Coos

County;

and

in

1920,

over

242,000,000

board

feet.

11

Despite

the

appearance

of the

railroad

line

in

1916,

most

of

the

area's

exports

still

went

by

ship.

At

the

beginning

of

the

1920s,

however,

the

region's

shipping

was

threatened

since

the

Rav

Timev

frtrmtrr

HarKr»r

Prlittr»n\

fc/far

11

1011

"

r.

OB-

FWIrr

02/27/03NPS

Form

10-900-a

OMB

No.

1024-0018

United

States

Department

of

the

Interior

National

Park

Service

National

Register

of

Historic

Places

Continuation

Sheet

Section

number

8

Page

14

Nerdum-Conrad

House

(Name

of

property)

Coos.

Oregon

(County,

State)

Coos

Bay

ship

channel

was

not

deep

enough

to

handle

a

new generation

of

ships.

Each

increase

in

the

width

and

depth

of

the

harbor

had

been

followed

by

an

increase

in

ship

size.

The

Port

of

Coos

Bay

requested

Congressional

funding

for

a

new

harbor

project.

The

request

was

difficult

to

ignore

since

the

timber

volume

of

the

region

exceeded

that

of

any

of

the

other

remaining

west

coast

timber

stand.

Nowhere

else

was

so much

timber

accessible

to

water

transportation.

The

project

was

approved

in

1922,

and

by

1929,

the

bar's

north

jetty

was

restored

and

a

south

jetty

was

added.

The

depth

of

the

bar

was

no

less

than

twenty-two

feet

and

after

dredging

it

reached

up

to

thirty-two

feet.

The

bar

improvements

resulted

in

an

increase

in

board

feet of

lumber

shipped

out

of

Coos

Bay

of

2

million

in

1920

to

50

million

in

1922,

to

nearly

400

hundred

million

in

1930.

Improvements

in

the

Coos

Bay

harbor

stimulated

growth

of

commercial

fishing.

The

industry

had

been

shipping fish

in

refrigerated

rail

cars

since

the

line

came

through

in

1916.

The

jetty

improvements

now

made

it

possible

for

fishing

boats

to

safely

enter

the

bay.

By

1925,

as

many

as

30

fishing

boats

at

a

time

could

be

seen

tied

up

at

Coos

Bay's

dock,

some

from

Washington

ports.

In

1928,

there were

2,212,934

pounds

offish

caught

in

the

region's

rivers

and

offshore

waters.

Coos

Bay's

major

new

development

in

the

forest

industry

in

the

1920s

was

the

production,

manufacture,

and

export

of

Port

Orford

cedar.

Although

the trees

had

been

used

locally

for

construction

for

many

years,

a

market

developed

in

the

late

19th

century

for

railroad

ties,

pilings,

and

poles.

During

the

First

World

War,

cedar

was

used

for

building

wooden

airplanes.

After

the

war,

following

the

lead

of

C.

A.

Smith,

several regional

plants

were

built

to

meet

the

domestic

market

demand

for

building

battery

separators

and

Venetian

blinds.

In

1921,

the

country

suffered

a

short

depression,

but

the

Coos

Bay

region

kept

in

business

through

its

Port

Orford

cedar

production.

The

Japanese

took

an

interest

in

the

product

for

processing

it

into

paneling

for

home

construction.

This

offshore

market

took

up

the

slack

in

domestic

demand

for

the

timber.

In

1922,

the

Western

White

Cedar

Company was

founded

by A.E.

Adelsperger

(955

South

Fifth),

W.

J.

Conrad

(979

South

Fifth),

W.

L.

Forsythe

(942

South

Fifth)

and

others.

These

three

had

also

worked

with

the

C.A.

Smith

Lumber

Company,

before

starting

their

own

business.

The

company

built

one

plant

in

Myrtle

Point

followed

by

another

in

Coos

Bay.

It

concentrated

on

the

Japanese

markets

and

handled

most

of

the

region's

exports

to

that

country.

