The Taste of History

Haskins Drug Store, in front of Corks Wine & Bottle Shoppe: George H. Haskins, one of the first pharmacists in Medford, opened his first store on this location in a wood frame building in 1884, just as Medford was established as the "new town on the valley floor" in anticipation of the arrival of railroad. In 1894 he replaced his old store with a fine new two-story brick volume. Haskins, who served as Medford's Mayor for several terms, allowed his upstairs offices to serve as the "City Hall" in the years before Medford actually owned a property for such purposes, an ability that no doubt led to his continued re-election. Leon Haskins, George's son, continued to operate Haskins Drugs here until 1924 when the business was sold to Fred Heath, another long-time Medford druggist. Scott V. Davis purchased the building in 1933, which is still owned by that family. Heath Drugs stayed in the building until 1943 when Adrienne's, a popular women's clothing store, moved in and the building was significantly remodeled.

The two story McAndrews Barnum Building was completed in 1895, as a large structure in the "Italianate" style, boasting three storefronts facing East Main Street beneath a fine set of arch-topped second floor windows and a detailed cornice. Originally the building was exposed red brick, like so much of downtown Medford, but in 1929 the exterior was clad with stucco, part of a "modernization" project under the direction of local builder Elmer N. Childers. Various tenants have occupied the first floor of the building, including a dry good store, an auto parts store, clothiers, and others. In 1976 the western 1/3 of the building was sold to one owner, while the two eastern storefronts, including Jackon Creek Pizza, are owned by another.

The Wilkenson-Swem Building (217 E. Main) was completed in 1895 and designed by W.J. Bennet, one of Southern Oregon's earliest architects. Ed Wilkenson's butcher shop was located on the ground floor and he lived upstairs, in the elaborate apartment with the projecting bay window. The first floor was "modernized" with ceramic tile and new materials after an errant car crashed through the facade in the 1930s.

Built in 1890 and known as the "Hoover-Cooper Building" (232 E. Main) this structure went through a series of exterior renovations during the 20th century that by the late 1990's had obscured most of it's original character. When structural issues required the removal of the facade, the owners chose to completely restore the building. Be sure to check out the multi-colored tin-panel ceiling of the showroom, re-exposed after being hidden in place above a dropped ceiling for 60 years.

Known historically as the Warner, Wortman and Gore Grocery Market (307 E. Main), this brick volume was started prior to 1907 and then expanded by 1911. In 1927, the exterior was "modernized" with stucco cladding and Art Deco-inspired detailing. Used as a newsstand, and then Leonard Electric and Connecting Point Computers, the facade was renovated to its present appearance by the current occupant, Terra Firma, with the help of the Medford Urban Renewal Agency's facade improvement program.

The small concrete volume at the NE corner of Bartlett and E Main (301 E. Main) was built about 1915, in place of an earlier wood-frame building that stood on this corner. Initially the new structure was used as a rental, owned by the Warner and Gore families that had a grocery store to the west. During the 1950's it was the site of "The Clock," a popular soda fountain and restaurant. Covered up by a series of facades that completely hid it's original character, the Warner-Gore Rental Building was restored in 1998. The project was recognized by the State for its quality.

The Tayler-Phipps Building (221-25 E Main) was completed in 1909, designed by Medford architects Powers and Reeves and built by Harper McKechnie. The upper cream brick reflects that original design while the black cararra glass and neon of the lower facade date from a 1937 renovation. Originally the home of the C.M. Kidd shoe store (see the little brass feet in the sidewalk at the entry), members of the Norris family have been selling shoes at this location since 1924.

