This large and imposing Italianate was built circa 1880 by Gabriel Chrisman, an attorney, Eugene Mayor and County Judge. The house in its original state (top two photos) was among if not my favorite early Eugene dwelling. A very large house for Eugene standards, composing about 12 rooms and much resembling the Hovey House in over all layout, the Chrissman house had more elaborate window trim and two polygonal bay windows. Sometime around 1905 the Chrisman's updated the pure Italianate structure into a more fashionable Colonial Revival (some would argue not very successfully), with a large wrap around porch and two covered second floor porches all with colonial columns. Just the exact time the house, which stood on the southwest corner of 10th and Charnelton was razed it not sure, but it probably came down soon after St.Mary's Catholic Church was constructed as its original site is now a parking lot for the church.
Just north of St. Mary's (seen at the far right in photo) was the circa 1880 St. Mary's parochial school building. With a 1907 addition this building served until 1920 when it was moved to 11th and Lincoln. Soon after a new two story retail building was erected on the site which housed Montgomery Wards until it moved to the new Valley River Mall in the early 1970's. This building still stands, though heavily remolded, as the downtown Lane Community College Campus.
This is the old St. Mary's which stood on the northeast corner of 11th and Willamette across from the old First Christian Church. Built circa 1870 it served until the 1920's with the construction of the current St. Mary's on 11th and Charnelton. In the far right of the photo can be seen a part of the Issac Gray house which stood across 11th Ave, from St. Mary's After this sanctuary was removed a gas station was erected on the site which stood until 1959 when the current one story office building was built on the site.