Two

other

lumber

products

companies

opened

in

1928

including

the

Evans

Products

Company

which

purchased

the

Western

Lumber

Manufacturing

company

plant

in

Coos

Bay

from

Carroll

and

Vern

Smith,

sons

of

C.

A.

Smith

to

manufacture

battery

separators

and

the

Sitka

Spruce

Pulp

and

Paper

Corporation

built

south

of

Coos

Bay.

12

Sandra

Beebe,

ed.,

The

Company

Bv

The

Bav:

A

Portrait

of

Edwards

S.

Evans

and

the

People

of

Evans

ProrhirtQ

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t

02/27/03NPS

Form

10-900-a

OMB

No.

1024-0018

United

States

Department

of

the

Interior

National

Park

Service

National

Register

of

Historic

Places

Continuation

Sheet

Section

number

8

Page 15

Nerdum-Conrad

House

(Name

of

property)

Coos.

Oregon

(County,

State)

These

timber

manufacturing

facilities

revived

the

region's

economy,

adding

hundreds

of

new

jobs,

many

of

which

were

taken

by

women.

The

Oregon

Legislature

approved

a

six

million

dollar

bond

issue

for

road

construction

in

1917,

providing

money

for

a

permanent

road

from

Coos

Bay

to

Coquille.

By

the

end

of

the

1920s,

a

new highway

system had been

completed

in

the

region,

later

to

become

part

of

the

Roosevelt

Highway,

and

still later,

the

Oregon

Coast

Highway.

With

the

advent

of

the

automobile

and

a

new highway

system,

residents

of

Coos

Bay

could

make

weekend

trips,

travels

to

work

and

socialize

with

surrounding

towns

in

the

region

in

ways

unheard

of

only

a

decade

earlier.

C.

A.

Smith

died

in

1925

and

even

though

his

company

had

changed

hands,

his

passing,

along

with

that

Asa

Meade

Simpson

in

1915,

marked

the

end

of

the

era

of

the

powerful

lumber

baron.

13

Industry

would

now

be

managed

on

multi-tiered

corporate

levels.

Changes

in

the

Coos

Bay

region between

1900

and

1930

were

enormous.

Trains,

automobiles

and

even

airplanes

had

helped

the

city

overcome

its

isolation.

New

forest

industrial

manufacturing processes

had been

added

to the

production

of

rough

lumber.

Coos

Bay

had

grown

into

a

major

seaport

rivaling

Portland

in

its

forest

products

exports.

Social

life

in

the

region

had

become more

civilized

as

the

migrant

work

force

of

single,

male

loggers,

miners,

and

mill

workers

gave

way

to

a

work

force

of

married

men

and

an

increasing

number

of

women.

This

slow

but

steady

growth

transformed

the

region

from

a

coastal

frontier

into

one

of

Oregon's

major

centers

of

population

and

industry.

The

End

of

the

Period

of

Significance

Beginning

in

1929,

life

in

the

Coos

Bay

region

would

change.

The

year

of

the

stock

market

crash

and

a

nation

in

economic

depression

would

have

its

effects

felt

here

as

well.

Lumber

production

fell drastically

in

1930,

1931,

and

1932.

Coos

Bay

Lumber

Company

(successor

to the

C.

A.

Smith

Lumber

Company) was

the

region's

largest

employer

when

it

announced

on

July

31,

1931

that

it

would

close

until

financial

conditions

became

stronger.

As

a

result,

some

of

the

homes

on

South

Fifth

Street

were foreclosed

and

sold

at

Sheriffs

auction.

W.

J.

Conrad's

home

was

a

victim

even

though

Mr.

Conrad

had

widely

diversified

interests

and

holdings.

Other

owners

found

ways

to

economize,

with

several large

homes becoming

boarding

houses

while

other

owners

partitioned

off

part

of

their

houses

to

use

as

rentals.

By

now,

most

of

the

lots on

South

Fifth

Street

had been

developed

and

construction

was

at

a

standstill.

Aside

from

the

rebuilding

and

enlargements

of

garages,

only seven

residences

and

a

church

were

built

in

the

years

after

1940.

