We finished up the last things we needed to do before Thea’s Estate Sale took possession. I wandered around the house feeling sad about all the things that will no longer be part of my family and will soon find their way to new homes.
I took one last picture of the hallway. For my entire life (nearly 50 years) I’ve watched myself walk down this hallway in the mirror that sits over the phone desk where my grandmother always removed her clip-on earrings before talking on the phone.
When I was younger, I would run and leap, and as I got older and more earthbound, the pace was slower. If the mirror could montage, you’d see me from a baby to mid-century.
I took the mirror home with me. But I will no longer have the long hallway to reflect me to me.
US Bank isn’t my bank, but my unemployment benefits went to a card with their logo on it. I needed to close that account, and so headed into the location on Interstate.
As I entered, I admired the handsome door handles. Such great metal with grids. The overall look of the bank is a nice midcentury, but it’s obscured on the outside by a boring paint job, and on the inside by many renovations. But that door handle is out and proud.
While I was working with the teller, another customer came in and said she had been banking at the location since 1952! She probably remembered it in its midcentury glory.
I’ve written about the tree on this property here. And probably somewhere else about the house itself, though I can’t find the post.
When the Habitat for Humanity houses were built, this lot got much smaller to accommodate them. But the house remained, so I wondered if it would continue to exist.
But the dumpsters have appeared. While it could mean a rehab, that’s not usually the pattern.
This is a duplex built in 1908. It’s 2084 square feet, according to Portland Maps. I heard years ago that the landlord had died. Someone suggested the house was stuck in probate. It is now owned by 8106 N Interstate Avenue LLC and the owner’s address is in NE Portland. It sold this May for $380,000, a bargain for the neighborhood and house size, but probably an appropriate amount given it has been unoccupied for many years and squatters have been removed twice.
It was sold in 2018 for $495,000, so has had quite a comedown. The earliest assessor detail is from 1988 when it sold for $29,000.
My favorite website that gives me insight into permits hasn’t been updated since 2023, so no info there. For now, there are photos on this website. The interior is pretty grim.
We shall see what comes next. I wonder if the tree will get to stay.
The building that is now occupying the block where The Emerson School used to be has a very small space between it and the other buildings on the block.
There wasn’t a space before, so I assume this is a new code.
Friends Burt and Laurie have bought a new house, which means they must sell their old house. I’ve had many happy times there, and I am feeling a bit sad about saying goodbye.
Among the things I will miss is seeing this gorgeous fireplace.
Here is more information about it:
Recollection from Jon Nelson, homeowner 1958–2003 regarding the fireplace.
The wooden fireplace mantel and Italian tiles in the front room of this Queen Anne style Victorian farmhouse came from the Wolfe mansion in Portland, Oregon, when it was demolished in the early 1900s. It had been brought around the horn in the late 1800s to be installed in the master bedroom suite. Mr. Wolfe was in the retail business with Mr. Lipman and they were the owners of Lipman and Wolfe department store in downtown Portland. A Miss Polly Predmore is credited with salvaging the fireplace and tiles and having them installed at 1822 N. Portland Boulevard [now Rosa Parks Way]. The mantel is made of walnut, it is believed. It is a wonderful focal point of this home and has been admired by many over the years.
I did a bit of searching, but the closest I could get to a picture of the Wolfe’s house, was this comment on this blog.
Can’t find a picture of Adolphe Wolfe’s Whidden & Lewis designed half-timbered Mansion up on King St, now avenue. It was next to the William Honeyman mansion, an amazing romanesque chateau with conical tower, also by Whidden & Lewis. There is a well known tinted picture postcard from around 1900 that shows the two houses and the surrounding beautiful neighborhood. The title of the postcard is written in red and reads-“Portland Oregon Residences”
Wait! I found that postcard. It’s in the second row on this site. A very handsome house, indeed.
On the way to Boise, I traveled with a Portland Thorns high school team. I could tell they were in high school because as we were deplaning, the adults in charge made sure each one hadn’t left anything, including their phones, behind.
While they weren’t great at managing the space they were taking up in the airport, it was fun to travel with them and their cheery red gear.
Having grown disenchanted with hotel/motels (they provide much more space than I need at too high a price; when I price down, they turn scuzzy) I tried out this darling Airbnb. I loved the original art and that bowl of chocolate waiting for me.
The unit was an integrated part of a mid-century and so had those great mid-century details including built-ins in the bedroom.
Also, this cute tiny kitchen.
Look at this darling built-in which is where I would put my spices and staples, were I living here full time.
Sadly, this wasn’t the best location, logistics-wise, so I won’t be staying there again.
I’ve written about this house before (in 2015) hoping that this creepy house might be on the tear-down list. Nine years later, it’s still here. But the overgrowth around the house has been chopped down, so perhaps things are moving in the tear-down direction?
Here’s the long view, across the Kenton Rose Garden.
The roof to 105 NW Park Avenue (once upon a time the home of The Emerson School) is gone, as are the windows. But the façade is still there. I really hope they reused those old-growth timbers in the ceiling.
The mural is still there for now. But not for long.
On the other end of the block, the very tall unreinforced masonry building is completely gone. That was the one I figured would slump onto our building, burying us, if there was an earthquake.
We need not worry about building slump during an earthquake now.
Added to the list of things that didn’t make it through the pandemic: the neighborhood strip club. No more will we see very scantily clad dances sunning themselves out front.
It will be interesting to see what appears on this corner. It’s in a great spot for more housing.
Once upon a time (say, last week) the house at 1516 N. Winchell Street had two monkey puzzle trees framing its entrance. Now there is just one. And a big mess.
This was such a big tree, I’m actually surprised I didn’t hear it fall.
Aside from blocking the road, it also did some major damage to this car.
While some monkey puzzle trees in Portland are from the Lewis & Clark Exposition, this house was built in 1927, long after the exposition closed. But I bet the trees were planted around the time the house was built.
