Robert+Weller+Paintings

There are two large paintings in the library that are "highly representational of the rich farm lands that surround Forest Grove."(1) They hang in the newer part of our building, on the west wall. They were painted by local artist Mr. Robert Weller, of Hillsboro, Oregon. Mr. Weller has a Bachelor of Professional Arts from Art Center College of Design in Los Angeles, California.(2) The painting on the right side of the wall is of a Washington County pioneer farmhouse.(3) You can see more works by the artist through the Lawrence Gallery online.

Citations
 * 1) "Unveiling of art to mark Municipal Center dedication," //Washington County News-Times//, 10/11/1978, p. 1.
 * 2) "1979 Weller exhibition list," //One Percent for Art//, UO libraries Digital Collections: Robert Weller: Artist
 * 3) "Unveiling of art," Ibid.

//Spring Hill Farm// (found in the FGL vertical files)

Spring Hill Farm is located in Western Washington County, west of the upper Tualatin River and south of the junction of Sandstrom and Spring Hill Roads. It is sited atop a knoll overlooking open agricultural fields in all directions.

Springhill Farm was built in 1877 for John L Hallett, who had amassed his fortune by way of the railroad boom in the late 1800s. He was a contractor and superintendent of construction for the first 100 miles of the East Side Railway, and the building of Clarke's Fork division of the Northern Pacific Railroad. During many of the jobs he had several thousand men employed.

J.L. Hallett was born in New York in 1836, was first married to Miss Convers, who died in 1868, and then married Martha Clerk, and Oregonian, in 1872. They had three children: Kate, Fred, and Claude. Spring Hill Farm was the house the Hallett's retired to. During Hallett's ownership, the property totaled over 1000 acres. In his retirement years Hallett took up breeding horses and cattle. Racing horses were bred on the farm and west of the residence and Spring Hill Road, there stood an enclosed half mile track which was used year-round to train horses. This horse track, which has long since disappeared, was on the three horse tracks in Washington County.

According to Francis Sandstrom, five Johnson brothers may have built the house. The building is said to have been used as a stagecoach stop and during the early 1900s as a weekend retreat for Portland residents. All sorts of activities, day and night, were rumored to have taken place during this time.

S. Smally was the second owner of the house, who sold the property to Otto Brandis. The Hinkle family first rented the house and then purchased it in 1930. The Hinkle family ran a dairy on the property, pasturing their herd west of Spring Hill Road on the site of the old racetrack. In 1973 the property now totaling 100 acres was sold to Lynn Engdahl, an executive with BLM. Extensive remodeling of the second story bedrooms and conversion of the north parlor with its projecting bay into a kitchen occurred during his ownership. In 1978 the property was sold piecemeal with the principle residence, turn-of-the-century barn, gabled granary, and shed sitting on 20.4 acres being acquired by Carlos Boyer, a lawyer. More remodeling was begun early in his ownership, but the property fell on hard times and was abandoned and ransacked in the late summer and early fall of 1983.

In January of 1984, the 20.4 acre property with all its adjacent outbuildings was acquired by Thomas and Virginia Carlson. Thomas was a Navy Dental Officer stationed in Portland. In association with Dwayne Brittell, a Forest Grove architect, and Larry Ballard an associated contractor, and extensive restoration, remodeling/upgrading project was carried out from 1984 through 1986. Their concept on the extensive project involved upgrading all the main systems - plumbing, foundation, electrical, and heating, opening-up and modernizing the interior while saving what was left of the original moldings, and adding a south wrap around porch to the existing west and north porches. This porch with its turned posts matching the existing porch was needed to help protect the south elevation from sun, moisture, and wind damage. In 1987 the ussalvageable east connecting wing which had historically been used as the servant's quarters, summer kitchen, woodshed, and apartment for one of the Hinkle Brothers, was demolished. It was rebuilt on a poured concrete slab as a 3-car garage and workshop with storage loft.

The property was rented from 1986 to 1992 while Captain Carlson finished his career in the Navy. In July 1992 the Carlsons returned to the property whereupon an extensive landscaping project was commenced and continues to the present. Minor interior decorating changes continue as the rooms are returned to their Victorian flavor.

In 1983, the property was screened for historical significance by Washington County due to its unusual architectural style coupled with the colorful history of the house.

NOTE: This history was compiled by Thomas Carlson based on material obtained from Washington County Cultural Resource Inventory, personal interviews with Francis Sandstrom and Emma Hardebeck (one of the Hinkle daughters), and personal knowledge.