Few corners were as important in early Medford as Front & Main streets, where "town" faced the original railroad depot that stood in the center of main street. Charles W. Palm built an elaborate brick structure on this site in 1902 and then built a second building next door, facing Front Street, in 1906. In 1916 he hired Frank Clark to design a modernized exterior that removed the corner turret and blended the two buildings. Sold to local real estate man Mark Goldy, the "Palm-Goldy" building was again "modernized" in 1947-48 with stucco, new windows and varied color "Carrara Glass" storefronts. Still owned by Goldy's heirs, the on-going restoration effort will return the rear volume to its 1916 design and restore the Main Street storefronts to the way they looked in 1948.

Before electricity was available, building interiors were dark, or relied upon gas lamps and other sources of light. Daylight was important and so many structures were built with projecting bay windows to maximize the amount of glass. Modernization has resulted in almost all of these once common downtown elements being removed in Medford, but those on the Johnson-Childers Building remain. Started in 1896 by J.O. Johnson, construction stopped after his death, until Guy Childers purchased the partially completed structure in 1899. Childers sold the building to the Knights of Pythias in 1901 and in 1911 they built the projecting bays that look out onto Main Street. Later used as a boarding house, the current owners significantly upgraded the building in 2003, but they kept the bay windows!

The Adkins-Childers building, built in 1895, shown in the 1910 Polk City Directory as being occupied by "Daniels for Duds," on the east half, another longtime downtown Medford business, while the western half's occupant is uncertain. In 1930 Edward H. Lamport acquired ownership of both sides of the block consolidating its ownership. The 1930 city directory indicated the building was identified as "The Lamport Building." Today the building is occupied by Grilla Bites and Yesterday's Blossoms. There is an upstairs for office and meeting room space as well as a living space occupied by the present owners.

The one story David Building was built in 1931, part of the development on this block of North Central that occurred after 6th Street became only the second street in downtown Medford to cross the railroad right-of-way. Long the home Piggy-wiggly market, the brick facade and leaded glass transoms were simply hidden behind a metal facade that was thankfully easy to remove during a recent renovation effort.

The Medford Depot (147 N. Front St.), formally known as the Southern Pacific Railroad Passenger Depot, was built in October 1910, during a period when Medford as among the fastest growing cities in the United States. Used as railroad offices after the last passenger train left Medford in 1955, in 1996 the Depot was rehabilitated for use as a restaurant. It is now the home of Porters.

Like many of the buildings on Riverside, once dubbed Medford's "Auto Row," the building now occupied by the Rogue Valley Art Association (32 S. Bartlett) was built as an auto showroom - The Huggins & Robinson Company selling Studebakers opened here in 1925. Used by an electrical company, and later a gift shop, the building has been the home of RVAA since the early 1980s.

Nearly 20 years after Medford incorporated in 1887, "City Hall" was in the office of whoever happened to be Mayor. Perhaps it's understandable that George Haskins, a longtime pharmacist (and longtime Mayor), helped push the City to build its first municipally owned building. Architect John McIntosh was hired to design a fine brick volume at the corner of 6th and Front streets, which opened in 1908. The fire station was on the first floor and you can still see the scored pattern where the city's fire horses could gain traction as they raced out the big double doors. The Council Chambers upstairs doubled as the public library until the Carnegie Library opened in 1911. In 1921, an addition to the south doubled City Hall's size. The Medford Central Fire Hall, as the building is known, remained City Hall until the 1930s, when a larger structure was built opposite the Elks Building, on 5th and North Central. That building was torn down after Medford's current city hall opened in 1966.

The Acme Hardware Building opened in 1947, one of the first major commercial projects built in Medford after WWII. Tony Manno operated a hardware store on the basement, first floor and mezzanine levels. The upper floor, a big open warehouse, was used by the Police Athletic League for boxing matches, as a roller rink, and later as a karate studio but mostly stood empty for nearly 50 years. By the 1970s the main floor was long the home of Phagan's Beauty School and then the Medford Antique Warehouse was located here. Recently upgraded by Ayala Properties, with new commercial spaced below and residential units above, the renamed "Acme Building" respects its historic character, down the installation of a neon sign modeled after the one Tony Manno installed in the late 1940s.