110 Commercial Street NE

(Historic Downtown Salem)

Classification: Historic Contributing

Historic Name: Watkins-Dearborn Building

Current Name(s): Unknown

Year of Construction: c.1870/1920s/1940s

Legal Description: 073W27AB07900/7800; Salem Addition, from Lot 5, Block 33 (One of two buildings on this combined tax lot)

Owner(s): Economy Dental Supply Company (See Also 315-333 State Street-same property owners)c/o Helen Spivak

1912 NE 27th

Portland, OR 97212

Description: This Italianate-style, two-story, unreinforced brick masonry building, incorporates a stepped parapet, corbelled brick cornice, three round arched windows on the second level. It is likely that this building was incorporated with the Durbin Building to the south when it was remodeled in the 1920s. The storefront appears to date from the 1940s, and incorporates black and white tile in the bulkhead. There is a recessed entrance and a standing-seam metal awning from above the first floor storefront over the sidewalk.

This building continues to display its overall historic appearance, primarily on the second level. Although changes have occurred to the storefront, the building retains sufficient historic integrity to be considered a contributing building in the downtown district.

History and Significance: R.H. Dearborn purchased this property from W.H. Watkins in 1875. Richard H. Dearborn was a harness maker. A harness-making shop occupied the northern-most Watkins-Dearborn Building through c.1910. In 1912 this building housed the Holland Bakery, owned and operated by J.P, Feilen.

In 1931, this building was the location of the Real Estate and General Insurance offices of Edward Rostein and Samuel Adolph, both prominent Salem businessmen. Rostein’s office was in the building until 1963, when he retired. Rostein was also the chairman of Salem’s first water commission, which was responsible for the present system. Adolph was the son of one of Salem’s first brewery owners.

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This article originally appeared on the original Salem Online History site and has not been updated since 2006.