The Belle Ainsworth Jenkins Estate and its National Register listing

Located near Beaverton, Oregon, the Belle Ainsworth Jenkins Estate is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In 1912, Ralph and Belle Jenkins purchased the property for $7,000 to build a summer home as an escape from the city. Construction on the large estate began that year, including a farmhouse built in 1880 and a large English hunting lodge-style main home. The main house took three years to complete and featured facilities such as a greenhouse, a tea house, an ornamental pool, and a water tower.

Following the deaths of the original owners in the 1950s and 1963, the property was inherited by Burt Muir. He sold the estate to developers who planned to build a retirement community, but the project failed due to a lack of water and sewer access. In 1976, the Tualatin Hills Park & Recreation District (THPRD) purchased the 68-acre estate for $525,000. The property was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.

The estate currently contains eight buildings, including the main house, stable, carriage house, greenhouse, tea house, water tower, pump house, and the farmhouse. THPRD rents out these buildings for business meetings, weddings, and other events. The property also houses Camp Rivendale, a camp for adults and children with disabilities, which was created in the 1980s. In 1985, an Herb Garden was created with help from the Oregon School of the Blind, featuring a Braille Garden with fragrant herbs.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons