Cooley-Neff Warehouse - Medford, Oregon
Posted by: ddtfamily
N 42° 19.720 W 122° 52.630
10T E 510120 N 4686276
Historic commercial storage facility completed in 1924
Waymark Code: WMG34T
Location: Oregon, United States
Date Posted: 01/06/2013
Views: 2
The Cooley-Neff Warehouse was built in 1924 in the Spanish Colonial style, complete with a small bell off-center from the arched gable (the bell is not original but was added recently during a restoration effort, although it fits nicely with the style). A recessed area within the arched entry opening contains the letters Cooley & Neff and the date, 1924, believed to be original to the building. The exterior walls are of stucco-coated concrete and painted a bright yellow with chocolate and light brown accent colors.
This building is just north of Medford's Downtown Historic District and is adjacent to the north end of the downtown Southern Pacific Railroad corridor. The building is named for Jeremiah H. Cooley, a successful lumber executive who came to Medford in 1909, and Porter J. Neff, one of Medford's most prominent attorneys, arriving in Medford in 1908. Cooley and Neff were investment partners, also noted for backing the development of the Craterian Theater. This warehouse was built in 1924 to serve as a fireproof facility for Mason-Erhman Company, a Portland-based grocery distributor. Mason-Erhman was located here at least into the late 1940s. But 1956, the warehouse was occupied by Franklin Transfer and Storage and the Niagara Chemical Company. In the mid-1960s, Sears & Roebuck used the building as a warehouse. In 1974, the building was purchased by Sherm and Wanda Olsrud, owners of the successful Sherm's Thunderbird regional grocery chain (and later, Medford's Food-4-Less location). In 2003, the Olsruds donated the building to the Rogue Valley Medical Center Foundation and it was used by the hospital for storage of excess furniture and equipment.
Today the building is home to Pallet Wine Company, a firm which is now using the building for winemaking and storage.
Note: Click a photo to enlarge