I sat in on a presentation once by an archaeologist who talked about doing archaeology in archives rather than in the field. Today we made a discovery in the storage room that would have made that archaeologist proud. Today we found 9 pieces of plaster and five pieces of wood with square nails in two wooden crates. Notes inside these indicate that the pieces are architectural detailing from the Holman Building (X2014.006). The Holman Building is important, because it served as the meeting place for the legislature in Oregon after the fire in the first Capitol building and before the 2nd Capitol Building was completed. The most exciting part about this find is that we now have the materials entered into our collections management database, meaning that someone who is interested in learning more about the building might actually be able to find them.
Remind me to show you the wall paper samples (M3 H LC) from the Legislative Chamber (1859-1860) in the Holman Building that I found in the textile storage room.
Hello,
I know this is a really old post, but I would really like some more info on the Holman Building.
I will email you a list of materials in our collections, but I would really recommend planning a trip down to the WHC. Our research library is open Tues – Friday noon – 4 pm for drop-in researchers. We’ve got photos, descriptions, you name it.