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City of Eugene - dohansen-Moo% .~ouse ;' Page 2 Historic Landmark Designation Application - Written Statement March 24, 2004 ~ structure and property, as well as itsvassociation~with the early Danish farm settlers of the region, as detailed under Section II.D, Resource Description, and Section IV, Supporti'3e Facts and Findings, below. II. Site Conditions A. Tax Lot The tax lot involved is Lane County Assessor's Map 17-04-25-21, Tax Lot 7404. A tax lot map is enclosed as Attachment A. A deed and legal description of the property are included as Attachments B and C, respectively. B. Site Context The house sits on the west side of River Road, roughly two blocks north of the Chambers Connector, south of Briarcliff. The property is part of the River Road neighborhood, which is characterized by a mix of commercial uses along arterial roads and residential uses along local and collector roads. River Road is a major arterial that has been widened several times over the years. The original homesteads date to the early 1900's. Historically, the area was farmed, primarily for alfalfa. The Johansen-Moody house was built in 1901 and sits on a .20 acre lot. It is setback from the current roadway approximately 75 feet. The context has changed such that the immediate surroundings are now characterized by a mix of historic homes, newer homes, and urban commercial uses. However, two other properties have been recognized in the immediate vicinity for their significance in the development of the lower River Road area: the Elgaard House at 390 River Road and the Potter house at 405 River Road. The Bruner House and Country Manor on Fir Lane are also located nearby. C. Site History and Planning Context The home was originally built in 1901 by Neils Johansen and a hired hand. Mr. Johansen held the title until 1922, when he sold it to his daughter in law and her husband for $100. Laura Anderson Moody owned the home with her husband Arthur Moody until her death in 1976, when it was sold outside the family. It w~s in residential use from the time of its c~onstruction until 2001, when the current owner opened Amelia's Antiques. The history of River Road has been documented in the Eugene Area Historic Context and the Blair Boulevard Historic Commercial Area nomination packet.3 The route along 8th Avenue, Blair Boulevard and River Road was the main stage road to Corvallis and Portland. Originally, the route was titled the Eugene City to Booneville Territorial Road in 1856. In 1917, it was designated as the Pacific Highway. While Blair Boulevard developed as an 'agricultural commerce center, lower River Road was settled by farmers, who built houses on larger tracts of cropland or dairy farms. The Blair Boulevard Historic Area nomination ' indicates that Neils Johansen acquired the house currently at 1125 West 5th Avenue within the historic district between 1892 and 1902 (likely 1901, as other information indicates this is when he arrived n Eugene), subsequently selling it to settle on River Road. 52