Medford’s Lee-Janouch House Secures Historic Status in Oregon Despite Crater Lake Stone Scandal
MEDFORD, Ore. — The Oregon Parks and Recreation Department announced yesterday that the Lee-Janouch House is one of Oregon’s newest entries in the National Register of Historic Places.
Lee-Janouch House Officially One Of Oregon’s Historic Places
For its significance as an excellent and rare example of Rustic or Cascadian architecture used for a private residence, Oregon’s State Advisory Committee on Historic Preservation (SACHP) recommended the nomination of Lee-Janouch House at their October 2024 meeting.
The National Park Service, under the authority of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, maintains the National Register and accepted the nomination in January.
Lee-Janouch House is on the corner of East Main Street and Willamette Avenue in Medford.
Constructed in 1934 by Isaac “Ike” Davidson, the building superintendent of Crater Lake National Park at the time, using stone from the park, the house’s distinctive masonry façade was built by National Park Service personnel, techniques, and equipment.
The house’s design echos the Rustic or Cascadian style associated with the National Park Service and features redwood board-and-batten siding in the gable ends, with simple interior finishes.
The exterior walls were given the “Crater Lake wall treatment,” characterized by battered stone walls tapering inward from bottom to top. This treatment was first used in Crater Lake’s Sinnott Memorial in 1931 under Davidson’s tenure as building superintendent.
Because he used park assets, Davidon later pled guilty to misuse of federal funding. He was the main witness in a related case against his supervisor, Crater Lake National Park Superintendent Elbert C. Solinsky. Both men were fired from the Park Service and served prison time because of the trial’s national coverage.
Oregon law requires local governments to offer minimal protection for properties in the National Register of Historic Places and to be listed in the National Register; properties must be recognized as significant to the nation, state, or community. These buildings can enjoy benefits that include:
- Federal tax benefits
- Historic preservation grants
- Leniency in meeting specific building code requirements
- Consideration in the planning of federal or federally-assisted projects
Historic buildings are subject to local laws seeking to conserve and protect historic resources. Recent Oregon listings in the National Register are online at oregonheritage.org (click “Designate”).