On Sunday, August 14, HPLO members and friends are invited to spend the day in Benton County to talk preservation and visit a few of Western Oregon’s most superlative properties listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

The tour will kick off at the Watson-Price Barn, one of Oregon’s Most Endangered Places. The barn and associated farmstead complex were listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 2005 and is significant in the areas of architecture and early Oregon settlement.

After the barn, lunch can be purchased at Old World Deli, where tour-goers will learn about a few of downtown Corvallis' best historic buildings. 

At 1PM, the tour will travel to Oregon State University for a tour led by by Larry Landis, University Archivist. Participants will learn about architect John Bennes’ role in designing the buildings, the move to list OSU as a historic district, current efforts to rehabilitate existing buildings, and make new construction projects compatible with the old. A close-up of Education Hall, currently undergoing a rehabilitation, will be a rare highlight of tour.

Finally, the tour will see the historic Philomath College building, now home to the Benton County Historical Society. A special behind-the-scenes tour of the attic and new roof will complete the tour. 

The event will run approx. 10AM to 5PM. Personal transportation is required, but the HPLO will co-ordinate carpools for those interested. Space is very limited and an RSVP is required. Contact Brandon Spencer-Hartle at 503 243-1923 or brandon@ HistoricPreservationLeague.org. $10 for members, $15 for non-members.