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The August Olson House

A Pioneering Craftsman Style House
2509 NE 18th Avenue

Were it not for a single obscure letter in the archives of the National Park Service it would not have been recorded that Raymond Hockenberry was the architect for the magnificent lodge on the rim in Crater Lake National Park.  Hockenberry was evidently hired for the job by Alfred Parkhurst the Portland developer who built the hotel.  Unfortunately, the harsh winters, precarious location, and remoteness took their toll on the project, and the hotel was rough and unfinished when it opened in 1915.

By the time he tackled the rigors of the lodge project Hockenberry had already become a well known residential architect in Portland.  Arriving in Portland in 1906 as part of the great influx of new residents after the Lewis and Clark Exposition, the formally trained architect began a career in the speculative home building business.  His finely designed and crafted homes attracted an upscale clientele, and can be found on both sides of the Willamette River.  Many of his homes were in the Colonial Revival style, especially on the West Side, but starting with this home, his first in Irvington, his East Side homes were strongly Arts & Crafts influenced.  His practice was to live in some of his speculative homes until they were sold, resulting in short stays in at least 8 residences during his Portland years from 1906 through 1916.

Hockenberry's time in Portland was relatively brief.  The economic contraction that hit the country in the World War I years forced Hockenberry to move east to find work to support his family.  He moved to Bronxville, NY, where he designed commercial heating systems for nearly 30 years.  He died in 1951, never having taken up residential architecture again.

In recent years more and more Hockenberry-designed homes have been discovered in Irvington, revealing a major contribution by this architect to the neighborhood and its stock of Arts & Crafts style homes.

This house in particular is notable for its finely crafted Douglas Fir woodwork, now completely restored, its grand tile and hammered copper fireplace hood -- obviously inspired by Gustav Stickley designs -- and its playfull, but beautifully executed clinker brick elements including the spectacular chimney.  The shingled exterior combined with plainly expressed rafter tails and exposed beams supporting the porch roof help to define this home as a Craftsman Style structure.

By the early 1990's this home had fallen on hard times and was rescued by a dedicated preservationist who restored it to its original brilliance and nominated it for listing on the National Register of Historic Places.  In 2001, the home was on the Irvington Home Tour. See that listing for more about its restoration.