McMinnville has arguably the tallest living lighted tree in the United States this holiday season, and I have the sore neck to prove it!
 
After craning my neck for several hours watching fearless climbers scramble up and down the trunk like squirrels, placing and repairing lights to make sure the tree lighting ceremony after the recent Santa Parade would go off without a hitch, I turned my attention (and my stiffening neck) to the lead arborist who I heard casually mention that ours might be the tallest lit tree in Oregon this year.  I couldn’t let a claim like that go uninvestigated!  A little research has led me to believe the claim that, indeed, McMinnville has arguably the tallest living lighted tree in the United States this year!
 
Our 106 year old Giant Sequoia tree at City Park that was lit at the end of the Santa Parade was measured at 162’ tall last year and has another full year of growth on top of that.  Other cities that staked a claim to the tallest lighted tree (in 2017) are:

• Ferndale, California – a  Sitka Spruce estimated between 152’ and 162’ tall
• Blue River, Oregon – a Douglas Fir estimated at 160’+

 
Giant Sequoias continue to grow at a healthy rate at this age and size, while spruce and fir are reaching maturity at those heights and their growth slows considerably.  It’s hardly verifiable, but I don’t feel like I’m going out on a limb (pun intended!) to say McMinnville has arguably the tallest living lighted tree in the nation this year, and I think that’s pretty cool!

Do you know of a great project that took place over the past few years that preserved or restored a historic building in McMinnville?  Or, is there someone in the community that should be acknowledged for their efforts in preserving McMinnville’s history?
 
The City of McMinnville and the Historic Landmarks Committee are re-establishing the City’s annual Historic Preservation Awards this May, which is Historic Preservation Month.  The purpose of the awards program is to acknowledge property owners or individuals that are helping to preserve McMinnville’s history, and also to increase the community’s awareness of historic preservation efforts going on in the city.
 
Nominations are now being accepted for property owners or individuals that completed a historic preservation project between 2012 and today.  The nomination form, which explains the awards program in a bit more detail, can be accessed here: 2018 Historic Preservation Award Nomination Form
 
If you have a project or individual that you feel should be recognized, please nominate them for an award!  Nominations are due by April 20, 2018.

This blog will be highlighting historic buildings and places in McMinnville and the stories behind them.  Our inaugural post will be sharing some photos and historical information on the Apperson House – a historic home just north of historic Third Street!
 
We invite you to share photos or stories of places or buildings in McMinnville that matter to you, so that they can be shared with others through this blog.  If you would like to submit photos or stories of any particular place or building, please send them along to Chuck Darnell, Associate Planner, at chuck.darnell@mcminnvilleoregon.gov

Apperson House – 609 NE Cowls Street
 
The Apperson House was built in 1897 by local banker Edwin Apperson.  The original style was a Queen Anne Vernacular Victorian.  It was one of the finest homes in McMinnville at the time.  The original Victorian was 1 1/2 stories.  Years later, Mrs. Alves Apperson fell in love with the Arts and Crafts movement and decided to completely change the house.  Although the reconstruction didn’t quite fit the specific craftsman style, some craftsman elements were added to the roofline, the front door was framed with oak moulding, pillars, and entablature, and leaded glass panels were added on both sides of the front door.  However, the third floor front design of the house is a typical Tudor style.  The reconstruction took almost two years to complete from 1910-1912.
 
Mr. Apperson retired in 1937 to become president of Oregon Mutual Insurance, a position he held until his death in 1945.  He also acted as treasurer of Linfield College from 1933 - 1945.  The house has continued to be occupied by families since that time.  Patti Webb and Janice Richardson, sisters and two of five siblings, are pictured below and grew up in the Apperson House, which was owned by their parents, John and Mary Day, from 1958 – 2005.