Rice–Gates House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Rice–Gates House
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Front of building in 2008
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 Location in Hillsboro Beaverton OR
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| Location | Hillsboro, Oregon, USA |
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| Built | 1890 |
| NRHP reference No. | 80003391 |
| Added to NRHP | September 8, 1980 |
The Rice–Gates House is a special old house located in downtown Hillsboro, Oregon, in the United States. It was finished in 1890 and has a unique design called Second Empire style. This two-story wooden house has a special mansard roof. The house was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980 because of its historical importance. It is named after some of its past owners, including William Rice, Harry V. Gates, and his son Oliver.
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A Look Back in Time
In 1890, a lawyer named William J. Rice had this two-story house built. At that time, it was just south of downtown Hillsboro. In 1903, he sold the house to Harry V. Gates. Harry Gates was a former state legislator, meaning he helped make laws for the state.
Harry Gates then sold the house to his son, Oliver B. Gates, in 1911. However, Harry continued to live there with Oliver. Both of them lived in the house until 1927. The Rice–Gates House was officially added to the National Register of Historic Places on September 8, 1980. This means it is recognized as an important historical building.
What Makes It Special
The Rice–Gates House is built in the Second Empire style. This style is known for its unique mansard roof. A mansard roof has four sides, with each side having two slopes. The lower slope is steeper than the upper one. The roof here has diamond-shaped shingles. It also has decorative features like a boxed cornice and dormer windows. Dormer windows stick out from the roof and have their own small gables.
Building Details
The windows on the house have an arch at the top and a decorative triangle shape, called a pediment, above each one. The house is shaped like an "L" and was built using a method called balloon framing. This means the wooden beams used to build the house go all the way from the basement to the top, instead of stopping at each floor.
The outside of the house is made of horizontal wood boards. It is painted yellow with burgundy and aquamarine blue colors. Other cool details on the outside include decorative posts and small, tooth-like blocks called dentils.
Porches and Windows
There are three porches on the outside of the house. Each porch has a small mansard roof, just like the main house. One of these porches is a sun porch, which is enclosed with glass. The other two porches have arched bases that support their roofs. The posts on the porches have fancy scroll work designs at the top.
Some parts of the house have pairs of windows placed close together. The main front door has an arched window above it, called a transom light. This transom light also has a pediment above it.
Foundation and Chimneys
The basement of the house is made of brick laid in a pattern called a stretcher bond. It's a "look-out style" basement, which means most of it is above ground. The horizontal wood siding goes up to the second floor, and then the steep mansard roof covers the rest. The house has two brick chimneys, both inside the house. They have decorative tops called corbelled caps. The windows on the house are single hung sash windows, which means they open by sliding the bottom part up. The doors and windows also have the same fancy scroll work seen on the porch posts. The Rice–Gates House is located on Southeast Walnut Street in the center of Hillsboro.
