Gilbert, Andrew T., House - Salem, Oregon
Posted by: 
TheBeanTeam
N 44° 56.725 W 123° 02.450
10T E 496778 N 4976888
A Queen Anne Victorian home listed on the Historic Register that is now the location of a children's museum
Waymark Code: WM3AR2
Location: Oregon, United States
Date Posted: 03/06/2008
Views: 19
This text is on a plaque near the front door.
The Gilbert House (1897) was built on this riverfront site by
A.C. Gilbert's uncle, Andrew T. Gilbert. A.C.'s family home was
located six blocks away at 700 Marion Street, replaced by Salem
First Congregational Church in 1941.
The Gilbert House is a Queen Anne Victorian of Eastlake design,
built by architect/designer C.A. Robert.
The City of Salem purchased the house in 1985 as part of its
future Riverfront Development Project. A.C. Gilbert's Discovery
Village acquired the Gilbert House through a no-cost lease and
restored it with grants from the Meyer Memorial Trust ant the
community. The Museum opened December 15, 1989. The
Gilbert House is on the National Register of Historic Places.
A.C Gilbert was a fascinating man. He was born in Salem Oregon. Educated at Yale with a degree in Sports Medicine. An athlete with world records in in several areas and a gold medal at the 1908 summer Olympics in London. He invented the erector set and had numerous patents. Mr. Gilbert is credited with "saving Christmas" during the years of World War I. He was given the affectionate title of "The Man Who Saved Christmas".
A made for TV movie of the same name was released based on those events in 2002.