The

post

Depression

and

World

War

II

years

would

indelibly

alter

the

character

of

the

Coos

Bay

region

as

it

did

nationwide.

Thus

by

1930,the

historically

significant

period

of

the

South

Fifth

Street

District

had

come

to

an end.

TVmrtiit

Tli<»

rw,e

Tl-*\,

D

*»«;««

icon

m/i/i

~

NPS

Form

10-900-a

OMB

No.

1024-0018

United

States

Department

of

the

Interior

National

Park

Service

National

Register

of

Historic

Places

Continuation

Sheet

Section

number

9

Page

1

Nerdrum-Conrad

House

(Name

of

property)

Coos.

Oregon

(County,

State)

Bibliography

American

Lumberman.

Issue

No.

1904.

Chicago:

November

11,1911

Baker,

John

Milnes.

American

House

Styles:

A

Concise

Guide.

New

York:

W.

Norton

and

Co.,

1994.

Beckham,

Anna.

First

Baptist

Church

of

Coos

Bay

fMarshfieldl.

1879-1979.

(A

church

history

printed

in

1979.)

Beckham,

Dow.

Swift

Flows

the

River:

Log

Driving

in

Oregon.

Coos

Bay:

Arago

Books,

1990.

Beckham,

Stephen

Dow.

The

Simpsons

of

Shore

Acres.

Coos

Bay,

OR:

Arago

Books,

1971.

Beebe,

Sandra,

ed.

The

Company

by

the

Bay.

Springfield,

OR:

By

the

Bay

Press,

1988.

Blumenson,

John

J.

-G.

Identifying

American

Architecture:

A

Pictorial

Guide to

Styles

and

Terms.

1600-

1946.

New

York:

W.

Norton

and

Co.,

1981.

Caldera,

Melody

J.,

ed.

South

Slough

Adventures.

Life

on

a

Southern

Oregon

Estuary.

Coos

Bay,

OR:

Friends

of

South

Slough,

1995.

Galloway,

Stephen,

ed.

The

Elements

of

Style.

Revised

Edition.

New York:

Simon

&

Schuster,

Inc.,

1996.

Carley,

Rachel.

The

Visual

Dictionary

of

American

Domestic

Architecture.

New

York:

Henry

Holt

and

Company,

Inc.,

1994.

Clark,

Rosalind.

Oregon

Style:

Architecture

from

1840

to

the

1950's.

Portland,

OR:

Professional

Book

Center,

Inc.,

1983.

Ching,

Francis

D.

K.

A

Visual

Dictionary

of

Architecture.

New

York:

Van

Nostrand

Reinhold,

1997.

Coos

County

Assessor's

Office

Coos

County

Deeds

and

Records

Dodge,

Orvil.

Pioneer

History

of

Coos

and

Curry

Counties.

Or.

Bandon,

OR:

Western

World

Publishers,

Second

Ed.,

1969.

Douthit, Nathan.

The

Coos

Bay

Region.

1890-1944:

Life

On

A

Coastal

Frontier.

Coos

Bay,

OR:

River

West

Books,

1981.

A

Guide

to Oregon

South

Coast

History.

Corvallis,

OR:

Oregon State University

Press,

1999.

Grant,

Virginia

Conrad.

Personal

interviews,

2000-2003.

Harris,

Cyril

M.

Illustrated Dictionary

of

Historic Architecture.

New

York:

Dover

Publications,

Inc.,

1983.

(Originally

published

as

Historic

Architecture

Sourcebook. New

York:

McGraw-Hill.

C1977.)

NPS

Form

10-900-a

OMB

No.

1024-0018

United

States

Department

of

the

Interior

National

Park

Service

National

Register

of

Historic

Places

Continuation

Sheet

Section

number

9

Page

2

Nerdrum-Conrad

House

(Name

of

property)

Coos.

Oregon

(County,

State)

Bibliography

(continued)

Marlitt,

Richard.

Matters

of

Proportion:

The

Portland

Residential

Architecture

of

Whidden

&

Lewis.

Portland,

OR:

Oregon

Historical

Press,

1989.

