Building history: Children learn about their downtown
The Cozine House covered with popsicle sticks and beads. McMinnville’s old electric plant shown in a painting. A cardboard version of the brick building that now holds Two Dogs Taphouse, complete with a door that opens when someone pulls its handle, made from a blob of hot glue.
St. James School second- and third-graders created the art pieces as they learned about the history and architecture of downtown McMinnville this spring.
Before starting the project, most of Donna Carlisle’s students already knew at least one location on Third Street — the Serendipity ice cream shop. They explored many more as they researched other structures’ styles, early uses and construction.
Adelynn Moore created the Cozine House, originally home to one of McMinnville’s earliest residents and now the office of the McMinnville Downtown Association. Aspen Wilcox drew a poster showing the former power plant, which just reopened as Stillwater event venue. Eleanor Field made the Two Dogs building and its creative door handle.
Members of the class also collaborated to research and write about McMinnville, which they called “a great place to live, work and go to school.”
In addition to historical information, they included some current highlights, such as the air museum, Joe Dancer Park and Linfield University, and events such as Alien Days and the McMinnville Food & Wine Classic. The latter is a fundraiser for their school, they said.
As for their art project, Milo Grimaldo used art board to construct an 18-inch tall version of the Hotel Elberton, built in 1905 and now known as McMenamins Hotel Oregon. “My parents helped hot glue it,” he said, “because I just got so tired of building.”
“It was a fancy hotel, then a bus station, then a hotel,” said Milo, who drew bricks on the exterior and depicted a small balcony on the Third Street side.
Now it has a restaurant, too, he said, adding “my parents want to take me to dinner there” to celebrate the end of the school year.
Hallie Wyant said she visited the old U.S. Post Office at 414 N.E. Evans St. after choosing it for her project. Built in the American Renaissance style, she said, it’s now the Yamhill County Clerk’s office. “It still kinda looks like a post office,” though, she said.
Brixton Miller said he learned that the old Elks Building, which went up in 1908, has had several uses. It was a lodge upstairs, a dry goods store downstairs, a restaurant and a theater; today it holds Currents Gallery and a private residence.
“I think it would be really noisy to live there,” he said. “But it’s close to Serendipity.”
Ryder Elstrom chose the Schilling Building, a former grocery store that now holds La Rambla. “It looked like it would be easy to make,” said Ryder, who carefully drew bricks on the cardboard sides of the 1884 building.
Alexia Tinoco-Garcia built the Odd Fellows hall, built in 1909 in the 20th Century Commercial style. Isabel Medoza-Monje chose the McMinnville National Bank Building, an 1885 structure at Third and Cowls streets.
Christian Aguilar did the Carnegie Library, building in 1912; which is one of only a few buildings still used for their original purpose. Books, furniture and even a chandelier visible through the windows made Christian’s model look like the real thing.
Isaak Thompson constructed the department store built in 1928 as JC Penney, which now contains a variety of businesses. “I picked it because it says ‘JC Penney’ on the front,” he said, showing that he added the words to his model, as well. “It’s like a story.”
Anaeli Rios also drew bricks on the walls of her choice, the Wright Building. Around the roof, she created finials from hazelnuts to give it the appropriate Queen Anne appearance. “I looked at pictures and at the building,” she said. She also sought advice from her mother, who is an architect.
She said she knew from research that it now houses Third Street Flats upstairs. But when her class took a walk from their school at Second and Kirby streets all the way to Third and Adams, she noticed the building also holds the Terra Vina tasting room and Local Flow health bar downstairs.
During the walk, the class visited all the places students had studied. Youngsters read their reports in front of their buildings.
Curiously, no one had written about the Yamhill Hotel/Mack Theater, in which Serendipity is located. But students stopped there on their tour anyway. They just had to do a little research about ice cream flavors.
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