The J.L. Elam Bank is among Oregon’s latest entries in the National Register of Historic Places. Oregon’s State Advisory Committee on Historic Preservation (SACHP) recommended the nomination at their June 2024 meeting for its significance as one of the few examples of Classical Revival architecture in Milton-Freewater. The National Park Service, which maintains the National Register of Historic Places, accepted this nomination in August 2024.

Constructed in 1906, expanded in 1908, and remodeled with a new façade in 1920, the J.L. Elam Bank is located amongst other commercial buildings on Main Street in downtown Milton-Freewater. The one-story, rectangular building has painted, smooth concrete block walls and displays many character-defining features of the Classical Revival style, including a flat roof with decorative balustrade on the parapet, flat arch lintels above windows and doors, symmetrical entrance with columns, smooth exterior walls, and an entablature. The building is one of the few and most notable examples of the Classical Revival commercial style in Milton-Freewater, and it reflects the evolution of the Classical Revival style in rural communities.

The J.L. Elam Bank was originally constructed to house the Freewater Branch of the Walla Walla-based Elam Bank. At the time of its opening, it was the first and only bank in the town of Freewater, and it had been much anticipated by Freewater residents; however, it closed after only two years in operation. The property has had many other commercial occupants over its 118 years, including law offices, doctor offices, post office, a second bank, an insurance agency, a restaurant, and presently a winery tasting room.

The National Register is maintained by the National Park Service under the authority of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966. Properties listed in the National Register are:

• Recognized as significant to the nation, state, or community;

• Considered in the planning of federal or federally-assisted projects;

• Eligible for federal and state tax benefits;

• Qualify for historic preservation grants when funds are available;

• Eligible for leniency in meeting certain building code requirements;

• Subject to local laws pertaining to the conservation and protection of historic resources.

State law in Oregon requires local governments to offer a minimal level of protection for properties listed in the National Register of Historic Places; the decisions about how to accomplish that goal reside with local governments, which also have the authority to create and regulate local historic districts and landmarks.

More information about the National Register and recent Oregon listings are online at oregonheritage.org (under the heading “Designate”).