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 | 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, large house built in the style of a French Renaissance château. It is located in the West Hills of Portland, Oregon, in the United States. This amazing home was finished in 1914. It was built for Henry Pittock, who was a very successful newspaper publisher from London, and his wife, Georgiana Burton Pittock.
The mansion has 46 rooms and is made of Tenino sandstone. It sits on a large property of 46 acres (19 ha). Today, the city of Portland owns the mansion through its Bureau of Parks and Recreation. It is now open for people to visit and explore. The mansion's design mixes Beaux Arts and French Renaissance styles. From its spot in the West Hills, you can see amazing views of Downtown Portland. The Pittock Mansion was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974, which means it's an important historical site.
Contents
History of Pittock Mansion
Building the Mansion
Henry Pittock, a wealthy publisher from London, started building Pittock Mansion in 1909. He wanted it to be a private home for himself and his wife, Georgiana. The house was designed by an architect named Edward T. Foulkes from San Francisco. Even though construction started in 1909, the mansion wasn't fully finished until 1914.
When it was completed, the home had many modern features for its time. These included a system to clean the house, intercoms to talk between rooms, special lighting, an elevator, and a large walk-in refrigerator. The inside of the mansion had many different styles. For example, the library looked like Jacobean style, the dining room was craftsman style, the smoking room had a Turkish look, and the music room was in the French Renaissance style.
Georgiana Pittock loved gardening very much. She was one of the people who started the Portland Rose Society. She also held the first Portland Rose Show in 1889 and helped begin the Portland Rose Festival. Because of her love for plants, Pittock Mansion is surrounded by beautiful formal gardens. The lawn has special heritage roses as a way to honor Georgiana's passion for gardening.
Exploring the Mansion's Floors
- The lower level used to have the boiler room and laundry room. Now, it is part of the museum. As of late 2023, it featured a special exhibit about Eliza Barchus, a famous artist.
- The first and second floors were where the Pittock family lived. These floors are now part of the museum exhibits. They have been decorated to look like how the Pittocks might have lived, or how other families in Oregon lived during that time.
- The third and fourth floors were where the servants lived. Today, these floors hold the offices for the Pittock Mansion Society, which manages the museum. These upper floors are usually closed to the public. However, you can visit them during special "Behind the Scenes" tours, which cost extra.
Changes and Community Support
In 1911, there was a disagreement about the mansion's water line. A city council member, Will H. Daly, pointed out that Henry Pittock had arranged for a water line to be built to the mansion at the city's expense. At that time, the mansion was outside the city limits. This disagreement caused problems between Pittock's newspaper and Daly, which eventually affected Daly's political career.
Georgiana Pittock passed away in 1918 when she was 72 years old. Henry Pittock died in 1919 at the age of 84. The Pittock family continued to live in the mansion until 1958. At that time, Eric Ladd and Peter Gantenbein, who was Henry Pittock's grandson and had been born in the house, tried to sell the estate but couldn't find a buyer.
In 1962, a very strong storm called the Columbus Day Storm caused a lot of damage to the mansion. Because of the damage, the owners thought about tearing the building down. But the community of Portland loved the mansion and wanted to save it! They quickly raised $75,000 in just three months to help the city buy the property. Seeing how much support there was, and agreeing that the house was a special historical place, the City of Portland bought the estate in 1964 for $225,000.
Restoring the Mansion
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It took 15 months to repair and restore the building after the storm. The Pittock Mansion officially opened to the public in 1965. Since then, it has been a well-known landmark in the community. About 80,000 people visit Pittock Mansion every year. Because the mansion is located about 1,000 feet (300 m) above sea level, it's also a great spot for birdwatching in Portland. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.
In 2006, the City of Portland estimated that the mansion would need about $6–8 million more for future restoration work to keep it in good condition.
Visiting Pittock Mansion
Visitors can drive directly to the mansion, which is located at 3229 NW Pittock Drive. If you enjoy hiking, the Wildwood Trail goes through Forest Park and crosses the mansion's parking area. This means hikers can also reach Pittock Mansion on foot.
Pittock Mansion in Movies and Books
The Pittock Mansion has been featured in several movies and TV shows.
- Its first known appearance was in the 1977 romance film First Love, starring Susan Dey and William Katt. The mansion was the main character's family home in the movie.
- It was also used in the 1982 horror film Unhinged. The house was the main setting for this film.
- The mansion appeared in the 1989 movie, The Haunting of Sarah Hardy, which starred Sela Ward and Morgan Fairchild.
- It was also used a lot in the 1993 film Body of Evidence, starring Madonna and Willem Dafoe.
- The mansion was the finishing point for the final challenge of the 13th season of the reality game show, The Amazing Race.
- It was visited during the first episode of the seventeenth season of the Dutch reality show Wie is de Mol?. It was the location for the season's first test and elimination.
The mansion also plays a part in Colin Meloy’s Wildwood Chronicles book series. In these books, Forest Park is imagined as a magical world, and Pittock Mansion serves as its government building.
See also
In Spanish: Mansión Pittock para niños
