Built in 1894 (Queen Anne style architecture in the United States). Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.
One of 21 National Register listings published here for Union County · listed in 1980 · category: Building · built in 1894, Queen Anne style architecture in the United States.
Sources: the case file at the National Archives · the National Register database, National Park Service
Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 6 fires within 5 miles of W. J. Townley House between 1994 and 2016, burning about 630 acres in total. 5 started naturally. None was recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Reported cause | Fires |
|---|---|
| Natural | 5 |
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 1 |
The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.
| Date | Cause | Size | Reported by | Name on the report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 August 2004 | Natural | under an acre | LaGrande District | SAW MILL |
| 2 August 1994 | Natural | under an acre | LaGrande District | CRAIG MOUNTAIN |
| 14 August 1996 | Natural | 410 acres | LaGrande District | HOG VALLEY |
| 11 July 2001 | Natural | under an acre | LaGrande District | DIPPOLD |
| 29 June 2009 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 220 acres | LaGrande District | PHYS POINT |
| 28 May 2016 | Natural | under an acre | Oregon Department of Forestry Salem Headquarters | DJ |
Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 25 workings within 5 miles of W. J. Townley House: 21 past producers, 3 producers, 1 occurrence. 3 still produce. What was taken out: Sand and Gravel, Construction, Stone, Geothermal, Stone, Crushed/Broken. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Where | Site | Commodity | Status | Recorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unnamed Pit | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer | ||
| Hot Lake Springs | Geothermal | Occurrence | ||
| Union Station Hot Spring | Geothermal | Producer | ||
| Miller | Stone | Past Producer | ||
| Miller Pit | Stone | Past Producer | ||
| Quarry | Stone | Past Producer | ||
| Gravel Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | Sedimentary | |
| Gravel Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | Sedimentary | |
| Gravel Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | Sedimentary | |
| Gravel Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | Sedimentary |
Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Union, the town this property stands in, in 13 storm reports between 1998 and 2019: 7 hail, 2 heavy rain, 2 flood, 1 strong wind. No death or injury is recorded in these reports. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.
| When | Event | Place named | Harm | What the report says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 2019 | Flood | Union | $250,000 | There was widespread flooding of fields and lowlands along the river across Union County. There were at least 5000 acres of agricultural land flooded and numerous roads had damage. |
| May 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | Union | $1,000 | High winds accompanying a thunderstorm in Union blew tree branches into power lines, locally knocking out power to residences and businesses. |
| July 2012 | Hail | Union | - | Hail accompanied by strong winds and rainfall of .40 inch in 15 minutes. |
| June 2011 | Heavy Rain | Union | - | Rainfall of 1.2 inches fell in less than 1 hour. |
| June 2010 | Hail | Union | - | Golfball sized hail fell for 5 minutes. |
| June 2010 | Flood | Union | - | Flooding along Little Creek damaged a few homes in Union. |
| May 1999 | Strong Wind | Union | - | Gusty south winds from the Pyles Canyon area caused downed power lines and knocked over a large fir tree. |
| May 1998 | Heavy Rain | Union | - | 0.75 inches of rain fell in 20 minutes with water standing in the streets. Less than 1/4 inch hail. |
| July 2015 | Hail | Union | - | no account filed |
| August 2013 | Hail | Union | - | no account filed |
| August 2013 | Hail | Union | - | no account filed |
| August 2013 | Hail | Union | - | no account filed |
| May 2000 | Hail | Union | - | no account filed |
No historic map-sheet match is published for this property yet. That does not mean no map exists. This record needs a coordinate-quality review before it can be joined to a sheet boundary. Browse the county's mapped places while that work is pending.
Other National Register properties close enough to walk or drive between, ordered by distance from this one. Both positions come from the same geocoding pass that matched these properties to their map sheets.
| Photograph | Property | Distance | Listed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Methodist Episcopal Church of Union | 0.3 miles | 2025 | |
 | Abel E. Eaton House | 0.3 miles | 1977 |
 | Union Main Street Historic District | 0.4 miles | 1997 |
| Hot Lake Resort | 4.6 miles | 1979 | |
 | Ascension Episcopal Church and Rectory | 6.5 miles | 1974 |
| National Archives record | The nomination case file for reference 80003386 in Record Group 79. |
| Union County | All 21 listed properties in this county. |
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