National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet

NPS Form 10-900-A 0MB Approval No. 1024-0018 (8-86)
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service
National Register of Historic Places
Continuation Sheet
Section Number: _7_ Page: _7_ Geneva-Minnesota Historic District, Medford, OR
had to wait for their men folk in the lobby of the old Nash Hotel. Often this was quite annoying; so,
in self-defense, it was decided to organize a club where the ladies could play bridge, read, etc., while
waiting...." 11 After moving from a variety of meeting places, including the Garnett-Cory/Liberty
Building (NRHP. 1911) and the Cargill Court apartments (NRHP, 1917, now demolished), the
Colony Club acquired its permanent home on Geneva Street. Today, the Colony Club remains a
highly regarded social and charitable institution in the Medford area, it members numbering many of
the city's earliest and most influential residents. The Colony Club is active in a variety of projects
including support for the local fund-raising drives of organizations such as the American Red Cross,
the YMCA, and Girl Scouts.
ID No: 003
Historic Name: Paul McKee-William Lydiard House Year Built: 1921
Address: 16 Geneva Legal: 37S-1W-30AB, Tax Lot 13000
Humphrey-Knight Addn, Block 1, Lot(s) s. por 9,10 and n. por 11
Architect: Unknown (prob. Clark, Frank Chamberlain) Builder(s): Unknown
Style: Bungalow Primary Contributing
A one and one-half story wood frame structure, the Paul McKee-Lydiard House has a gable roof with
a central gable dormer above a distinctive front entrance. Large windows, predominately 8-light
wood casements set in pairs, line the entire north and west elevations in an almost continuous band.
A pergola, or trellis, is located to the south, overlooking a garden area. An entrant porch faces the
concrete driveway that the structure shares with 22 Geneva, to the north. A matching garage is
located behind the northeast corner of the main structure. While no historic photographs of this
house were located it appears relatively unchanged from its original design. Built in 1921, in early
November of that year the local newspaper reported;
The fine new home of Mr. and Mrs. C.A. Knight on Geneva street has just been
sold to Paul B. McKee, general manager of the California-Oregon Power
Company, who will arrive here with his family with the next two weeks from
San Francisco and move into it. 12
Although apparently constructed by Knight, there is no indication that Knight, one the area's
developers, actually ever lived here. Paul McKee remained a highly respected leader in the private
power industry, retiring as the President of Pacific Power and Light in 1966 after many years of
service in that position. In 1926 precursor to his move to Brazil, where he helped to develop that
nation's power system, McKee resigned his COPCO position and left the Medford area. "Under
McKee's direction the power company has been built up from a relatively small concern with an
11 Ibid, 1.
12 Medford Mail Tribune, 2-November-1921m 1:2.