Portland is graced with many amazing, historic homes and neighborhoods. We are lucky enough to live in a place that is proud of its heritage and have home owners who take pride in keeping their homes historically accurate. While we most certainly could never list every historic home in Portland, we are going to name several that we really love. Here they are:
Aubrey Watzek House
This SW Portland home was designed by architect John Yeon. Built in 1937 for lumber baron Aubrey Watzek in the very distinctive Northwest Style. It is a very widely exhibited and published home which features extremely simple lines, local woods, and a fieldstone foundation.
Autzen House
A great Tudor style home in NE Portland designed by architect Kirtland K. Cutter. The house was built in 1927 for Thomas J. Autzen, who owned the Portland Manufacturing Company. With its multi-gabled roof and block-wide girth, its no wonder locals sometimes call it “the mansion.”
Pittock Mansion
One of the landmark homes of Portland is, of course, the Pittock Mansion. It was built for Portland pioneers Henry and Georgiana Pittock from 1914-1919. The architect commission by the Pittocks was Edward Foulkes, who designed the home to overlook Portland. While the home is styled after the French Renaissance, it also features characteristics from Turkey and England. However, the Pittocks commissioned craftsman from Oregon and used Pacific NW materials for their home – keeping it local.
Bybee-Howell House
This Sauvie Island, Classical Revival Style home is located inside the Howell Territorial Park. It was first built for James Bybee, one of Multnomah County’s first Commissioners. It was sold to Dr. James Howell in 1858, and the home remained in that family until 1961. Currently, it’s owned by the Oregon Historical Society.
There are a ton of other fantastic homes all around Portland. Many were built in the Northwest style, while others are Arts and Crafts style homes. Still others are Victorian style. There are whole neighborhoods and districts which are labeled historical, like Ladds Addition, the Alphabet District, N Russell St, and others. Each have their own significance and tell their own story about Portland. We are lucky to be a part of this city’s history – and its future, as we restore and maintain many of these historic homes.