Historical Registry Listing --
1. Union Women's Club
VFW Building
518 N. Main St.
2200-4S4018CC
Current owner: Union Vets, Inc.
PO Box 191
Union OR 97883
Significance: Secondary/contributing
Style: Bungalow
Date of Construction: 1921
DESCRIPTION: This bungalow style meeting house is located on
the northwest comer of Main and Birch
Streets, and front east onto Main Street. It is a wood
framed building with a gable roof, a poured concrete
foundation and full basement. The building is clad in
shiplap siding, and the roof is composition shingle.
The primary window type is three-over-one double hung wood
sash, arranged singly or in multiples of two
or three. There is an exterior brick chimney on the north
elevation with a simple corbelled stack. A newer
brick chimney on the north elevation has a sheet metal
stack. The entrance is located on the north end
of the east facade, and is sheltered by a small gable-roof
stoop porch with detailing to match the rest of
the building. The Union Women's Club Building displays
decorative features typical of the bungalow style,
including brackets in the gables, exposed rafter tails, simple bargeboards, and simple window surrounds.
SIGNIFICANCE: This building was owned by the Union Women's
club until 1985. This clubhouse was a
project of the manual training students of Union High
School. With work supervised by Joseph w. Baxter,
Jr., manual training instructor at UHS, students broke
ground, poured the foundation and worked in relays
to complete the structure. The plans for the club's meeting
house were designed by Joseph W. Baxter,
Jr., and this, undoubtedly, gave the high school students
involved a good "dry run" for the following year,
for on November 3, 1922, ground was broken for a new high
school gymnasium and civic auditorium,
which was also built by student labor.
The Union Women's Club was officially organized in 1899 and
was actively involved in the Oregon
Federation of Women's Clubs. The organization always
supported community projects, being particularly
responsive to library and educational needs.
Now owned by Union Vets, Inc., the building is often used as
a meeting place for various community
Organizations.
Covid Upgrades
