Historic Portland homes for sale: Gilded fixtures and Beverly Cleary rumors included – OregonLive

Every house has a story, especially really old dwellings. Imagine how many souls have swept through a 1903 Neoclassical-style mansion or a 1914 English Jacobethan? What lingers behind beyond the spirit of residents past? Their taste in wallpaper and other fixtures that stayed once the occupants vanished.

In this weeks real estate gallery, we look at historic Portland-area homes for sale and tease out the facts and the rumors.

The Portland mansion Beverly Cleary called haunted is for sale at $4,995,000: Frank C. Barnes, who was a leader in the Pacific Northwest salmon packing industry, carved out about three blocks from his land holdings to create a compound in 1914 for his large family.

The 9,830-square-foot mansion, an eclectic mix of English Jacobethan with a grand Colonial Revival portico and Arts and Crafts details, has since earned notoriety as a landmark in literary icon Beverly Clearys beloved Ramona Quimby childrens books.

Cleary, who grew up near the Barnes Mansion, knew it when the four-level structure had fallen on hard times. She wrote that the house, at 3533 N.E. Klickitat St. on top of Alameda Ridge, was haunted.

The gilded mansion, with a ballroom and 18-karat gold threads in the drawing rooms wall fabric, was in danger of being torn down. Neighbors stopped the bulldozers in 1958 and the Barnes Mansion was restored and placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

All of the original beveled and stained glass windows and doors, in a variety of patterns, have survived as has solid Honduras mahogany paneling, says listing agent Tim Walters of RE/MAX Equity Group.

Included on the one-acre property is the mansion, with six bedrooms and 3.5 bathrooms, and a detached garage built in 2005 with a self-contained one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment (an accessory dwelling unit or ADU), overlooking a modern garden. The total living space on the property: 11,443 square feet. Read more about the Barnes Mansion

See more homes for sale in the 97212 zip code

18

Jacob H. Cook mansion near Mount Tabor

Showstopper Mount Tabor mansion, once vandalized, is now for sale at $2.25 million: The Neoclassical-style mansion near Mount Tabor in southeast Portland was known as the Jacob H. Cook mansion after a lumber baron bought the property in 1904, a year after the home was finished.

Then the mansion was called the Christmas House during decades of holiday events, and finally Walter, in reference to the rumor that Mickey Mouse-creator Walt Disneys family once lived here.

Starting in 2010, the once-majestic mansion at 5631 S.E. Belmont St. was abandoned, a casualty of the housing crisis and recession. For eight years, squatters filled it with garbage, vandals graffitied the walls and thieves slipped away with the hardware and light fixtures.

Today, the iconic house with 6,820 square feet of living space has been restored. Historic character is seen alongside modern amenities, a gourmet kitchen, six bedrooms, five bathrooms, two powder rooms and 6,820 square feet of living space.

Wide open rooms let in tons of light, and balconies and a fully landscaped yard offer lots of space to work from home or socially distanced entertaining, says listing agent Chris Suarez with John Powers of Keller Williams Realty Professionals. Potential income generating. See @thewalterpdx on Instagram. Read more about the mansion

See more homes for sale in the 97215 zip code

The Portland Heights Craftsman at 1883 S.W. Vista Ave. is listed at $1,925,000 by Jennifer Grandjean of Keller Williams Realty Portland Elite.Keller Williams Realty Portland Elite

1908 Craftsman in Portland Heights: 1883 S.W. Vista Ave. is listed at $1,925,000.

The four-level mansion, on 0.31 acres, has a home theater, billiards room, eight bedrooms, four full bathrooms, two powder rooms and 7,870 square feet of living space.

The beautiful, historic home, restored by designer Robert Trotman, has custom inlaid hardwood floors and original Povey stained glass windows, says listing agent Jennifer Grandjean of Keller Williams Realty Portland Elite.

There are two kitchens, butlers and bakers pantries, and two laundry rooms. A sports court has been installed in the backyard.

See more homes for sale in the 97201 zip code

Restored Harvey Starkweather Estate at 16022 S.E. River Road in Milwaukie is listed by Brandi Erskine of NextHome Willamette.NextHome Willamette

Restored Harvey and Alice Starkweather Estate: 16022 S.E. River Road in Milwaukie is listed at $1,850,000.

President Woodrow Wilson dispatched Harvey Starkweather, an advocate for better roads, to Europe in the 1910s to study rural credits and country life conditions. The commissions report was the basis of the Federal Farm Loan Act of 1916. Starkweather was also instrumental in the construction of super highway McLoughlin Boulevard, according to the Oregon Historic Sites database.

The 1900 Colonial Revival-style home with three covered porches is perched atop a nob on 2.65 acres.

Original period details were restored inside the home with 6,086 square feet of living space, and there is newer plumbing, electrical and insulation. Each of the six bedrooms has a private bathroom and fireplace plus there is a powder room.

Twelve gas fireplaces heat each space affordably. Currently a bed & breakfast, zoned for other uses, says listing agent Brandi Erskine of NextHome Willamette. Turnkey income opportunity and furnished.

See more homes for sale in the 97267 zip code

Janet Eastman | 503-294-4072

jeastman@oregonian.com | @janeteastman

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Historic Portland homes for sale: Gilded fixtures and Beverly Cleary rumors included - OregonLive