Philomath College edit
Located in Benton County, Oregon, United States, Philomath College was a preparatory institution founded in 1867 by the United Brethren Church. Now, it stands as the place of the Benton County Historical Society and Museum. The college remained operational until its closing in 1929, due to a decline in enrollments following the unfolding of the Great Depression.[1][2]
History edit
After his trip East to the Willamette Valley in search of land to settle, Reverend Thomas Jefferson Connor of the United Brethren Church led families to Benton County in January, 1852. The first United Brethren Church was established by Reverend Thomas Jefferson Connor, at Union schoolhouse, which was the only school in the area. Townsfolk yearned for a more accessible school.[1][2]
It wasn't until February of 1865 that a committee of United Brethren Church members formed, and the funds ($2,510) would be collected to purchase the half-section of land from the Henderson donation land claim. The 1867 completion marked the commencement of classes in the fall. As the surrounding town of Philomath expanded, so the college grew with additions until its electrical modernization in 1909.[1][2]
Construction edit
The original stone foundation was first laid in 1865, both by masons and students of the college. Construction led on for two years, with the steady help of a brick kiln on site, which saw the completion of the structure in the fall of 1867. Additions had been made as more pupils received their education, a new gymnasium being built in 1902-03, and a west wing finished in 1905, with yet another on the way in 1906. By 1909, the school was electrically powered, pumping water, and overseeing sidewalks leading towards the emerging lumber town of Philomath. [2]
Reopened and Repurposed edit
Following years of disrepair after the college had been closed down in 1929, with Depression tensions causing a decline in enrollments, the college was used as a church. Then, in the 1970's, local citizens acknowledged the buildings cultural and historical significance, and redeemed it through the National Register of Historical Places. What is now the site for the Benton County Historical Society, Philomath College became the Benton County Historical Museum in 1980.[1][2]
See also edit
External Links edit
References edit
- Horner, John B. "Activities of Philomath College." Oregon Historical Quarterly 30, no. 4 (1929): 344-45. Accessed June 7, 2021. http://www.jstor.org/stable/20610500.
- Museum, Benton County. “TALE OF TWO COLLEGES: PHILOMATH COLLEGE AND THE COLLEGE OF PHILOMATH.” bentoncountymuseum.org. Accessed May 25, 2021. http://www.bentoncountymuseum.org/index.php/exhibitions/online-exhibitions/two-colleges/.
- Robbins, William G. “Philomath.” The Oregon Encyclopedia. The Oregon Historical Society, March 17, 2018. https://www.oregonencyclopedia.org/articles/philomath/#.YL6Jm5NKi3I.
- Springer, C.G. "A History of Philomath College." The University of Oregon Thesis Series, no. 19 (July, 1929). https://cbcpubliclibrary.net/localhistory/Benton%20County/A%20History%20of%20Philomath%20College.pdf
- ^ a b c d www.bentoncountymuseum.org http://www.bentoncountymuseum.org/index.php/exhibitions/online-exhibitions/two-colleges/. Retrieved 2021-06-07.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ^ a b c d e Springer, C.G (July 1929). "A History of Philomath College" (PDF). cbcpubliclibrary.net. Retrieved June 7, 2021.
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