From the
NRHP submission form:
The Gamma Phi Beta, located Block 2, Lots 8 through 10, Tax Lot 2800 of Peterson's Addition, was begun in 1925 and completed in 1926. It is located adjacent to the Mill race on the north side. From 1925 to the present, the building served as the Gamma Phi Beta sorority. The Tudor style building is virtually intact and has a 1959 addition on the rear elevation which is compatible with the original design.
The architects were Hunzicker and Gerow of Eugene, Oregon. The house was built by the local construction firm of Hargreaves and Lindsay, at a projected cost of $40,000. Hargreaves and Lindsay operated as a contracting firm in the Eugene area from 1925 to around 1930.
The house is an example of historic period Tudor style architecture. It consists of a light wood frame structure with a full daylight basement of poured concrete. The first story exterior has a veneer of rug brick with stucco, over a portion of the north elevation (rear) which faces onto an alley. The upper one-and-a-half story exterior walls are stuccoed over a light wood frame with applied Tudor style imitation half timber. There is an ornate octagonal tower over the entrance hall, which is framed by a Tudor arch of cast stone. A large covered terrace across the south facade, faces the Mill race. The approximate total area of the house is 8,000 square feet. The basement provides space for laundry facilities, meeting rooms and storage. The first floor contains an octagonal entrance hall, double living room, library, office, display hall, gallery, kitchen, dining room, and food storage area. The living room and the parlor both have working fireplaces. The second floor contains study/sleep rooms, a sleeping porch in the octagonal tower, and a small livingroom. The third floor contains additional study/sleep space, including the top level of the octagonal tower.
The exterior historic fabric of the house is nearly intact, except for changes and additions in 1947 and 1959. A fire occurred on the third floor in 1926. In 1947, the original sleeping porch was divided into separate areas as part of a renovation by John Stafford, a local Eugene architect, son of Elizabeth Straub Stafford and grandson of John Straub.
Although a major addition was made to the northern part of the structure in 1959, the house retains its original character and is in good condition. The 1959 addition, also designed by John Stafford, consists of a new two story wing with a basement. A bay window on the building's east side was removed and replaced with a large rear dining room. There is a terrace that parallels the length of the gallery.