McAlester,

Virginia

and

Lee.

A

Field

Guide

to

American

Houses.

New York:

Alfred

A.

Knopf,

1984.

A

Field

Guide to

America's

Historic

Neighborhoods

and

Museum

Houses:

The

Western

States.

New

York:

Alfred

A.

Knopf,

1998.

National

Register

Nomination

for

the Hjalte

Nerdrum

House,

prepared

by

Steve

L.

Clay

and

Carl

Sandstrom,

Jr.

Oregon Historical

Society.

OHS

Spectator.

Portland,

OR:

No.3,

Summer

2000,

pp.

20

&

21.

Peterson,

Emil

R.

and

Alfred

Powers.

A

Century

of

Coos

and

Curry.

Coquille,

OR:

Coos-Curry

Pioneer

and

Historical Association,

1977.

Poppeliers,

John

C.,

S.

Alien

Chambers,

and

Nancy

B.

Schwartz.

What

Style

Is

It?

New

York:

John

Wiley&

Sons,

Inc.,

1983.

R.

L.

Polk

and

Company.

Polk's

Coos

County

Directory.

(1913,

1924,

1926-27,

1936, 1938,

editions

referenced)

Portland,

OR

Robbins,

William

G.

Hard

Times

in

Paradise:

Coos

Bay.

Oregon. 1850-1986.

Seattle,

WA:

University

of

Washington

Press,

1988.

Sanborn

Map

and

Publishing

Co.,

Limited. Fire

Insurance

Maps

of

Marshfield

(1908,

1911,

1920).

The

Coos

Bay

Times

Nerdrum-Conrad

House

Name

of

Property

0MB

No.

10024-0018

Coos.

Oregon

County

and

State

10.

Geographical

Data

Acreage

of

Property

less

than

one acre

UMT

References

(Place

additional

UTM

references

on

a

continuation

sheet)

1

401389

4801147

Zone

Easting

Northing

Verbal

Boundary

Description

(Describe

the

boundaries

of

the

property

on

a

continuation

sheet)

Boundary

Justification

(Explain

why the

boundaries

were

selected

on

a

continuation

sheet)

Zone

Easting

Northing

11.

Form

Prepared

By

name/title

Kathrvn

Trumbull

Netter

organization

date

2/15/2003

street

&

number

979

South

Fifth

Street

city

or

town

Coos

Bay

telephone

541-269-7187_________

state

OR_______

zip

code

97420

Additional

Documentation

Submit

the

following

items

with

the

completed

form:

Continuation

sheets

Maps:

A

USGS

map

(7.5

or

15

minute

series)

indicating

the

property's

location.

A

sketch

map

for

historic

districts

and

properties

having large

acreage

or

numerous

resources.

Photographs:

Representative

black

and

white

photographs

of

the

property.

Additional

items

(check

with the SHPO

or

FPO

for

any

additional

items)

Property

Owner

name

Dennis

V.

and

Kathrvn Trumbull

Netter

street

&

number

979 South

Fifth

Street

city

or

town

Coos

Bay_____________

telephone 541-269-7187

state OR

zip

code

97420

Paperwork

Reduction

Act

Statement:

This

information

is

being

collected

for

applications

to

the

National

Register

of

Historic

Places

to

nominate

properties

for

listing

or

determine

eligibility

for

listing,

to

list

properties,

and

to

amend

existing

listings.

Response

to

this

request

is

required

to

obtain

a

benefit

in

accordance

with

the

National

Historic

Preservation

Act,

as

amended

(16

U.S.C.460

et

seq.).

Estimated

Burden

Statement:

Public

reporting

burden

for

this

form

is

estimated

to

average

18.1

hours

per

response

including

time

for

reviewing

instructions,

gathering

and

maintaining

data, and

completing

and

reviewing

the

form.

Direct

comments

regarding

this

burden

estimate

or

any aspect

of

this

form

to the

Chief,

Administrative

Services

Division,

National

Park

Service, PO Box

37127,

Washington,

DC

20013-7127;

and

the

Office

of

Management

and

Budget,

Paperwork

Reductions

Project

(1024-0018),

Washington,

DC

20503.

