Pittock Mansion facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Pittock Mansion |
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The east façade
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| General information | |
| Architectural style | Italianate, Renaissance |
| Location | Portland, Oregon, U.S. |
| Construction started | 1909 |
| Completed | 1914 |
| Technical details | |
| Size | 16,000 square feet (1,500 m2) |
| Grounds | 46 acres (19 ha) |
| Other information | |
| Number of rooms | 46 |
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Pittock Mansion
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 Location in Portland, Oregon
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| Architect | Edward T. Foulkes |
| NRHP reference No. | 74001709 |
| Added to NRHP | November 21, 1974 |
The Pittock Mansion is a beautiful old house in the West Hills of Portland, Oregon, USA. It looks like a French castle! It was built in 1914 for Henry Pittock, a newspaper publisher from London, and his wife, Georgiana Burton Pittock.
This huge house has 46 rooms and is made of special sandstone. It sits on a big piece of land (46 acres!). Today, the city of Portland owns it, and you can visit it! The mansion was designed to look like old European buildings. From its spot in the West Hills, you can see amazing views of Downtown Portland. It became a protected historic place in 1974.
Contents
A Look Back: The History of Pittock Mansion
Building the Mansion: Its Design and Features
Henry Pittock, a successful newspaper publisher, started building this mansion in 1909. He wanted a special home for himself and his wife, Georgiana. The house was designed by an architect named Edward T. Foulkes.
It took five years to build, finishing in 1914. When it was done, the Pittock Mansion had many cool features. It had a central vacuum system, intercoms to talk between rooms, and even an elevator! The inside of the house mixed different styles. These included Jacobean, Edwardian, Turkish, and French designs.
Georgiana Pittock loved gardening. She helped start the Portland Rose Society and the famous Portland Rose Festival. Because of her love for flowers, the mansion is surrounded by beautiful gardens. You can still see old roses growing there today.
What's Inside: A Floor-by-Floor Guide
- The lower level used to have the boiler and laundry rooms. Now, it's a museum where you can see special exhibits.
- The first and second floors were where the Pittock family lived. These floors are now part of the museum. They are decorated to look like the Pittocks' original home.
- The third and fourth floors were for the house staff. Today, these floors hold offices for the Pittock Mansion Society. You can only visit these upper floors on special "Behind the Scenes" tours.
Bringing the Mansion Back to Life
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After the Pittock family, the mansion was empty for a while. The city of Portland bought it and spent 15 months fixing it up. It opened to the public in 1965 and has been a popular spot ever since.
About 80,000 people visit Pittock Mansion each year. It's located high up, about 1,000 feet above sea level. This makes it a great place to watch birds in Portland! The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. In 2006, the city estimated that more repairs were needed to keep the mansion in good shape.
How to Visit Pittock Mansion
You can drive right up to the mansion at 3229 NW Pittock Drive. If you like hiking, the Wildwood Trail goes right by the mansion's parking area. This means you can hike there too!
Pittock Mansion in Movies and TV
The Pittock Mansion has been featured in several movies and TV shows.
- It first appeared in the 1977 romance film First Love. It was the main character's family home.
- In 1982, it was used as the main setting for the horror film Unhinged.
- The mansion also appeared in the 1989 movie The Haunting of Sarah Hardy.
- It was used in the 1993 film Body of Evidence, starring Madonna.
- The mansion was the finish line for the 13th season of the reality show The Amazing Race.
- It was also a location for a challenge in the Dutch reality show Wie is de Mol?.
- In books, the mansion plays a role in Colin Meloy’s Wildwood Chronicles. In these stories, Forest Park is a magical place, and Pittock Mansion is its government center.
See also
In Spanish: Mansión Pittock para niños
