The following text is taken from the National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form to describe this building's history:
The single-story false-fronted commercial building which is situated on the original main thoroughfare through the small agricultural trading community of Talent in southern Oregon's Rogue River Valley was built in 1906. Before its long role as the Talent Cafe in the post War period, the building was named Hanscom Hall for its original investor. It is the only example of a common vernacular type to have survived a fire which destroyed similar buildings in the town's commercial center in 1911. Horace Hanscom acquired the lot in 1906, evidently with the initial intent of building a lodge hall. He hired his two sons, Charles and Daniel, to construct the building, which he leased to others for commercial purposes. As early as 1910, the property was sold to the Wolters family, thus firmly establishing the traditional pattern of rentals to small businesses.
The building is proposed for nomination with its entire tax lot of a quarter of an acre on the east side of Talent Avenue, the approximate northerly half of which is maintained as a gravelsurfaced parking area. The footprint of the wood frame building is 25 x 64 feet. It is oriented longitudinally, with the ridge of its gable roof at a right angle to the road. The building has a post and pier foundation with vertical board waterskirt, a plain enclosed cornice, irregular fenestration, and asbestos shingle siding. Original clapboards are in place under the non-historic cover. There is a shed addition and deck on the rear face. The building's distinguishing feature is the west end facade with its false front which, since the late 1940s has been the existing stepped parapet gable, also overlaid with asbestos shingles, but simply detailed with caps and comer boards. The original front was a plain, full rectangular gable. The storefront retains its traditional three-part organization with plate glass display windows flanking a central entry. The original entry, however, was recessed. The display windows are replacements of the original.
Hanscom Hall, later known as the Talent Cafe, has been adapted for use as a creative arts studio and gallery by the current owners, but the interior reflects its traditional organization. A partition was added eight feet from the front entrance to define a shop window display space. The principal commercial space retains its 12-foot ceilings. There has been a general modification of interior surfaces with later coverings. At the back of the commercial area is a living section dating from the post War era and a storage and bath section. Throughout most of its history, the building housed a confectionery or cafe. For a time, from at least 1911 to about 1925, it also served as the post office.
Talent was platted in 1889 in the early years of railroad development through the Rogue River Valley. When, in 1900, a railroad station was established at the town, Talent commenced a period of growth and development. The proponents show that the town was a natural transition point between Wagner Creek market road serving a productive farming district and the main north-south travel route through the valley. Single-story and one and a half-story wood frame buildings for hardware and general mercantile stores, groceries, and blacksmith shops gathered at the crossroads. Hanscom Hall was one of these. Much of the Rogue Valley profited from general economic upswing inspired by the boom of a new orchard industry. Since Talent had been spared earlier fires, most of the town's first generation commercial buildings were in service in 1911 when a fire wiped them out. Only Hanscom Hall is left to mark the traditional focal point of the old Talent business district. With the rise of automobile traffic, especially after the First World War, the business was advantageously situated on the Pacific Highway. Later, in 1938, the route was realigned to the east, and the old business center was by-passed. Nevertheless, the building was versatile and continued in use as the Talent Cafe under the joint, legendary proprietorship of Lilah Parker and Marie Long from 194 7 to 1972.
The property meets National Register Criterion A in the areas of commerce and community planning, and it meets Criterion C as the singular representative of a vernacular type once typical of Talent's commercial center. The comprehensive covering of original siding by asbestos shingles and other modifications dating from the period of the most recent 50 years (1947 onward) are to be reversed in a phased rehabilitation plan under terms and conditions of the State's program of tax incentives for historic properties.