NPS

Form

10-900-a

OMB

No.

1024-0018

United

States

Department

of

the

Interior

National

Park

Service

National

Register

of

Historic

Places

Continuation

Sheet

Section

number

10

Page

1

Nerdrum-Conrad

House

(Name

of

property)

Coos.

Oregon

(County,

State)

VERBAL

BOUNDARY

DESCRIPTION

The

nominated

area

is

located

in

NW1/4

SW

1/4

Section

35,

Township

25

South,

Range

13

West

of

the

Willamette

Meridian,

in

Coos

County,

Oregon,

and

is

legally

described

as

Lots

23,

24,

25,&

26

of

Block

44,

Railroad

Addition

to

Marshfield

(now

Coos

Bay),

Oregon.

It

is

otherwise

identified

as

Tax

Lot

5300

&

Tax

Lot

5301

at

said location.

BOUNDARY

JUSTIFICATION

The

nominated

area

encompasses

the

entire

urban

tax

lots

(100

x

140

feet).

Lots

25

&

26 have

been

occupied

by

the

Nerdrum-Conrad

House

since

its

construction

in

1912.

Lots

23

&

24

have

been used

as

a

formal

garden area

for

the

Nerdrum-Conrad

House

since purchase

in

1921.

Lots

23, 24,

25

&

26

have

continued

under

a

single ownership since

1921.

NPS

Form

10-900-a

OMBNo.

1024-0018

United

States

Department

of

the

Interior

National

Park

Service

National

Register

of

Historic

Places

Continuation

Sheet

Section

number

Floor

Plans

Page

1

Nordrum-

Conrad

House

(Name

of

property)

Coos.

Oregon

(County,

State)

BACKPORCH

FLOOR

PLANS

-

MAIN

LEVEL

Scale:

I

inch

=

10

feet

DINING

.1...—.

,—

ENTRY

PORCH

_3_——

UTILITY

BATH

STAIRS

LVING

N

MRS

Form

10-900-a

OMBNo.

1024-0018

United

States

Department

of

the

Interior

National

Park

Service

National

Register

of

Historic

Places

Continuation

Sheet

Section

number

Floor

Plans

Page

2

Nerdrum-

Conrad

House

(Name

of

property)

Coos.

Oregon

(County, State)

FLOOR

PLANS

-

BEDROOM

(2

nd

)

LEVEL

Scale:

1

inch

=

1

foot

BEDROOM

4

BATH

i

!

CO

HALL

BEDROOMS

BEDROOM

5-

___

i

BATH

1

i

BEDROOM

1

BEDROOM

2

N

National

Register

of

Historic

Places

Continuation

Sheet

Section

number

Site

Plan

Nerdrum—

Conrad

House

Coos

County.

Oregon

Site

Plan:

Contributing

and

Non-Contributing

Resources

A

f\

M

Houst

XJ*

3

Lor35

*-of

ay

i~or

s^

Sourn

Fiprn

STRfET

Ol

National

Register

of

Historic

Places

Continuation

Sheet

Section

number

Original

Plat

Map,

Submitted

by

C.H.

&

Mary

Merchant

October,

1890

Nerdrum-

Conrad

House

Coos

County.

Oregon

National

Register

of

Historic

Places

Continuation

Sheet

Section

number Assessor's

map

:

Railroad

Addition

to

Marshfield

(NW1/4

SW

1/4

SEC

35

T.25S.

R.13W.

W.M.)

NT

Nerdrum-

Conrad

House

Coos

County.

Oregon

1"

-

IOO

tn

111

DC

CO

DC

O

LL

t-

o

CO

Nerdrum-Conrad

House

Ownership

Record

(from

Coos

County

Clerk)

979

South

Fifth

Street,

Coos

Bay

Oregon

97420-1201

Lots

23,

24

(garden

and

lawn),

25 and 26

(house)

Block

44

Railroad

Addition

to

Marshfield

(now

Coos

Bay)

Coos

County,

Oregon

Platted

October,

1890

by

Charles

H.

and

Mary

L.

