Adjutant General’s House, Camp Withycombe – Clackamas OR

Description

The Colonial Revival style Adjutant General’s house at Camp Withycombe was constructed by Works Progress Administration workers in 1938.

Although a military facility since 1909 when it was developed as a rifle range, Camp Withycombe had few permanent structures before the Depression era. During World War I, the camp received inductees who were housed in tents. When it became a supply depot in the 1930s, additional structures were required.

Salem based architect Lyle Bartholomew designed the Adjutant General’s house using details that have been referred to as the Oregon Rustic style. These include a coursed stone chimney and stone landscaping decoration. The house’s massing, porch columns and clipped gable reflect a Colonial Revival aesthetic as well. There are a few discrepancies in the dating of the structure. While Clackamas County’s Cultural Resource Survey Form indicates that the house was built in 1939, a Library of Congress photograph of a completed Adjutant General’s House is dated 1938,

Camp Withycombe currently serves as the home of several units of the Oregon Army National Guard. As such, access to the Adjutant General’s house is somewhat restricted.