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The Spies-Robinson House

A Classic Prairie School Home
2424 NE 17th Avenue

This architecturally dramatic Prairie Style house was placed on the National Register both for the importance of its design, but also for the significant contributions to the community of its third owners, David and Edna Robinson.  As a Prairie Style home, this is one of an estimated 35 such houses built in Portland in the first half of the 20th Century, and this is one of the most strikingly influenced by Frank Lloyd Wright, and the only all-brick home -- linking its design closely to its antecedents in Illinois.  And early owner David Robinson was noted as an early champion of human rights in Portland, distinguishing himself as the city's first Public Defender and the founder of the city's Anti-Defamation League.

Christian Spies was the contractor for the construction of this house, which was undertaken by the Hughes Investment Company, owner of a large number of Irvington lots from 1910 onward.  Upon its completion, the Christian and his wife Clara purchased the house, living in it for just 2 years.  The Hughes Company hired Orlor W. Hossack as the architect.  Hossack at the time was working for the firm of Houghtaling and Dougan, but may have taking this commission on a "moonlighting" basis, as it was in 1923 that he set up his own practice, which he continued until his death in 1937.

Orlo Hossack received his early architectural training in the offices of the firm of Bennes, Hendricks, and Thompson.  John Virginius Bennes was a leading exponent of the Prairie Style in Portland, having brought the style and a deep admiration of Frank Lloyd Wright with him from his home in Illinois.  For an example of Bennes Prairie Style work in Irvington, see the residence at 2330 NE Thompson.  Hossack's design, however, borrows even more strongly from Wright's signature homes such as the Robie House in Chicago.  The horizontal slabs above the first floor windows and entrance, plus the rectangular buttresses on either side of the front door, are pure Wright.  

Also significant is the use of concrete bricks in two colors for the entire exterior.  Concrete bricks had recently gained favor due to the economies of local production in comparison to clay bricks which were shipped in from the east, and their ease of texturing and coloration.  This house is the only Prairie Style house in Portland to entirely make use of brick facing, all the others having been built with stucco or composite of stucco with other materials.  Orlo Hossack went on to design a number of buildings in the Kenton neighborhood using these bricks -- now a defining characteristic of the Kenton commercial district.

The career of David Robinson would itself have been sufficient to put this house on the National Register.  After he graduated from the University of Oregon Law School, he became Portland's first Public Defender and later became one of the founders of the local Legal Aid Society.  His charitable and human rights activities were exemplified by his founding of the Portland chapter of the B'nai B'rith and the Anti Defamation League.  He served as president of the Urban League, president of the Congregation Beth Israel, president of the Portland Rose Society, and served actively in Salvation Army programs.

The roses shown in the recent photo of the house are a fitting tribute to Mr. Robinson, who for many years passed out free rose bushes to children at the sidewalk in front of the house in the belief that an interest in gardening would help deter them from juvenile delinquency.