About the Museum
Welcome to the boyhood home of President Herbert Hoover located in Newberg, Oregon. At the Hoover-Minthorn House Museum we highlight Hoover’s childhood in Newberg, his Quaker upbringing, and his legacy as president. The Museum is dedicated to telling the story of early Newberg. Our collection boast original artifacts owned by the Minthorn family as well as other 1880’s items that represent Newberg at the end of the nineteenth century.
Our Mission
The Hoover-Minthorn House Museum strives to educate the public about Hoover-s boyhood years in Oregon and the Quaker values that influenced his worldwide humanitarian efforts. This mission encompasses the preservation and interpretation of the Museum and its collection.
Brief History
The Hoover-Minthorn House Museum was built in 1881, by Jesse Edwards, the Quaker founder of Newberg. It is the oldest standing home in the original Newberg township. In 1885, Dr. Henry John Minthorn, uncle and foster-father of Herbert Hoover, and his family moved tot he house. Dr. Minthorn became the first superintendent of Friends Pacific Academy (forerunner of George Fox University) and worked as a physician in rural Newberg.
Hoover remembered his days in Newberg were busy with school at Friends Pacific Academy, many chores, and Sundays filled with religious services. The strict discipline and Quaker values were a continuation of his early background in Iowa. He also remembered swimming, fishing, and playing in Newberg’s rural, pristine countryside.
