Dr. Patterson's "Animal House".

We can't leave the East 11th Avenue area with out touching on the two Patterson houses that stood at 751 E. 11th. The first house, built in 1863 was a simple, "L" shaped side gabled Gothic, with little ornamentation, other than two classically styled porches. The house was used at times as an early hospital by Dr. Patterson, who was not only an early Eugene physician but a school teacher, text book author and the surveyor of the original Eugene town site. Dr. Patterson died in 1904 at age 90. Around 1910 the old home was cut in two and moved by horses on log skids (at one point across the Millrace) to Agate St. After the lot was cleared construction was started on a larger more modern home for the widow Patterson and her unmarried daughter. The house in the Colonial revival style, was 2 1/2 stories with a large wrap around front porch, with an additional second floor covered porch over the front entrance. The third floor gable was lighted by a large Palladian window. The house remained in the Patterson family until 1956 when Dr. Patterson's daughter Harriet died. It was sold and became a fraternity house and later student housing. The houses lasting infamy came in 1978 when it was used in the movie Animal House. Developers later purchased the property and razed the house in 1985 to build a small medical complex.