Bohemia Inn

An example of early 20th Century Commercial style, 602 E Main Street (also known in the National Register as the Knickerbocker building) showcases local architecture and masonry expertise and contributes to a strong core of historic structures in downtown Cottage Grove. Through many eras of commercial change over the last century, the building has retained its structural and historic integrity, and it is recognized in the National Register of Historic Places.

The commercial Historic District of Cottage Grove boasts an impressive collection of early twentieth century buildings. John Hunzicker designed many of these buildings, which feature bricks and lumber from almost entirely local sources. The 602 E Main Street building is situated centrally in the five-block Historic District along Main Street, which makes preserving this building all the more important for cohesion of the District. The Cottage Grove Historic District showcases the architecture that was characteristic of many Pacific Northwest small towns in the early 1900s. Buildings in the Historic District have been gradually adapted over time, but they retain much of their original materials. Cottage Grove, unlike other nearby cities, never experienced a period of demolishing and replacing its older downtown buildings.

In 1863, gold was found in the Bohemia Mountains, east of Cottage Grove. At the turn of the twentieth century, the Bohemia Mining District was at its heyday. Like many of Main Street’s buildings, 602 E Main Street was a product of the mining boom and developed from fortunes made in the mines. In 1900/1901, local brickmaker and mason Charles Hamilton Wallace constructed the two-story masonry building using bricks from his own brickyard, just north of Cottage Grove. The building featured architectural details such as a brick cornice and parapet, as well as decorative belt courses. The arched brick lintel detail above the second story windows was characteristic of designs by Eugene architect John Hunzicker. The building had a two-bay commercial storefront, which was altered over the years based on the needs of the various commercial tenants. The building had numerous tenants from 1903 to 1940 including auto garages, the Safeway Grocery Store, the Moose Lodge, and Daugherty Lumber Company. In the early 1940s, the Knickerbocker’s Variety Store occupied the ground floor space and operated until 1988. Hoover’s Self Selecto Shoes moved their business into the ground floor in 1989. Most recently, the commercial space was a fabric and quilting shop and the second level was not occupied. The building is an important asset within the Cottage Grove Historic District and is notable for its interesting design features as well as extensive history of local commerce.

This project aims to recapture the character of the 1920-40’s-era building through a combination of refurbishment and reconstruction, using historic photos for inspiration.

The project scope includes reinforcing the exterior masonry by repacking the mortar, to a depth of 1 to 1.5 inches. Originally, the façade had wood-framed fixed display windows, wood-framed transom windows, double-hung wood sash windows, wood-framed doors, etc. At present, most windows have been replaced with either aluminum window systems or infill walls. Non-original windows will be replaced with modern, thermally efficient, insulated units.  

The interior rehabilitation includes updated utilities, new lighting, new drywall (in areas currently finished with plaster?) and insulation in the new walls. The layout of the rooms on the second level will largely be preserved, although a few dividing walls will be added on both levels to delineate the hotel rooms, restaurant, and retail spaces. The masonry walls exposed on the ground-level interior will be retained. Floor coverings will be updated. The owner plans to keep the (original?) tin ceilings and remove the non-original dropped ceilings. The back staircase will have an upgraded handrail and the existing conveyor system will be removed. A second interior stairway will be added to provide hotel guests access on the east side of the building.

The proposed renovations will prepare the entire building, interior and exterior, for a thriving boutique inn, restaurant, and retail space.  This work is valuable for the revitalization of this important historic building and for the activation of Main Street and the Historic Downtown District in Cottage Grove.