Amanda Woodward, married to Newberg Graphic owner and Pacific College Board Member Ezra Woodward, was an important figure in the early days of Pacific College.
In 1910 Pacific College was seeking to gain accreditation and to do so, they needed a new academic and faculty building for their campus. However, the endeavor was estimated to be expensive at $30,000 (almost $100,000 today) and Pacific College was not able to fully bear the cost. Amanda Woodward and Evangeline Martin (another influential woman in Newberg) took it upon themselves to raise the money required for the new building’s construction. They went from home to home, business to business in horse and buggy, until on July 4th, 1910, the full amount was raised and construction on the new building was started.
The fanciful gable ornament with celestial motifs, full-width rectangular bay window, and stick style detailing on the house were popular decorative elements on late 19th century eclectic buildings.
The Woodward House, built in 1891 and acquired by George Fox University in 1993, currently houses the University’s Health & Counseling Center.
NOTE: The Health and Counseling Center plans on moving to another location