THE PIONEER MOTHER’S MEMORIAL CABIN

Built to honor female pioneers and house artifacts that crossed the Oregon Trail in the mid-1800s, today the Pioneer Mothers Memorial Cabin operates as a museum and living history exhibit for school children.

HISTORY

In 1929 Mary Woodworth Patterson, widow of Governor Issac Patterson, along with the Oregon DAR, set out to build a commemorative log cabin near the site where Oregon’s provisional government was established in 1843. The cabin was completed in 1931 after an extensive fundraising campaign and has since operated as a living history museum. More than 2,000 school children visit the cabin annually to learn about early Oregon history.

PRESERVATION AND RELOCATION CHALLENGES

Although the structure was in overall good condition, the south bank of the Willamette River had eroded dangerously close to the cabin over the past 82 years. Moving the cabin to higher ground was imperative. Each log was hand marked before disassembly and relocated in the exact same location on the new site, insuring proper fit and alignment. New engineering within the existing timbers was created to create a safe structure. Weathered shingles, original newel posts and historic shutters came right along with all of the invaluable logs and artifacts that make this relocation project a true success.

ARCIFORM also recreated a massive stone chimney keeping today’s seismic concerns in mind and updating it for ADA accessibility,

Combining new elements and old building techniques in a way that clearly shows the difference between new and old was clearly demonstrated in this project.