On April 1, the Tualatin Historical Society hosted the first entry in their Tualatin Heritage Center 100th Anniversary series.
Hosted by Larry McClure, the first chapter of the three-part historical retrospective revisited the center’s construction in 1926 and recapped its early existence as a Methodist church until the 1980s.
The building, now located at 8700 SW Sweek Dr, was originally erected in 1926 on Lower Boones Ferry Road by Tualatin craftsman Charles Sherburn and community volunteers.
In his presentation, McClure discussed several anecdotes about the building’s construction, including a memorable sales negotiation between the church’s Methodist worshipers and the building’s architect.
“They got in an argument about how much his bill was,” McClure recounted. “Finally, he agreed to knock $25 off, and they paid him $100 for the work.”
The event thoroughly examined the building’s construction and layout and delved deeply into the details of its American Craftsman style. McClure reported that he reached out to local architects in preparation for the presentation and said that none of them were familiar with the old building’s aesthetic.
“They couldn’t quite define what the craftsman style meant,” McClure said. “Architects then knew what it was; today, they didn’t know what I was talking about.”
The building was first used as the Community Methodist Church, later renamed the Tualatin United Methodist Church, serving the community until 1982, when it was bought by Clark Lumber Hardware. The building continued to house different denominations and is still used by the Old Paths Historic Baptist Church on Wednesdays and Sundays.
McClure weaved his analyses of the building’s Craftsman style and construction history around examples of other historic buildings in Tualatin built in American Craftsman style, which feature steeply pitched roofs, projected eaves, a porch, shingled exteriors and polished wood floors.
McClure also highlighted some other notable building feats from the aforementioned Tualatin craftsman, Sherburn, who was responsible for constructing several buildings on Lower Boones Ferry Road, including the Logan House and Tualatin’s first city hall building.
The event was well attended by members of the public and historical society members, many of whom contributed personal stories about the building’s importance during the presentation.
“All of our family activities over the years, we had in this building,” Christine Nyberg Tustall told Tualatin Life. “Everybody in town was married in this building.”
Tunstall explained that it was where she attended Sunday School and got married. The Nyberg family and many other members of the community donated to the relocation of the building in 2005.
McClure and Historical Society member Norm Parker were important components of the change. Overall, THS raised nearly $200,000 to help fund the effort and informing many community members about the building’s historical significance.
“Larry and I did a lot of the fundraising, and we’d go around to different businesses,” Parker said.
McClure and Parker shared stories about the church with Tualatin Life after the presentation, with Parker noting that it was where he met his current wife, Loyce Martinazzi.
“Loyce was singing in the choir, that’s how I met her,” Parker said. “That was a good memory, getting acquainted with her.”
McClure also shared some memories from the building’s days as the town’s Methodist Church, recounting a time when his wife’s water broke while they were both singing in the choir.
“That’s the Sunday I will never forget,” McClure said.
The Tualatin Historical Society’s three-part presentation on the building will run through the rest of Spring and wrap up this Summer, with the second event, “Memories of Our Building That Linger Today,” taking place on May 6 at 1 p.m. and the last event planned for August.
The third and final event is on August 5 and will revisit one of the building’s most significant stories: its relocation.
McClure, during his presentation, emphasized the importance of the Historical Society’s partnership with the city, noting that it led to the relocation and renovation of the building. The City of Tualatin partnered with Tualatin Historical Society in 2005 to help manage and maintain the center.
“A partnership between the City of Tualatin and the Heritage Center, that’s the reason we’re here today,” McClure said. “The move and the whole revamping of the building inside all was a part of that city partnership.”
The Tualatin Historical Society’s next event on May 6 will feature stories spanning the city families and church members who spent significant time in the building over the course of its hundred-year history.
“We’re inviting people who were part of any groups that used the building for those 100 years,” McClure said.
Heritage Center 100th Anniversary Part 2 & 3
When: May 6 and August 5, 2026
1:00 to 2:00 p.m.
Where: Tualatin Heritage Center,
8700 SW Sweek Dr, Tualatin
Tickets: Events are free and open to the public, no tickets necessary. For more info, visit tualatinhistory.org
