Roscoe D. Hemenway architectural papers
Scope and Contents
The Roscoe Hemenway papers consist of about 2,100 original architectural drawings and 11 blueprints of buildings designed by Hemenway, an architect in Portland, Oregon. Most of the drawings are for residences in the Portland area, with a small number for commercial buildings or remodels, or for residences outside the Portland area. The drawings are primarily construction drawings, which consist of plans, elevations, sections, details, and plot plans. The majority are done in pencil on tracing paper or tissue paper, drawn in the architect’s hand.
Dates
- Creation: 1923-1959
Creator
- Hemenway, Roscoe D., 1899-1959 (Architect, Person)
Conditions Governing Access
Collection is open for research.
Conditions Governing Use
The Oregon Historical Society owns the materials in the Research Library and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. The Society does not necessarily hold copyright to all materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use may require seeking additional authorization from copyright owners.
Biographical note
Roscoe DeLeur Hemenway was born in Cottage Grove, Oregon, in 1899, and graduated from the University of Oregon School of Architecture and Allied Arts in 1923. A member of the American Institute of Architects, Hemenway was one of the most sought-after home designers for Portland’s wealthier residents. Among his clientele were Hamilton Corbett, scion of the prominent Corbett and Ladd families, early residents of Portland; Milton Gevurtz, son of Jewish immigrants who prospered in the wholesale business; George Atiyeh, a Syrian immigrant who gained wealth in the textile trade; Roy and Leola Gangware, inheritors of a paper manufacturing fortune; and Harold Cake, president of the Equitable Savings & Loan Bank in the 1950s. Hemenway and his clients favored period revival styles of architecture, and many of his residences are variations on Tudor, English Cottage, or Colonial designs. Hemenway died at age 60 in 1959; his wife, Martha Johnson Hemenway, later donated his architectural drawings to the Oregon Historical Society.
Sources: Roy and Leola Gangware House, National Register of Historic Places Registration Form, U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service (1990); oral history with Harry Gevurtz (1974), Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education (accessed November 21, 2025), https://www.ojmche.org/oral-history-people/harry-gevurtz/; “Modernistic Designed Residences Make Debut With Two Already Built,” Oregonian, April 4, 1937, page 27; obituary in the Oregonian, July 27, 1959, page 15; "Roscoe De Leur Hemenway (1899-1959)," by Morgen Young, Oregon Encyclopedia (accessed January 16, 2026), https://www.oregonencyclopedia.org/articles/hemenway_roscoe/
Extent
12.5 Cubic Feet (37 oversize folders)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
The collection consists of original architectural drawings of residences designed by the Portland, Oregon, architect Roscoe Hemenway (1899-1959). Hemenway primarily designed houses for wealthy residents in the Portland area in the first half of the 20th century.
Arrangement
The collection is arranged in alphabetical order by client name. Projects with no client name provided on the drawings are listed at the end.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gifts of Martha Johnson Hemenway, December 1975 (Lib. Acc. 13534) and February 1976 (Lib. Acc. 13556); gift of Richard Norman, July 1976 (Lib. Acc. 13758); gift of Laissue family, December 1998 (Lib. Acc. 23778).
Processing Information
The Hemenway papers were originally processed in the mid-1970s or 1980s, and at that time, each project in the collection was cataloged individually. In 2025, the collection was reprocessed and recataloged by Hope Svenson. This work included rehousing and rearrangement of the materials; incorporation of blueprints from Lib. Acc. 23788; and creation of a single, comprehensive online collection guide to replace the separate catalog records for each project. In some cases, the original catalog cards include unverified information, such as client names and project locations, that is not present on the architectural drawings and may have been supplied by Oregon Historical Society staff during initial cataloging. Where noted, this information has been retained in the collection guide to assist researchers. The original catalog cards and records were also retained and are available upon request.
Genre / Form
Geographic
Topical
- Title
- Guide to the Roscoe D. Hemenway architectural papers
- Status
- Under Revision
- Author
- Hope Svenson
- Date
- 2025
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- Finding aid is written in English.
Repository Details
Part of the Oregon Historical Society Research Library Repository
1200 SW Park Ave.
Portland OR 97205 United States
5033065204
5033065240
libreference@ohs.org