National Register of Historic Places

Independence Historic District

Independence, Polk County, Oregon
Listed
March 1, 1989
Type
District
Period
Listed
Ref No.
89000048

About this property

Independence Historic District in Independence, Oregon, United States is a historic district that was listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in 1989. The roughly 30-block district preserves approximately 250 homes and businesses of a prosperous riverside town of the 1880s. Main Street, running along the Willamette River, is notable as an example of a late-nineteenth/early-twentieth century main street and features two commercial buildings with prominent Victorian-era towers. Most of the buildings on Main Street were built of brick between 1880 and 1900. Independence thrived as a shipping point, by both rail and boat, for agricultural products and lumber until the 1950s. The city was known for its hops production from the 1890s through the 1940s, dubbing itself the "Hop Capital of the World." When the demand for hops dropped, the city's fortunes began to decline. One reason Independence is so well-preserved today is that it was bypassed by major freeways in the 1960s, so there wasn't a push to modernize the downtown. Today the historic district is being revitalized as a tourism destination. Independence National Bank (1891) designed by architect Walter D. Pugh Media related to Independence Historic District (Oregon) at Wikimedia Commons Images of historic architecture in Independence from the University of Oregon Library digital architecture collection Independence Historic District listing in the Oregon Historic Sites Database of Oregon Parks and Recreation Department Historic images of Main Street in Independence from Salem Public Library 2009 Statesman-Journal article about the J. S. Cooper House

Location

Independence, Polk County, Oregon
44.85123, -123.19220

Categories

COMMERCEAGRICULTUREARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Everything a full report reveals about Independence Historic District

This page lists Independence Historic District. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
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Nearby Historic Sites

Eldridge, Kersey C., House
Industrial
0.1 mi
Wheeler, J. A., House
Industrial
0.2 mi
Davidson, Dr. John E. and Mary D., House
Industrial
0.2 mi
Saint Patrick's Roman Catholic Church
Industrial
0.2 mi
Cooper, James S. and Jennie M., House
Industrial
0.3 mi

Questions about this property

When was Independence Historic District listed on the National Register?

Independence Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on March 1, 1989.

What type of historic resource is Independence Historic District?

Independence Historic District is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Independence Historic District?

The period of significance for Independence Historic District is recorded as the listed era.

Can I research the history near Independence Historic District?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Independence Historic District will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

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