Avery-Helm Historic District
Roughly bounded by SW 2nd, 6th, and Jefferson Sts. and OR 20/34 By-Pass, Corvallis, ORThe Avery-Helm Historic District is a well-preserved example of residential development in Corvallis between c.1870 and 1949. The development of the district reflects the overall development of the city. It is distinguished from other early residential neighborhoods in Corvallis in its representation of the broad spectrum of the city's growth and population, as well as architectural housing styles.
The district represents Corvallis' residential growth, as the city became the commercial, industrial, governmental, educational and social center for Benton County and surrounding agricultural areas. Its proximity to the adjacent downtown commercial and government center and the nearby Oregon State University, churches and schools, industry and agriculture, made this neighborhood a desirable location in which many families settled. Unlike many neighborhoods in the city, whose developments were concentrated around specific groups such as college faculty or occurred within a short timeframe, this district was developed by a combination of professional, merchant, and working-class families with connections to most aspects of Corvallis' history. The district, therefore, meets the National Register Criterion A for its association with a pattern of events.
Architecturally, the district illustrates the evolution of architectural styles in housing from the 1870s through the 1940s, including local variations on stylistic themes. The inclusion of houses ranging from small, simple vernacular homes to large, high-style homes also illustrates the broad spectrum of residents choosing to reside in this neighborhood, from working-class families with little resources to professionals who could afford large homes designed by architects. There is a significant concentration of historic residential buildings linked historically as a neighborhood, and the evolution of the neighborhood has not altered its historic associations. The district meets Criterion C as a significant and distinguished entity whose components may lack architectural distinction.
Although the district is not being nominated under Criterion B, a description of the district would be incomplete without a discussion about Joseph C. Avery and his family. Not only did Avery plat the land now occupied by the district, but houses of a number of descendants are located in the district.
Listed in National Register of Historic Places in 2000.
The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of the Nation’s historic places worthy of preservation. Authorized by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect America’s historic and archeological resources.