Merchant

(#4210)

Date

of

Record

02/16/1903

05/25/1906

10/16/1906

10/03/1907

11/30/1907

11/08/1909

07/06/1912

02/17/1914

04/16/1915

08/30/1916

09/22/1917

03/24/1921

Vol./Paqe

38/186

43/009

44/237

48/259

48/471

48/490

55/170

63/324

68/223

71/297

73/617

76/145

84/507

Buyer

Mary

E.

&

John

L.

Quick

(lots

21-22-23-24-25-26)

George

W.

&

Claudine

Kaufman

and

Alva

Doll

(lots

23-24-25-26)

Edward

Marsh

(lots

23-24-25-26)

Anna

H.

&

Carl

Barkman

(lots

23-24-25-26)

(correction

of

10/16/1906)

D.

J.

&

Hannah Rees

(lots

25-26)

Name

number

5674

1121

1122

1151

1152

5705

E.

A.

Nelson

(lots

23-24),

presumably

builds

house

"...free

from

all

encumbrances

excepting

the

sewer

which

has

been

laid

on

(sic)

the

street

in

front

of

the

above

described

property..."

Rolfe

&

Maja

Nerd

rum

(lots

25-26)

'House

Construction

Begins*

G.

A.

Bonebrake

(lots

23-24)

Coos

Bay

Pulp

&

Paper

Company

(lots

25-26,

Nerdrum

House)

C.

A.

Smith

Lumber

& Mfg.

Co.

(lots

25-26,

Nerdrum

house)

Laura

D.

Conrad

(lots

25-26,

Nerdrum

house)

7032

3582

7441

958

6450

Laura

D.

Conrad

(lots

23-24,

Nelson house)

House

moved

to

South

Fourth

Street;

Conrads

establish garden

areas

and

add

conservatory.

Nerdrum-Conrad

House

Ownership

Trail

(continued)

Date

of

Record

05/01/1933

11/26/1941

01/30/1943

06/06/1953

Vol./Page

119/021

142/241

145/153

227/578

Buyer

Investors

Syndicate

(Foreclosure

&

Sheriffs

Sale)

(lots

23-24-25-26)

E.

Roy

&

Eva

Jarman

Name

number

11703

number

system

discontinued

Zella

M.

Gillespie

"who

was

formerly

Zella

M.

Bradburn

and

who

is

the

survivor

of

George

A.

Bradburn,

deceased."

Dr.

Eugene

B.

&

Norma

Sorum

05/27/1963

10/26/1966

02/07/1968

06/21/1977

05/15.1979

03/28/1983

08/13/1984

10/24/1986

12/29/1986

05/09/1988

09/31/1989

07/19/1993

Microfilm

Reel

301/463

66-10-13207

68-2-25584

77-6-09605

79-2-7293

through

79-2-7302

83-1-7878

Rnc#84-173

86-5-1094

86-6-4746

88-5-0462

89-8-2319

93-7-0561

John

H.

&

Wilma

Sindelar

Kenneth

&

Nita

Mae

Salzman

James

F.

&

Donna

Marie

Whitty

Anna Dubnoff

(Anna

listed

her

address

as

979

S.

5

th

when

she

bought

the

house.

When

it

was

she

was

living

in

California

and

her

son,

Peter

Madian, sold

the house

with

a

Power

of

Attorney,

listing

his

address

as

979

S.

5

th

St.)

Gary

D.

&

Sue

Ellen

Rossi

Sue

Ellen

Rossi

and

Nancy

Borneman

Nancy

Borneman

Gary.D.

Rossi

(Bargain

&

Sale

Deed

dated

05/07/1986)

Nancy

A.

Borneman

Freedom

Federal

Savings

&

Loan

Association

(Foreclosure)

Laura

M.

Janus

Dennis

Vernon

Netter

&

Kathryn

Trumbull

Netter

NPS

Form

10-900-a

OMB

No.

