McMinnville and Silverton

September 12

Another delightful day was spent in northern Oregon as I visited three great locations. First stop was to the air museum at McMinnville to see dozens of airplanes and Howard Hugh's Spruce Goose. The photo does not do it justice as it is very challenging to photograph. One of the largest planes in the world, it was flown only one time and for just a very short distance. I missed getting around to see it when it was in Long Beach for years so didn't want to miss this opportunity.

It was about an hour & a half drive but well worth it.

Next we drove over to Silverton, near Salem, to visit the only viewable Frank Lloyd Wright designed home in the Pacific Northwest. The Gordon House was designed in 1957, built in 1964, slated to be destroyed in 2001 and taken apart and moved to it's current site in 2001. The house is designed in the Usonian style (United States of North America) and was planned to be a smaller home suitable for families of all income levels. Wright died before it was built but the owners loved it. When it was sold, the new owners wished to demolish it and applied for a permit to do so. It was purchased and moved within 100 days. Wright's focus was on the horizontal as it was to signify harmony and peace.

Gordon House. They actually cut the top floor off & transported it by truck and rebuilt it on site.

The interior is all of Western red cedar, a wood that was not too expensive back then. Wright loved to design built-in furniture and have a variety of ceiling heights from the low entryway ceiling at 6' 6" (as were the bedrooms) to the kitchen and living room ceilings which

were about 15' high or so.

Entry way with living room behind where I was standing.

Wright was very particular about his designs & preferred to design both the inside & outside of his creations. This room was for the boys.




Our last stop, before eating some great Mexican food, was a quick visit to the Mount Angel Abby. We talked to a monk, a priest theological student and visited inside the chapel.










On the way back to Vancouver, we went by Portland Adventist Academy, managed to get into the administration building and located a photograph of my mom in the 1944 graduating class.

Mom is the bottom right photo.