The story of the Henry Building is a story of a number of businesses, businessmen and buildings in La Grande during the late 1800s through the mid 1900s.

James Calvin Henry, age 26, arrived in this area in 1876 and went to work in the general merchandise business with W.J. Snodgrass, one of La Grande’s leading businessmen. Around 1890 Henry left Snodgrass and purchased the Murphy-Stuchell furniture business located in the Hawthorne-Coolidge Building at 1314 Adams Ave. In the next year or so he formed a partnership with William Burke and the business became Henry & Burke.

It was during this partnership that J. C. Henry decided Henry & Burke needed a building specifically built to serve as a furniture store. In 1900 a building was constructed on the empty lot at 1315 Adams, corner of Adams and Fir. In 1902 Henry took on the position of mayor of La Grande. The next year when William Burke died Henry took in a new young partner, 25-year-old Joseph J. Carr.

In 1913 a young man, Clyde E. Zimmerman, age 21, had just arrived in La Grande and applied for work with Henry & Carr. During the following years the business flourished as it furnished some of the largest buildings in the La Grande area — Hot Lake in 1906 and the Foley Hotel in 1915.

In addition to selling quality furniture, Henry & Carr was also known for offering embalming and funeral services. Henry was an involved man. In addition to the furniture/undertaking business he was now serving as Union County Judge and active in numerous organizations and civic activities. By 1916 he decided to sell his interest in the furniture store and continue only in the undertaking business. Henry stated in The Observer “It is my intention to erect a modern chapel on Fourth Street near my home and equip it with every convenience that the present day furnishes for that work.”

Partner Joseph Carr purchased Mr. Henry’s interest in 1916 and the business became know as the Carr Furniture Company. When the partnership had been dissolved between Carr and Henry, young Clyde Zimmerman went with Henry into the undertaking business. Then in 1921, when Henry died at the age of 71, Zimmerman purchased the mortuary.

Carr’s continued as a vital part of downtown until one cold winter night in mid December 1922 when fire broke out. The building was a total loss and damages amounted to nearly $85,000. In less than a week a huge windstorm hit downtown La Grande and portions of the remaining building were blown onto the Star Theatre next door, causing significant damage.

Carr was not going to give up. He hired a contractor named Kelly, who had constructed both the Presbyterian and Episcopal church buildings, to construct a new two-story building for his store. In May of 1923 the building, named the Henry Building, in honor of J.C. Henry, was opened to the public. Carr remained in the furniture business until 1927 when he retired and became manager of the La Grande Building and Loan company. Although no longer at the furniture store, Carr remained part owner with his new partner, Charles Roehm of Seattle, acting as manager. By November of 1931 Roehm decided to sell his interest back to Carr who stepped back into the business as manager. Only nine months later Joe Carr died of heart disease.

Following the death of Carr the business was further organized with Ed and Clark Fitzgerald operating it until November of 1942 under the name of Fitzgerald Furniture Company. The building stood empty until mid June of 1943 when Doyle B. Zimmerman became the new owner of the business. Doyle, the son of Clyde Zimmerman, had been operating a hardware store around the corner on Fir in the adjoining building for about 10 years. In addition to hardware he now planned to expand and carry a complete stock of furniture. Unfortunately in 1953 Doyle, age 46, suffered a heart attack and died.

Following his death, Zimmerman’s continued at 1315 Adams under the management of Irma, Doyle’s widow, and Werner Hildebrandt. Hildebrandt had been a former salesman at Turn’s Furniture Store located in the old J. C. Penney building at 108 Depot next to Modern Laundry.

This building that was meant to be especially built for a furniture store served as such for many generations of families. The story of the building also shows the connections of generations of businessmen who worked beside each other to make downtown La Grande a thriving welcoming place to shop and the town a desirable place to live.

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