1024-0018

United

States

Department

of

the

Interior

National

Park

Service

National

Register

of

Historic

Places

Continuation

Sheet

Section

number

Photos

Page

1

Nerdrum-

Conrad

House

(Name

of

property)

Coos.

Oregon

(County,

State)

The

following

information

is

submitted

for

all

photographs;

exceptions

for

copies

of

historic

photographs

as

noted:

Name

of

property:

The

Nerdrum-Conrad

House

Address:

979

South

Fifth

Street

Coos

Bay

Oregon

97420-1201

Coos

County,

State

of

Oregon

Photographer:

Kathryn

Trumbull

Netter

Date

of

photographs:

Various

dates

in

2002

&

2003

Negatives:

Kathryn

Trumbull

Netter

979

South

Fifth

Street

Coos

Bay

OR

97420-1201

Exterior

Photographs:

Photograph

#1:

Copy

of

historic

photograph from

the collection

of

Virginia

Conrad

Grant,

c.

1916,

showing

street view

of

979

South

Fifth

Street

in

its

original

configuration.

(Photographer

unknown)

Photograph

#2:

Copy

of

historic

photograph from

Coos

County

Historical

Society,

c.

1930's,

showing

addition

of

conservatory

to

south

side

of

house

by

the

Conrad

family

after

purchasing

additional

lot.

(Photographer

unknown)

Note

that front facade

has

changed

with removal

of

top

center

window

and

replacement

of

upper

level

French

door

with

a

window

matching

the

one

to

the

right.

Photograph

#3:

Current

view

of

exterior,

as

viewed

from

Fifth

Street.

Photograph

#4:

View

showing

front

and

north

elevation

of

house.

Photograph

#5:

Close-up

of

north

elevation

rafter

detail,

showing scrolled

design.

Photograph

#6:

Close-up

of

exterior

window

trim.

Photograph

#7:

South

elevation

as

seen

from

garden

area

to

the

south

of

the

house.

Photograph

#8:

South

elevation

as

seen

from

sidewalk

of

Fifth

Street.

Photograph

#9:

View

of

garden

area

on

south

side

of

house.

Mossy

brick

path

is

difficult

to

visualize,

but

runs

about

8

feet

from

either

rose

border.

NPSForm

10-900-a

OMBNo.

1024-0018

United

States

Department

of

the

Interior

National Park

Service

National

Register

of

Historic

Places

Continuation

Sheet

Section

number

Photos

Page

2

Nerdrum-

Conrad

House

(Name

of

property)

Coos.

Oregon

(County,

State)

Photograph

#10:

Close-up

of

original

shallow

pond

as

constructed

by

the

Conrad

family.

Statue

was

installed

by

current

owner.

Interior

Photographs:

Photograph

#11:

Photograph

#12:

Photograph

#13

Photograph

#14:

Photograph

#15:

Photograph

#16:

Photograph

#17:

Photograph

#18:

Photograph

#19:

Photographs

#

20

&21:

View

of

entry

area

and

stairway

as

seen

from

the

front

door.

View

of

living room,

looking

east

to

Fifth

Street.

Entry

area

is

at

right

through

French

doors.

View

of

dining

room,

located

directly

behind

(to

the

west

of)

entry

area.

Looking

into

living room

through

French

doors

of

dining

room.

View

showing

pattern

of

long

oak

flooring

pattern

used

throughout

the

first

level

of

the

house.

View

into

the

kitchen,

looking

at

the

southwest

corner

of

the

house.

This

room

was

originally

a

maid's

bedroom,

but

was

remodeled

in

the

late

1960's.

Looking

down

main

stairway

to

the

south

from

the

second

floor

hall.

View

of

central

hallway

on

second

floor,

looking

west.

Main

stairway

is

to

the

immediate

left.

Representative

bedroom

view.

This

is

one

of

five

on

the

second

floor

and

is

located

at

the

southwest

corner

of

the

house,

directly

above

the

kitchen.

View

of

master

bathroom

as

remodeled

from

two

bedroom

closets

by

the

Conrad

family

in

the

1920's.

Tilework

and

fixtures

are

original

to

the

remodel.