467 Court Street

(Historic Downtown Salem)

Classification: Historic Contributing

Historic Name: D’Arcy Building

Current Name: Whitlock’s Vacuum Cleaner Clinic

Year of Construction: 1909

Legal Description: 073W22DC06100; Salem Addition, front of Lots 3 and 4 in Block 22

Owner(s): Coy D. and Marjone Whitlock, Trustees

455 Court Street, NE

Salem, Oregon 97301

Description: This building is of the Revival architectural style. It has a stepped parapet, and a prominent cornice with a central arch that sets off the entablature. Its second-story fenestration is comprised of three bays. The center bay has five windows in close proximity; each has a transom window. The two flanking bays contain multi-window windows and transoms with segmental arched openings. Its primary facade is light yellow brick. The transoms have been covered over. The storefront area appears to date from the 1950s. It contains large display windows with wood framing and aluminum mullions, over tile bulkheads. Sheet metal wrapped columns support a metal canopy. This building retains sufficient historic integrity to contribute to the character of the downtown district.

History and Significance: The D’Arcy Building was constructed around 1909 and conveys a clear sense of evolving historical development in the Salem commercial district between the early 1900s and 1950. The D’Arcy Building’s upper facade was altered early on, when the building’s use changed from a one- and one-half-story movie theater to a two-story retail store. It is associated with a family that contributed to the commercial, civic, and cultural vitality of Salem and Marion County.

Peter H. D’Arcy purchased this property from Joseph Meyers and his wife in September 1908 and this building was probably constructed during the next year. A 1914 Sanborn Company map of Salem shows a one-and-one-half story building that housed a movie theater standing on this site. By 1926 the building had been raised slightly to two stories, its main facade altered slightly, and its use changed to a retail shop.

Born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1853, Peter H. D’Arcy came to the Pacific Northwest with his parents in 1854. Three years later, the family moved to Salem, Oregon, where Peter graduated from Willamette University and began reading law in 1873. D’Arcy was admitted to the Oregon Bar in 1876. Two years later, he became the first clerk of the Oregon Supreme Court, established in 1878. In 1884-85, he served as municipal judge of Salem. D’Arcy also became active in Salem government and business activities as well as Oregon cultural affairs. Salem citizens elected him mayor from 1890-91. D’Arcy invested in Salem commercial property and took a serious interest in the community’s business vitality. He was one of the original charter members of the Salem Chamber of Commerce and served as its president in 1914. D’Arcy presided over the Oregon Pioneer Association in 1910, and, for twenty years, the Champoeg Memorial Association, which was responsible for erecting a log building in 1918 to memorialize the creation of the Oregon provisional government. D’Arcy was a life member of the Oregon Historical Society and sat on the board of directors for many years. Peter H. D’Arcy died in 1933 and his wife, Teresa A. D’Arcy, passed away less than three years later.

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