Myrtle Point Historic Homes in Coos County, Oregon

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Photographs courtesy of Alice Desoto, Myrtle Point

209 Second Street
" Sts. Ann & Michael Catholic Church" "The Myrtle Wood Church "

The sanctuary of this beautiful church was built in 1940 under the direction of Father Daniel J. Kelley. He envisioned the building as a feature that would attract a large volume of tourist traffic to the city. He experimented with various methods of adapting myrtlewood as a building material. Working with both Evans Products Company of Coos Bay for the veneer and the Smith-Wood Products mill of Coquille for the plywood, the inside walls and timbers of the sanctuary were covered with the myrtlewood plywood. The plywood was made from a single tree and is a golden colored myrtlewood. Around the cross and above the alter is of the more rare black myrtlewood. More recent additions to the church have expanded the orignal 30 x 60 foot sanctuary by adding to the seating space of the church and also added a social wing. The original myrtlewood remains intact and has proved it's longevity beyond Father Kelley's expectations.

The Coos County Fair Museum has on loan a scale model of the original church. It was made by a local parishner, Gus W. Metzgus, and was displayed at the Coos County Fair in the early 1940's. It was loaned to the museum by Alice Desoto, daughter of Gus W. Metzgus and Myrtle Point resident.

Quotes from local papers concerning the church:
Rev. D.J. Kelley, pastor of the St. Anne parish, told of plans under way for the construction of a Myrtlewood Church in Myrtle Point and visualized the project as a feature that would attract a large volume of tourist traffic to the city.
He detailed various experiments conducted during the past year to develop a process which would adapt myrtlewood for the use as a building material, to bring out it's greatest beauty with a view to durability. The launching of the project, he said, only awaits the assurance of the necessary finances together with civic cooperation.
At the conclusion of his address, it was decided that a committee from the Chamber of Commerce be appointed to meet with Father Kelly to discuss furtherance of the project. Paper not stated

Site for a new Myrtle Point Catholic Church was transferred today by Coos County to Archbishop Edward D. Howard of the diocese of Portland in Oregon. The county transferred lots two and three, block four, town of Myrtle Point for a $1 fee. The Myrtle Point Catholic congregation announced not long ago it plans to construct a church with myrtlewood interior.
Coquille, abt 1939

The Catholic Church Extension Society donated a large sum of money toward the building of this church. Monsignor O'Loughlin now residing near Crescent City, California has recently presented a small bell to be placed in the tower of the church. Robert Banks of the North Bend shipbuilding firm, has presented the church with myrtlewood monograms for the altar. They were hand carved by a local factory. The myrtlewood veneer was purchased from Evans Products Company in Coos Bay, Oregon. It was then taken to Smith-Woods Plywood Mill in Coquille, Oregon and made into plywood to be used on the interior of the church.
Paper not stated, abt 1940

Additional information on the Myrtlewood Church can be found in Myrtle Point Beginnings by Curt Beckham or in Sts. Ann & Michael Catholic Church by Alice Desoto.