Old depot gets new life

The Historic structure at Seventh and Washington has been restored

By KATY MOELLER Gazette-Times reporter
JEREMY F. HARRISON Gazette-Times Photographer


Although the glory days of the Willamette Valley & Coast Railroad Co. ended more a century ago, the company's old Corvallis depot hasn't reached the end of the line. The 110-year-old depot, which has been at the corner of Seventh Street and Washington since 1917, is on the mend after years of neglect.

Gary Feuerstein and David Livingston, of Endex Engineering purchased the depot and 8 1/2 acres of Southern Pacific Railroad property in December 1995. Several local developers had been interested in the property, including one who wanted to raze the depot and build apartments. "We were in a category by ourselves in wanting to preserve the depot," Feuerstein said. "I think, in the end, that's what favored our proposal."

Feuerstein and Livingston have completed major foundation and structural repairs, have put on a new roof and are painting the exterior its original creamy gold and burgundy colors. They also have been renovating the two second-floor residential spaces that once were occupied by the depot's trainmaster. One has been fully renovated and furnished. "I walked in and was just wowed. I just love it," said Bill Lewis, director of the Benton County Historical Museum.

Lewis and his wife, Susan, who are friends of Feuerstein, were invited to be the first to spend a night in the old depot residence - which will soon become available as a short-term rental for corporate executives and other professionals. The residences will be rented out for periods of one to six months and will each fetch about $700 a week. Livingston and his wife, Susan, spent six months decorating and gathering items to furnish the first residence. "We wanted to get a look that was kind of professional, but one that was from a period anywhere between 1890 and 1930," David Livingston said. "An architectural interior purist would go crazy because we've mixed so many styles. We did it on a gut level, out of innocence."

The residences have been designed to have the look and feel of the turn on the century - but with all the moder conveniences, including a dishwasher, electric range and stove, washer and dryer, television, cable hookup and eight telephone jacks. A mirowave is on the way. "There's a desk in every room because we figured that anybody sent there by their firm or the university... is going to be working," Livingston said. "We gave them plenty of places to spread out their work." The library, which has a couch with a pullout hed, doubles as a second bedroom.

Feuerstein and Livingston expect to have marketing brochures for the residences available in the next few weeks. They also plan to continue with restoration and renovation of the rest of the depot. Currently, the first floor of the depot is being used as a storage space for Endex Construction. Feuerstein said one of the possibilities for the space is a bakery and deli, though that would depend on whether future zoning changes permit it. The property is now zoned general industrial.

The Willamette Valley & Coast Railroad depot was built in 1887 at Ninth Street and Washington Avenue. It was moved to near Seventh and Western in 1910 and to its current location in 1917. The Swiss-style depot, noted for its gabled roof, long overhangs and bracketed eves, is the oldest existing two-story depot in Oregon. It has been listed on the National Register of Historic places. "It's quicker to tear down and put up something new, but I think there's a certain segment of the population that really aprreciates this kind of structure," said Lewis, who was almost giddy at being the first to sign the depot residence's guest book.