Friday, February 24, 2012

The Darwin Bristow Home



Just north on Lawrence from the Johnson house, at 414 Lawrence (southwest corner) stood the large home of Darwin Bristow. This fine Italianate house was built circa 1890 by a Mr. Palmer of whom little is known. The second owner was D.H. Chapman who was the second President of the University of Oregon. The house was then owned by Phoebe Skinner Kinsey, daughter of Eugene Skinner, Founder of Eugene. Mrs. Kinsey later sold the home to the Bristow family who lived there until 1964. Darwin Bristow was a Grandson of Elijah and Susannah Gabbert Bristow who built the first house in Lane County. Typical of Italianate homes of this era the house had a low hipped roof, supported by a heavily bracketed cornice and a wrap around porch with turned posts. The interior was comprised of a Parlor, Library, Dining room, kitchen, Pantry and a large entrance hall with a beautiful curved staircase which lead to four large bedrooms upstairs. There is now a large cinder block warehouse building on the site.

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