Two Local Artists “Step Up” For History

Warren Straus and Ray Foster

The 1873 Beekman House, home to Jacksonville’s most prominent pioneer and completely furnished with family artifacts, closed to the public in 2009.  The Jacksonville Heritage Society has reopened the House, undertaking an ambitious schedule of tours, living history, children’s activities, and events.  However, the house’s main accesses are becoming safety hazards and the roof may soon be leaking.  The Heritage Society has inaugurated a fund raising campaign to address these problems.

“The Beekman House is the one icon we have in Jacksonville, in Southern Oregon,” says Straus.  “It’s like a time capsule—everything is the same inside as if the Beekmans just locked the door and left.  There really are not many houses like that—that’s what is so spectacular!”

He continues, “I want the house to last.  But since I’m an artist, I’m also interested in the aesthetics.  I want people to come up and say the Beekman House looks great!  And then they will find out what a wonderful source of history it is and what a great resource for the Rogue Valley.”

The Beekman House was owned and occupied by only the one family.  Cornelius C. Beekman, who founded the second oldest bank in the Pacific Northwest, was also carpenter, miner, express rider, insurance salesman, real estate investor, school board member, mayor, gubernatorial candidate, and University of Oregon Regent.

Straus’s roots also go back to the pioneers who settled the Rogue Valley, but he credits his appreciation for history to a teaching sabbatical he spent in Europe.  “Oregon history is only 150 years old,” he points out.  “Until I lived in England, I had a very limited view of history.  That experience was an eye opener—I could see history; I could touch it.”

Beekman House

He continues, “If you can’t relate to history, it’s just so much information.  That’s what drew me to the Beekman House. You walk inside and realize these are the original things the Beekmans used.  The Jacksonville Heritage Society is making that possible with their Living History program and their theme-based tours and events.  But without these porch and roof repairs, they may have to shut the House down again.”

Ray Foster, who was one of Straus’s student teachers, has been a neighbor of the Beekman House for over 30 years.  “The Beekman House has always been important to me,” Foster states.  “It’s part of the bigger Jacksonville picture.

“Twenty-five years ago I was a member of a group of residents who came together to prevent land adjacent to the Beekman House from being sold to developers.  We realized the impact that development of neighborhood woodlands would have on the Beekman House and on Jacksonville’s National Historic Landmark District.”

That citizen group that Foster was part of became the Jacksonville Woodlands Association, and that parcel of land, the Beekman Woods, became the first of the 22 parcels currently comprising the Jacksonville Woodlands and its 18+ miles of hiking trails that retrace key elements of the region’s pioneer and gold mining history.

Foster continues, “Now the Beekman House is being threatened again—this time by the cost of repairing and maintaining it.  These historic places need lots of help!”

He points out, “Maintaining the Beekman House is a way to get people to appreciate it.  I value the Beekman House, and I’d be ashamed of myself if I didn’t do my part to keep it around.  I have a recurring fantasy of winning the lottery and using the money to help restore the Beekman House and other historical properties in Jacksonville.  That hasn’t happened yet, but I’m a terminal optimist!”

Straus echoes these sentiments.  “It’s so important to do something about these historic buildings, to step up to the plate.  By stepping up to the plate, I hope we can get others to think about the Beekman House and value it too.”

Together, Straus and Foster are challenging the community to “step up for history.”  Their $6,000, combined with a $3,000 City Lodging Tax Grant and a Jacksonville Presbyterian Church pledge of half the proceeds from their June 9^th Strawberry Festival, puts the Jacksonville Heritage Society one-third of the way toward its $30,000 Beekman House fund raising goal.  Now Straus and Foster want to see the community do its share.

“There’s always a way to make something good happen with enough determination and a positive mind set!” Foster observes.

Straus continues the thought. “And when you’re talking about dollars and cents, it’s not much money if everyone contributes just a little bit.”

If YOU would like to help, see the JHS information below and click here for the fun Summer Beekman House events!

JHS is a 501(c)(3) non-profit and all contributions are tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law.  For additional information about the “Step Up for History” campaign, contact the Jacksonville Heritage Society at 541-245-3650 or e-mail info@jvilleheritage.org. Information also online on facebook.