Polk County
Living
Polk County Itemizer-Observer • April 20, 2016 5A
Housing history
JOLENE GUZMAN/ Itemizer-Observer
An arch of fragrant wisteria frames the front entrance at Brunk House. The gardens and historical house were on display Saturday during the annual Blossom Drive.
Brunk House off Highway 22 in Polk County offers a glimpse of life on a farm in the early 1900s
By Jolene Guzman
The Itemizer-Observer
INDEPENDENCE — Want
to see what life was like in
the Willamette Valley in the
early 1900s?
An example is not too far
away, just off Highway 22
near the Highway 51 inter-
section at what is known as
“Brunk House.”
Formerly a pioneer home
to a family of 14, the house
is now under ownership of
the Polk County Historical
Society. The nonprofit group
uses it as a historical
demonstration of life on a
farm from 1895 to 1920.
During the last 40 years,
the house has been carefully
restored. More artifacts are
found at the house regularly,
including an impressive col-
lection of seashells discov-
ered recently.
Those finds are cleaned
and put on display in an ef-
fort to record the history of
the home’s former residents,
and what life was like in Polk
County of yesteryear.
On Saturday, the histori-
cal society held one of two
all-day annual open houses
during the Blossom Drive.
Visitors were treated to
tours of each room and a
retelling of the Brunk story.
Harrison and Emily Brunk
and their 12 children were
the first to live in the house,
which was built in 1861.
The couple left Missouri
in 1849, with five children in
JOLENE GUZMAN/ Itemizer-Observer
Brunk House features displays such as this kitchen utensil collection throughout the
house. The collection includes clothing, household tools and farm equipment.
tow, during the contentious
years before the breakout of
the Civil War. Local histori-
ans believe that atmosphere
of conflict led to the family’s
move to Oregon.
“It’s probably a reason-
able conclusion that they
were seeking a new begin-
ning,” said open house vol-
unteer Linda Grund-
Clampit, “a new community
without all the conflict.”
Three generations of
Brunks lived in the two-
story home that doesn’t
seem big enough for 14 peo-
ple. That is the first lesson
visitors learn at Brunk
House.
Harrison and Emily had
t h e “m a s t e r b e d ro o m”
downstairs — not much
bigger than the bed it con-
tains — and the children,
seven girls and five boys,
shared two larger rooms up-
stairs.
In 1891, Harrison and
E m i l y ’s y o u n g e s t s o n ,
Thomas W. Brunk, pur-
chased the home.
The last Brunk to live in
the house before it was do-
nated to the Polk County
Historical Society in 1975
was Thomas Earl Brunk.
He was born in 1893 and
died in 1974.
Named a Century Farm in
1959, the home was added
to the National Register of
Historic Sites in 1975.
Some of the furnishings
and decor are original to the
house, while other items
represent the time period.
The historical society and
Polk County OSU Master
Gardeners hold weekly work
parties to keep the grounds,
house and collection ready
for visitors.
“They have restored the
house to what was typical of
farmers who were doing well
at the time,” Grund-Clampit
said. “The people who come
every week are very dedicat-
ed. It’s a labor of love.”
JOLENE GUZMAN/Itemizer-Observer
Open house visitors were greeted with plants and trees
in bloom at Brunk House on Saturday’s Blossom Drive.
Pioneer homestead
What: Harrison Brunk House.
Where: Off Highway 22 near its intersection with High-
way 51.
When: Weekly open houses every Tuesday from 9 a.m. to
noon. The house also will be open the second Saturday of
the month from noon to 4 p.m. the remainder of the year.
Of note: Brunk House hosts a “cider press” to celebrate
harvest in the fall.
For more information: Jo Ann King, 503-838-6603.
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