Favell Museum

Name: Favell Museum
Address: 125 W Main St
City: Klamath Falls
Year of Construction:
Architect: Nina Lorraine Pence
Original Use: Museum
Status: In Use
National Register of Historic Places: Not Listed
Description:

Written by Docomomo US/Oregon board member Brian Morris to celebrate International Women’s Day:

Nina Lorraine Pence was born in 1925 in Amarillo, Texas and moved to Klamath Falls, Oregon in 1946. She begun studying architecture at the University of Michigan in 1945 and after arriving in Klamath Falls, she apprenticed with a local architect named Howard R. Perrin. In 1954, after nine years of education and apprenticeship, Nina Lorraine Pence became the first licensed woman architect in Klamath County, and the 10th licensed woman architect in the state of Oregon.

She became an active member of the Klamath Art Association, and donated her services for the design and construction of their gallery which opened its doors in early 1960, and has been in continuous use at the same location in Klamath Falls.

Favell Museum
Nina’s most well-known design is the Favell Museum in Klamath Falls, Oregon, built in 1972. While clearly using modern design principals, an understanding of regionalism was expressed with the use of local wood and lava rock on the exterior walls. For almost 50 years the Favell Museum has been showcasing artifacts of indigenous peoples from North and South America dating back 12,000 years. The museum also houses collections of over 300 contemporary western artists.

As you look at the photos notice the detail of how she used lava rock. It appears that Nina Lorraine Pence designed the wall to slant towards the base. Additionally, the placement of the structure and how it takes advantage of the site along the river and the incorporation of detailed, lush landscaping.

Beyond Her Built Work

Her contributions to the profession of architecture go beyond her built work. She was a founding member of the Southern Oregon Chapter of American Institute of Architects, served on the Citizens Advisory Committee for the Oregon Land Use Law Senate Bill 100 which created an institutional structure for statewide planning to help preserve and protect Oregon’s environment and quality of life from “unfettered despoiling of the land” (Gov. Tom McCall). In 1976 she was appointed to the state’s first Energy Conservation Task Force to help revise building codes to promote energy conservation and starting in 1977 she served six years on the Oregon Board of Architect Examiners and was a member of the NCARB team which observed the accreditation renewal of UC Berkeley’s architectural program in 1980.

As we celebrate International Women’s Day, Docomomo US/Oregon would like commemorate the contributions that Nina Lorraine Pence made to the profession of architecture and to the State of Oregon. While her built work was very centralized around Klamath Falls, Oregon, she was also very successful at a State level, which is a major distinction for women architects, especially of her era.