Minthorn Hall Timeline
Compiled by Clyde Thomas

1885
Friends Pacific Academy opens with one building known as the Academy
Building. The Academy is located at the NW corner of College and 4 th
Streets where the Newberg Friends Church now sits.
Henry J. Minthorn is the first Superintendent.
 1886
A two story building is constructed to accommodate students who live a
distance from the school. This is the “dormitory” or “boarding” building
which is later to be named Kanyon Hall and later still, Minthorn Hall.
The school furnished a stove for each room, but the students had to procure
their own wood and kerosene for heat and lights.
 1892
A College is added to the academy in 1891, a charter being granted under
the laws of the state of Oregon. More commodious quarters are desired for
the new institution.
A 23½ acre site is purchased on the Northeast side of town and the academy
and dormitory building are moved to the new site.
A daylight basement is added to the dormitory to accommodate a kitchen,
dining room, furnace room, cooks bedroom and store room. The first floor
houses a parlor and 16 female students, the second floor houses 20 male
students.
Both buildings are successfully moved between the last week of June and
the 22nd of July.
 1910
The House Committee of the Women’s auxiliary (formed in 1910) becomes
responsible for care of all rooms and furnishings.
Over the years, the Auxiliary purchased dishes, pots, pans, knives, utensils,
ranges, cleaning and laundry equipment, furniture, mattresses door and
window screens, a piano and a sidewalk. They made sheets, pillows,
pillowcases, towels, rag rugs, curtains and bed frames. They painted floors,
papered walls and repaired wood work during the next 29 years.
 1914
The first reference in publications to the “dormitory” or “boarding hall”
being called Kanyon Hall with a “K”. It is unknown why the “K” was used
in the spelling.
Kanyon Hall becomes a totally female dormitory after the “old college
building” (Hoover Hall) is refitted as a boy’s dormitory. The kitchen and
dining room remain in the basement.
This year, 867 quarts of fruit and butters and 81 glasses of jelly were canned.
 1936
Kanyon Hall is deemed to be structurally unsound and in need of
replacement or major repair.
A plan for a new women’s dormitory is seriously considered by the
Auxiliary. An architectural rendering is drawn by the dean of the school of
architecture at the University of Oregon. It calls for a 2 story brick building
with full basement accommodations for approximately 30 girls.
In 1937 a banquet is held to raise funds for the new residence. A “Pennies
for Bricks” plan is adopted. The $6000 of funds eventually raised is banked
and finally used in 1961 to fund architectural fees and furniture for
Pennington Residence Hall.
 1939
Laurence Skene (chemistry professor and builder) suggests Kanyon Hall can be
saved by extensive remodeling. Interested faculty and alumni groups developed
plans which are approved by the Board.
Donald W. Edmundson of Portland is retained as architect and the actual work
begun on July 5 under the direction of Harlan Jones and Laurence Skene.
$6,500 is needed to complete the construction. Donations of labor and material
are of great help. Board member John Schmeltzer and his son Harry furnish the
new cedar shake siding from trees logged and milled at their Chehalem
Mountain farm.
Levi Pennington writes “The remodeling of our women’s dormitory, of
which I am sure you have heard, is the most important improvement in the
college plant which has been made since the completion of Wood-Mar Hall
in 1911
The remodeling includes removing the dormers, replacing the roof, moving the
entry from the west to the south, new stairs, making a concrete floor in the
basement, bearing beams doubled in size, floors leveled, all plumbing replaced,
electricity put into conduit, a steam plant installed, lath and plaster on all walls,
new flooring with the lounge laid in hardwood, new sidewalks and relocation of
the main drive from River to North Streets.
 1946
Helen Wilcutts is matron The dining room is no longer large enough to
feed the 60 plus students eating there. A war-surplus building is purchased
from Camp Adair, moved to the campus and remodeled to become the new
dining hall. After the completion of Heacock Commons in 1965, the new
dining hall becomes a music building.
 1962
Kanyon Hall is remodeled and re-named Minthorn Hall in honor of the
Academy’s first principle, Henry J. Minthorn. Basement and first floor
space are remodeled to house the departments of Education (50% of students
are in this major) and Psychology. The third floor is retained as women’s
housing.
Don Lindgren is retained as architect. The work is performed by Laurence
Skene. Letters of commendation for fund raising purposes are received from
the Honorary Herbert Hoover, Herbert Hoover Jr. and Oregon governor
Mark Hatfield. The remodeling, including furniture, cost $48,948.
A faculty lounge and kitchen are created on the west end of the first floor. A
women’s bathroom, is created in the southeast corner of the first floor. All
bathrooms are finished with ceramic tile. The remainder of the first floor is
converted to classrooms and offices.
The basement, with the exception of the furnace room, laundry and janitor’s
closet are converted to three classrooms. A new door is added at the west
end of the north façade. Blonde, birch slab doors replace older doors. The
second floor remains a dormitory for at least one more year.
An external fire escape stair and doors is added on the east side of the
building. A hard-wired fire alarm system is installed.
1969
In 1969 the basement and first floor becomes the center for the Audiovisual
Instruction Department and Computer Instruction labs. A darkroom is
installed in the basement.
The 2nd floors house faculty offices.
The faculty lounge is now the alumni lounge.
 1975
Minthorn, which has been pink, is repainted to green-gold and brown by
student workers.
 1989
The building is painted, changing from gold-brown, to light beige. It is
trimmed with two shades of brown.
The basement is refurbished and Human Resources Management and the
Degree Completion program move into the basement. The upper two levels
house faculty from the History and Communication and Literature
departments.
 1990
Roof is replaced.
 1992
Minthorn Hall is now 106 years old. The second floor has not been significantly
changed since 1939. An historical renovation which attempts to return some of the
early 1900 architectural elements still found on this floor is undertaken. Broken
plaster is replaced with sheetrock, wiring is updated, Four panel, Victorian doors
replace slab doors, door moldings with bulls-eye corners are refurbished, base and
picture molding is restored and a green carpet with a leaf design reminiscent of
wallpaper found under the lathe and plaster in some locations is installed. The
discovery of old gas piping running through the ceiling inspires the return of gas
light fixtures (retrofitted for electricity) to the hallway. An old, cloth covered and
hand seamed, shriveled cork baseball found in one of the walls creates great
speculation about its’ history.
 1997
Minthorn is placed on the National Register of Historic Places.
In being named to the national historic list, the building is cited as “a classic
illustration of adaptive use of one of the oldest private college buildings in
Oregon.” It is described as “the sole physical link tying together (the) entire
academic history from infant Friends Pacific Academy to thriving George
Fox University”. It meets the National Register’s Criterion A as the
symbolic “old Main” of George Fox University. It is said to be “significant
locally and regionally as the only building associated with the complete
history of Quaker secondary and higher education in the Pacific Northwest.”