Salem, Oregon
Home MenuContact
Historic Preservation Office
555 Liberty St. SE
Salem, OR 97301
Customer Service: 503-540-2397
Holman Historical Timeline
JOSEPH HOLMAN
Oregon pioneer, Joseph Holman, was born on August 20, 1815, in Devonshire, England. He came to America in 1833 traveling overland to Oregon in 1839 with the Peoria party. He was a carpenter and a barrel maker at Fort Vancouver, and one of the “Men of Champoeg” who voted for the formation of the first provisional government. In 1841 Holman married Almira Phelps, one of the women who traveled to Oregon on the Lausanne with the Methodist Mission. Moving to Salem, Joseph and Almira (Phelps) Holman ran a mission-approved manual training school which enrolled 20 indigenous children. Holman farmed for six years; and organized the flax industry and Pioneer Oil Works until he went into the mercantile business. Partnering with David Carter, they built a commercial building in downtown Salem. It was called by locals as the Holman Building. Holman, being very civic-minded, served as one of the directors for the Willamette Woolen Manufacturing company, was on the Board of Trustees for Willamette University, and was a commissioner for the new state penitentiary. Through his influence and involvement in the formation of our city and state, he is truly an example of an influential Oregon pioneer. Joseph Holman died on June 25, 1880, and is buried in the Salem Pioneer Cemetery.
HOLMAN BUILDING HISTORY
In 1855, Joseph Holman partnered with David Carter to build a three-story commercial building at the northwest corner of Commercial and Ferry Streets. Named the Holman Building, its purpose was retail space and possibly a hotel. A tragedy altered Holman’s plans when later that same year the wooden territorial capitol building burned. Needing a place for legislators to conduct business, Holman offered his building for rent and modified his construction plans.
In 1857, Legislators started to move in although the building was not completed until 1859. Until 1876, when the new capitol building was completed, they passed laws and performed governmental business from the Holman Building. The offices of the secretary of state, state treasurer, school land office, adjutant general, Indian superintendent, etc., were on the first floor while the second floor housed the senate and the third floor the representatives.
Once the 1876 capital was constructed, the legislators moved back and commercial businesses filled the void. Some of these businesses were the Myers & Hull grocers, M. J. Rhawl plumbing and gas fitting, and the offices for the Pioneer Oil Mill. The two-story section of the building housed Holman Hall, a meeting place that also served as a theater.
The Holman Building was the perfect place for people to gather as a streetcar line ran down Commercial Street in front of the building. This building played a role in the betterment of Salem’s downtown until the late 1940’s when its age and condition prompted discussions to remove it. The Marion Hotel, located across the street, needed a parking facility and this location was ideal.
David Dunaway, then State Archivist, led a fight to preserve this historic building but his pursuit was unsuccessful. Although the building was demolished in 1949, its loss was a deciding factor that prompted Salem historians to form the Marion County Historical Society in 1950 and give voice to the value of Salem’s historic buildings.
The above photo is of the Holman Bldg at the NW corner of S. Commercial & Ferry St. in Salem, Oregon. From 1857 to 1876 the Oregon Senate met on the top floor and the House met on the 2nd floor. It was named after Joseph Holman who came to Fort Vancouver in 1840. Among other accomplishments, he was at Champoeg in 1843, was one of the original trustees at Willamette University, was one of the first flax-seed growers and breeders of pure-bred sheep and was a Salem businessman 1849-54. One of his children was the first white child born in Marion County. It is thought that this building was planned to be a hotel but Mr. Holman changed his plans when the earlier capitol burned & it was completed as a legislative hall. Most of Oregon's basic laws were passed in this structure. In 1876 a new capitol was completed. In the 1940's several businesses were at this location, e.g. Valley Welding Supply Company.
MARION CAR PARK - site of the old Holman building
In post-war times, the automobile increased in popularity and the need for parking spaces grew. In 1949 the old Holman building was demolished and in November 1950 construction began at the northwest corner of Ferry and Commercial Streets for the Marion Car and Rental Park, (aka. Marion Car Park).
The car park was designed by Pietro Belluschi, a Portland architect, and built by Viesko & Post, a local construction firm. The building was described as a one-story concrete and steel building containing automotive service facilities with a ramp to the roof where approximately 150 vehicles could be parked. Throughout the years, various car-related companies operated here: the Marion Car Rental Company, which operated from 1957 to 1998, a gas station, an auto repair shop, a car rental company add a parking lot.
The Salem community looked with favor upon this project as Salem was greatly lacking parking spaces for the downtown area and specifically for the Marion Hotel, located across the street. Marion Car Park changed its name to Marion Auto Service in 1963. This building offered the Salem community automobile services from 1952-1998.
Although this was an ideal location for downtown business opportunities, time took a toll on the building and it slowly fell into disrepair. Rehabilitating the building, with its many code violations, proved too expensive to renovate. After sitting vacant for many years, the property was placed on the market. In 2018, the land was purchased by a developer, and in 2019 the Car Park was demolished.
The Marion Car Park was viewed as historically significant due to its modern design, being one of the first rooftop parking facilities built, and a visual reminder of the importance of the automobile to the community during post-war development.