Pittock Mansion

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The Pittock Mansion
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The Pittock Mansion

The Pittock Mansion is a French Renaissance château in Portland, Oregon originally built as a private home for The Oregonian publisher Henry Pittock and his wife, Georgia. It is a 22 room estate situated on 46 acres that is now owned by the City of Portland Parks Department.[1]

Georgiana, found of the Portland Rose Festival, died in 1918 at the age of 72, and Henry in 1919 at 84. The Pittock family remained in residence at the mansion until 1958, when Peter Gantenbein, a Pittock grandson who had been born in the house, put the estate on the market and was unsuccessful in selling it. Extensive damage caused by a storm in 1962 caused the owners to consider demolishing the building. The community raised $75,000 in three months in order to help the city purchase the property.[2] Seeing this popular support, and agreeing that the house had tremendous value as a unique historic resource, the City of Portland purchased the estate in 1964 for $225,000.

Fifteen months were spent restoring it. The mansion opened to the public in 1965, and has been a community landmark ever since. Roughly 80,000 pepole visit the Pittock Mansion each year.[3]

Due to the location of the site 1,000 feet above sea level, the mansion is one of the best places for birdwatching in Portland.[4]

The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.[5]

The rear of the Pittock Mansion
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The rear of the Pittock Mansion

The City of Portland estimates that $6-8 million worth of restorations are needed.[6]

[edit] References

  1. ^ Hall, Christopher (November, 2004). Estate of the Art. Via Magazine. Retrieved on 2006-11-22.
  2. ^ Johns, Anna (July 15, 2005). Pittock seeks new funding source. Portland Tribune. Retrieved on 2006-11-22.
  3. ^ State of the Parks: 2020 Vision. City of Portland Parks Department. Retrieved on 2006-11-22.
  4. ^ Houck, Michael C., Cody, M.J. (2000). Wild in the City. Oregon Historical Society, 116. ISBN 0875952739.
  5. ^ Oregon - Multnomah County. National Register of Historic Places. Retrieved on 2006-11-22.
  6. ^ Johns, Anna (October 9, 2006). Pittock Mansion slowly changes hands. Portland Tribune. Retrieved on 2006-11-22.

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Notable Portland, Oregon architecture
 Skyscrapers: Wells Fargo Center | U.S. Bancorp Tower | KOIN Center | PacWest Center | Fox Tower | Standard Insurance Center | Congress Center | Hatfield U.S. Courthouse | ODS Tower | 1000 Broadway | Union Bank of California Tower | Lloyd Center Tower 

 Other buildings: Meier & Frank Building | Benson Hotel | Commonwealth (Equitable) Building | Portland Public Service Building | Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall | Oregon Convention Center | Union Station | Pittock Mansion | Pioneer Courthouse 
Stadiums: Rose Garden Arena | Memorial Coliseum | PGE Park
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