Location: 2237 Spring Ave., Eugene, Oregon

Date: 1910

Architect: John V. Bennes; Bennes and Hendricks, architecture firm. Builders: Archie Terrell and Lawrence Hunter

Alternate titles: Alton J. Hampton House, Campbell Church House, Chancellor's House

DESCRIPTION

Constructed of Tenino stone, the 8,000 SF mansion called "Treetops" was built for Alton and Maud Densmore Hampton. Alton Hampton was a wealthy merchant who operated the Hampton Brothers Department Store which was located at 6th Avenue and Willamette Street. Alton Hampton went bankrupt in 1922, and the Hamptons divorced the same year. Alton Hampton revived his department store at a new location, and it was known as Hampton's. The mansion was put up for sale, and acquired by Campbell Church in 1925. Church was the stepson of Prince Lucien Campbell, president of the University of Oregon. His mother, Susan Campbell (nee Susan Church) was born a Campbell, no relation to her second husband, hence the name 'Campbell' in Campbell Church's name. Church donated the house to the State of Oregon in 1938, following the death of his wife, Adelaide, and moved to California. The Adelaide Church Browsing Room in the newly built library (now Knight Library) was named after his wife. The home became the Chancellor's House for the Oregon University System until its aquisition by the UO Foundation following the dissolution of the system.

The disposition of Treetops is the subject of a university committee formed in the summer of 2019. A consultant's report is informing the committee's work.

Alton J. Hampton (Sep. 3, 1864-Aug. 13, 1939) is buried in the Masonic Cemetery, Eugene. Maud E. Densmore (March 1876-Dec. 27, 1951) is buried in the Pioneer Cemetery, Eugene.

The architect of the mansion, John V. Bennes, designed many of the buildings of Oregon State University, Corvallis.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

"Hampton/Church House (Chancellor House)," Oregon Cultural Resources Inventory City of Eugene, 17 June 1985. Reproduced in the Oregon Historic Sites Database.

"John Virginius Bennes," Oregon Encyclopedia. Web. Accessed 3 Sept. 2019.

"John Virginius Bennes," Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JohnVirginiusBennes

"Treetops Feasibility Study," Campfire Collective, Architecture & Design, Springfield, Oregon, November 8, 2018. PDF.

"UO Foundation acquires historic Treetops mansion," UO Matters, 12 Dec. 2015. Accessed 22 July 2019.