Vancouver, Washington--The city of Vancouver, Washington, which is located directly across the Columbia River from Portland (a 20-min. drive north on I-5 from downtown), was one of the first settlements in the Northwest and consequently has a long pioneer and military history. After the British, in the guise of the Hudson's Bay Company, gave up Fort Vancouver, it became the site of the Vancouver Barracks U.S. military post. Stately homes were built for the officers of the post, and these buildings and their attractive surroundings are now preserved as part of the * Vancouver National Historic Reserve. You'll find the tree-shaded row of 21 homes, as well as Fort Vancouver, in the 1-square-mile Central Park, which is located just east of I-5 (take the East Mill Plain Boulevard exit just after you cross the bridge into Washington).
Start a visit to Officer's Row at the O. O. Howard House, 750 Anderson St. (tel. 360/992-1849), a restored Victorian mansion that was once an NCO club for the military post and now serves as the information center for the national historic reserve.
After learning a bit about the history of this area, you can stroll the grounds admiring the well-kept homes. Two of the old homes here are open to the public. The Grant House, 1101 Officers' Row, was the first commanding officer's quarters and is named for President Ulysses S. Grant, who was stationed here as quartermaster in the 1850s. Today this building houses the Grant House Folk Art Center (tel. 360/694-5252), which is open Monday through Saturday from 11am to 3pm, and Sunday from 10am to 2pm (admission is free). Here in the Grant House, you'll also find the Grant House Restaurant (tel. 360/696-1727), which serves fresh Northwest cuisine and is a good place to stop for lunch.
Further along Officers' Row, you'll find the George C. Marshall House, 1301 Officers' Row (tel. 360/693-3103), a Victorian-style building that replaced the Grant House as the commanding officer's quarters. This home is furnished much the way it might have looked in the late 1800s when it was built (admission is free; open Mon-Fri 9am-5pm and sometimes, if no wedding party has rented the building, Sat-Sun 11am-6pm).
