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Jamieson Parker papers, 1908-1977

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Parker, Jamieson, 1895-1939
Title
Jamieson Parker papers
Dates
1908-1977 (inclusive)
1924-1939 (bulk)
Quantity
50 cubic feet, (5 document cases, 1 oversize folder, 153 sets of architectural plans)
Collection Number
Mss 3000
Summary
Correspondence, specifications, and architectural plans from the office of Jamieson Parker, architect of Portland, Oregon. The collection consists primarily of specifications for residential projects and correspondence with clients, including the First Unitarian Church of Portland. A large collection of architectural plans is also included.
Repository
Oregon Historical Society Research Library
1200 SW Park Avenue
Portland, OR
97205
Telephone: 503-306-5240
Fax: 503-219-2040
libreference@ohs.org
Access Restrictions

The collection is open to the public.

Additional Reference Guides

An index to all architectural plans is available in the Manuscript Card Catalog, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.

Languages
English
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Biographical Note

Architect Jamieson Kirkwood Parker was born in Portland, Oregon, in 1895. He was educated at the Portland Academy and at the University of Pennsylvania, where he received a degree in architecture in 1912. He worked in the office of Portland architect A. E. Doyle and later with New York City architect H. Van Buren Magonigle. After serving in World War I he returned to Portland, where he worked again for Doyle and later for Folger Johnson. Starting his own practice in 1921, Parker came to be known for his residential and church architecture. Among his most notable projects were the First Unitarian Church (1924) and St. Mark's Episcopal Church (1925), both in Portland.

With the onset of the Great Depression in the early 1930s, Parker's practice dwindled. In 1934 he served as the regional director of the Historic American Building Survey, and after the program's elmination he took the post of State Director of the Federal Housing Administraion in 1935. He died in 1939 after a period of ill health. He was survived by his wife, Margaret Biddle Parker, whom he had married in 1923, and by three children.

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Content Description

The Jamieson Parker papers consist of correspondene, specifications, and architectural plans. The correspondence is primarily with clients, vendors, and contractors. Of particular interest are the files on Portland's First Unitarian Church (1923-1925), the Portland Art Association (later the Portland Art Museum), and on the D. O. Williams store in Klamath Falls, Oregon (1926). Also included is correspondence regarding the Oregon State Planning Council (filed under "Public works"), the Historic American Building Survey (1933-1934) and the preservation of Portland's Pioneer Court House. Architectural drawings cover the entire range of Parker's projects, including residential and commercial structures.

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Other Descriptive Information

Office records were separated from Mss 1525

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Use of the Collection

Restrictions on Use

The Oregon Historical Society is the owner of the materials in the Research Library and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. Written permission must be obtained from the Research Library prior to any use of reproductions. The Society does not necessarily hold copyright to all the materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use of reproductions may require seeking additional authorization from the copyright holders.

Preferred Citation

Jamieson Parker Papers, Mss 3000, Oregon Historical Society Research Library

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Administrative Information

Arrangement

The collection is arranged in the following series:

  • Series A: Specifications and other project files
  • Series B: General files
  • Series C: Architectural plans

Acquisition Information

Acquired 1973-1974, Library Accessions 12450 and 12946.

Bibliography

Richard Ellison Ritz, Architects of Oregon : a biographical dictionary of architects deceased -- 19th and 20th centuries (Portland, Or. : Lair Hill Publishing, 2002), 307-308.

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Detailed Description of the Collection

The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Architects--Oregon--Portland.
  • Architecture--Oregon--Conservation and restoration.
  • Architecture--Oregon--Portland.
  • First Unitarian Church (Portland, Or.)
  • Pioneer Courthouse (Portland, Or.)

Personal Names

  • Parker, Jamieson, 1895-1939--Archives.

Corporate Names

  • Historic American Buildings Survey.
  • Oregon State Planning Council.
  • Portland Art Association (Portland, Or.)

Geographical Names

  • Klamath Falls (Or.)--History.
  • Portland (Or.)--History.

Form or Genre Terms

  • Architectural drawings
  • Blueprints
  • Letters (correspondence)

Finding aid prepared by Geoffrey B. Wexler and Jack Harper
2009

CC0

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