 It is also known as the T. A. Livesley House or Thomas and Edna Livesley Mansion, after its original owners.The house was renamed Mahonia Hall after the scientific name of the Oregon-grape, "Mahonia aquifolium", Oregon's state flower.A naming contest was held by "The Oregonian" in 1988, and Eric Johnson, a 13-year-old from Salem, came up with the winning entry.