Woodmen of the World Hall - Eugene, OR - Art Deco - Art Nouveau on Waymarking.com

The National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form highlights the history and significance of the former Woodmen of the World Hall (now known as the Community Center For the Performing Arts) and parts of the Form in regards to its Art Deco architecture tell us:

The Woodmen of the World Hall, Eugene Camp No. 115, is located at 291 West 8th Avenue, the corner of 8th Avenue and Lincoln Street in Eugene, Oregon, the county seat of Lane County. Built in 1932, it is an excellent example of Depression era lodge hall architecture in Oregon's small cities. Designed by prominent Eugene architect, John Hunzicker, and constructed under the direction of contractor, W.B. Baker, he building was used primarily as a fraternal meeting hall, auditorium, recreational facility and lodge office throughout the historic period (1932-1946). The office portion of the building also served as an examination facility for the lodge's "camp doctors", who were available to members of the Woodmen of the World and the related organization, Neighbors of Woodcraft. The building displays a mix of stylistic influences popular for public buildings at the time of its construction, including a mix of Art Deco and Commercial style details with Spanish or Mission style finish on the exterior, and stripped classical and commercial style details on the interior. The Woodmen of the World Hall is virtually intact on the exterior and primarily intact on the interior.

... The dominant compositional features of the Woodmen of the World Hall are its shape, the detailing of the south (front) facade and the window pattern. The Art Deco (or Modernistic) detailing on the south elevation sets the tone for viewing the three dimensional composition of the building.

... In the category of architecture, under Criterion C, the building is significant as a locally distinctive, notably well preserved example of Modernistic public building design. Its decorative program is simple and restrained, in keeping with the modern emphasis on form, and relies upon large, angular incised patterns in the Art Deco tradition for surface relief. Hunzicker's was an economical yet skillfully proportioned scheme which, through the breaking up of its scale into graduated volumes, blended with the residential surroundings. The building's stylistic character is chiefly expressed on the south facade, where a portico with triangular false pediment is centered to shelter the entryway at the head of a short flight of steps. The triangular archway and intaglio outlines of the porch face produce a kind of reverberating chevron motif that is a hallmark of machine age Art Deco.

... Built in 1932 as the lodge home of the Woodmen of the World, Eugene Camp, No. 115, this well-known Eugene landmark exhibits a mix of Art Deco, Commercial, and Simplified Classical detailing within its composition that creates a unique character for the building while it effectively portrays both its function and important aesthetic and social values of its time. The building is one of only two public facility structures in Eugene not associated with the University of Oregon that remain virtually intact on the interior and exterior. It is one of only three examples of Art Deco exterior detailing on a large public structure remaining in the City outside the University (of Oregon).

... The Woodmen of the World Hall is an interesting example of this group of buildings because it represents an attempt to keep or revive the momentum of this type of construction, which was prevalent during the 1920's, in the context of the Depression of the early 1930's. Within that group of buildings, the Hall represents a stylistic turn away from historic revival or historically referenced styles to "modern" styles, as the idea was understood at the time. Like many buildings of the early 1930's, this idea was expressed through the use of Modernistic surface decoration, "Art Deco," applied to buildings often constructed by traditional craftsmen. They used both new and old techniques, creating an interesting transitional character for the buildings. Within the Woodmen of the World Hall operating remnant building systems, such as the sawdust-burning steam boiler and the pulley drawn ventilation system, and the use of traditional craftsmanship in detail combine with the Hall's modernistic exterior decoration, to reinforce its significance as an expression of the mix of ideas and technologies which characterized American urban culture in those few transitional years.

Style: Art Deco Structure Type: Culture/Entertainment Architect: John Hunzicker Date Built: 1932 Supporting references: Not listed

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