Take a walking tour of downtown Coos Bay

Coos Bay offers a host of historical buildings just waiting to be discovered, some built as early as 1884. Each of them offers a different style of architecture.

Buildings that can be seen on a walking tour through Coos Bay include:

- Elks Temple - 170 S. Second St. (1920 National Register). The building served as the Elks Club from 1920 to 1980. After extensive exterior restoration and interior remodeling, the building was reopened in 1985.

- Chandler Hotel and Annex - 187 W. Central (1909 and 1913 National Register). The Chandler Hotel served as a focal point for downtown development. The restoration of the building and renovation was begun in the summer of 1985.

- Tioga Hotel - 275 N. Broadway (1925 and 1928, completed in 1948 National Register). The Depression and World War II halted completion of the tallest building on the Oregon Coast. The building has been remodeled to provide low-cost housing for seniors.

- Joseph W. Bennett House - 202 Alder St. (1898) Joseph Bennett emigrated from Ireland in 1873 with his father, George Bennett, the founder of Bandon. The younger Bennett established the Flanagan and Bennett Bank of Coos Bay. The house was originally located at the present site of the Tioga Hotel.

- Nels Rasmussen House - 276 Birch St. (1893). Nels Rasmussen, a saloon owner, had this house built as a present for his bride, Jennie Larson.

- Andrew Nasburg House - 687 N. Third St., (1884 National Register nomination). The Nasburg House was the home of a Swedish immigrant who became a local merchant and the first postmaster.

- Henry Sengstacken House - 682 N. Third St. (1904 National Register). A German immigrant, Henry Sengstacken was a local businessman and landowner who became the mayor of Marshfield in 1903.

- Siglin/Flanagan House - 474 Park, (1889). A major in the Union Army during the Civil War, J.M. Siglin was an attorney and the editor of the first weekly newspaper in Coos County, The Coos Bay News. James H. Flanagan was a banker, owned the Marshfield Water Company and was involved with logging and coal mining.

- Carnegie Library - 515 Market St. (1915). One of many Carnegie libraries located throughout the United States. Marshfield's (Coos Bay's) Progress Club began efforts to secure a library in 1906. Funds were obtained from lectures, socials and a donation from Andrew Carnegie.

- Coos Bay National Bank - 245 Central Ave. (1923). Designed by Portland architect John E. Tourtellotte, the building was designed in a simplified Renaissance revival style. It is frequently referred to as the "Bugge Bank."

- Myrtle Arms Apartments - Sixth and Central (1914 National Register nomination). A rare Oregon example of the Mission and Pueblo styles of architecture. One of the first large apartment buildings in Coos Bay, it retains many of its original exterior and interior features. A major restoration and renovation was begun on the site in 1985.

- R.F. Williams House - 936 Central Ave. (1896). Built for a local banker, the stones in the foundation arrived in the area as ballast aboard sailing ships.

- Wesley Methodist Hospital - 790 Commercial St. (1925). Originally a Methodist hospital, the building was taken over by the Sisters of Mercy in 1939 and became known as McAuley Hospital. In 1982, the building was remodeled and opened as the Ken Keyes College and has changed ownership several times since.

- Luse House - 487 N. Fourth St. (1885). Built for newspaper owner and editor Jesse Luse.

- Marshfield Sun Building - 1049 N. Front St. (1895). Jesse Luse published the Marshfield Sun Newspaper from 1891 to 1944 and was the building's sole tenant. The newspaper was the longest continuously published paper under a single owner operator in Oregon. The original equipment and many artifacts remain at the site. Tours are available.

For more information on the buildings and tours of Coos Bay's historic downtown and neighborhoods, those interested can contact the Bay Area Chamber of Commerce at 269-0215 or (800) 824-8486.