Eugene/Architecture/Alphabet: T

Tiffany Building, view from the southwest (my photo).
 

This is the next in my Eugene/Architecture/Alphabet series of blog posts, the focus of each being a landmark building here in Eugene. Many of these will be familiar to most who live here but there are likely to be a few buildings that are less so. My selection criteria for each will be threefold:

1. The building must be of architectural interest, local importance, or historically significant.

1. The building must be extant so you or I can visit it in person.

1. Each building’s name will begin with a particular letter of the alphabet, and I must select one (and only one) for each of the twenty-six letters. This is easier said than done for some letters, whereas for other characters there is a surfeit of worthy candidates (so I’ll be discriminating and explain my choice in those instances).

This entry’s selection begins with the letter T, for which my choice is the Tiffany Building. I gleaned much of the information that follows from its March2, 1989 listing on the National Register of Historic Places (under its historic name, the McMorran and Washburne Department Store Building).
 
Tiffany Building
The mixed-use Tiffany Building (known previously as the McMorran and Washburne Department Store Building, and before that as the McClung Building) is a significant historic structure in downtown Eugene. Following Eugene’s urban renewal misadventures of the 1970s, it stands as an all too rare example of its type. The four-story commercial building, located at 795 Willamette Street, began its life as a two-story dry goods store in 1902, built by Nels Roney for former Eugene mayor J. H. McClung. The architect was the Portland firm of McNaughton and Raymond. Their design featured elements of the Chicago Commercial Style, including its characteristically large display windows and minimal ornamentation.
 

Tiffany Building, in its pre-1913 form as the two-story McClung Building (photographer unknown).

In 1913, George H. McMorran and Carl G. Washburne purchased and renovated the McClung Building, adding two more stories to accommodate their growing business. Their store became Eugene's premiere dry goods retailer until 1927, when they moved to a larger location at Broadway and Willamette Streets. After they left, drugstore owners Albert Tiffany and George Davis acquired the property and renamed it the Tiffany Building.
 
In its current form, the wood-framed masonry structure measures 55 by 114 feet in plan, occupying the southern one-third of its block. It features three commercial elevations: the west façade fronting Willamette Street, the south facing Eighth Street, and the east facing West Park Street. Each façade features symmetrical fenestration, simple moldings, and a projecting cornice.
 
The building’s south elevation divides horizontally by three continuous belt courses and vertically into seven bays, each with two single-lite, vertically sliding windows. The second-level windows are slightly larger than those on the upper stories. The east and west elevations also have three continuous belt courses but divide into three bays, each containing three windows per floor. Originally adorned with terra cotta trim, various modifications removed much of the ornamentation over time, though molding at the mezzanine level and modillions and dentils at the cornice line remain.

 

Tiffany Building, view from the southeast (my photo).

Though it survived the urban renewal era in Eugene, the Tiffany Building has experienced significant changes throughout its life, including the aforementioned addition of two floors, as well as major storefront modifications and repairs necessitated by a 1980 fire. If I recall correctly, it was Nagao Pacific Architectural who designed the renovations following the conflagration, rehabilitating the storefronts based on historic photos and plans, and converting internal spaces for office and retail use. The restoration efforts ensured the iconic structure’s continued contribution to Eugene's architectural heritage. Today, the building houses Jazzy Sammies, Sushi Ya, and Eugene’s Alternative Realtors on the ground floor, while the upper three stories contain apartments.
 
By virtue of its mixed-use, proportions, and architectural character, the Tiffany Building provides us with a template for future development in Eugene’s core. In particular, the desirable inclusion of new housing is consistent with the City’s vision of a vibrant downtown boasting a significant resident population. Downtown can become the home and neighborhood for many new residents, in addition to being a place to work, access government services, and share in the community.