We are a non-profit organization dedicated to documenting and sharing the history of the Garden Home area in Washington County, Oregon. If you have stories or photos about Garden Home’s past, we’d love to hear from you.
Subscribe to our Newsletters
We have two types of newsletters:
- The UPDATE is available by email only. Expect 5 or 6 UPDATES per year.
- The Gazette, a printed four-page document, is available by both email and printed format mailed to your postal mailing address. At this time, the cost of printing and postage is met with your generous donations. Thank you very much!
To receive our newsletters by email, send us an email at GardenHomeHistory@gmail.com, and ask to receive it. It’s free! If you wish to receive the printed edition of the Gazette by US Mail, please include your postal mailing address.
CENTURY HOMES
Century Home plaque on Kaplan Miner home
Our CENTURY HOME program highlights homes that are at least 100 years old in our community. Contact us if your home is 100 years old!
Contact us
You can contact us at GardenHomeHistory@gmail.com or call Elaine Shreve at 503-246-5879 or Esta Mapes at 503-246-5758 or Stan Houseman at 503-679-3691. If you have a question or comment about a specific article or photo, you may leave a reply in the form at the bottom of most pages. Replies on those pages may be displayed to other site visitors.
Attend an Event
Visit our homepage for upcoming events. Visit our Events page for past events.
Volunteer
We are a diverse group that shares an interest in Garden Home’s past. Call us about volunteering. It’s fun!
July 2019 board picnic at Wormwood Manor. Top row: Tom Shreve, Louise Cook Jones, John Pacella. Middle: Kevin Mistler, Patsy VandeVenter, Sharon and Bob Cram. Front row: Jan Fredrickson, Marie Pacella, Susan and Stan Houseman (behind the camera: Elaine Shreve)
2014 Garden Home Advisory Board. Back row: Stan Houseman, Bill Gellatly, Louise Cook Jones, Patsy VandeVenter (in pink), John Pacella, Bob Cram, Sharon Cram (in blue) Front row: Susan Houseman, Elaine Shreve, Louise Pacella, Mildred Stevens, Bob Day, and Carole Vranizan Not shown: Virginia Vanture These are the people who work on the history of Garden Home, maintain the website and present events and publications for you. Historic Garden Home, since 1858. Official Post Office since 1882!
Board of Directors
| Co-Chairs | Este Mapes 503-246-5758 Elaine Shreve 503-246-5879 |
| Treasurer | Marie Pacella |
| Secretary | Sharon Vedder |
| Other Board Members | Jan Fredrickson Stan Houseman Susan Houseman Mickey Lindsey Kevin Mistler John Pacella |
| Advisory Board | Louise Cook Jones Sharon Cram Bob Cram Tom Shreve Virginia Vanture Patsy VandeVenter Carole Vranizan |
Special Thanks
Our community, former residents, local experts and you!
Garden Home Community Library for selling our calendars, loaning equipment, and hosting our display cabinet and wall displays.
Garden Home Recreation Center for use of facility, meeting rooms, bulletin board and other assistance.
Garden Home Trader Joe’s for hosting the historic church bell and support promoting our events.
Garden Home Starbucks for in-kind donations of refreshments for our events.
Our history
The Garden Home History Project was formed in September of 2009 with a “Bell Ringing” event at Lamb’s Market (now Trader Joe’s). The bell hung in their cupola is from the 1918 Community Church in Garden Home. We were thrilled to meet so many of the early settlers and to hear their stories. As we heard stories about our historic community we came together to research and share our history with all of you. Let us hear from you!
Subsequently, we have interviewed people and published over 200 stories and over 2000 photos. We thank you all for the photos, artifacts, stories and consulting which you have so generously shared.
We’ve held several reunion/celebrations in the auditorium of the Garden Home Recreation Center. We’ve presented slide shows, cemetery tours, workshops, newsletters, emails, and other activities to share our history. We hope you’ll enjoy the stories that you read and consider sending us your story. Contact us for a personal or phone interview. Thanks for your interest in historic Garden Home.
Garden Home History Project 
Elaine,
I’ve written before but never really looked at the website much. Today, I had the time available and did as much as I’ve time for, meaning that I went through a lot of the people. It was like a walk down memory lane. Things I didn’t know much about (i.e., the Partlow’s house where I delivered papers to), and other items which I didn’t know a lot about, were satisfied. Needless to say, I appreciate all the work you and the rest of the staff are doing bringing Garden Home’s past to life. Thanks very much.
Thank you for the kind words. Be sure to check out our story on the Dickson family.