Quote: The Pittock mansion was home to Henry and Georgiana Pittock from 1914 to 1919. The couple began designing their home in 1909 and it took 5 years to complete. The home included many modern features including a central vacuum system, intercoms, and indirect lighting. In keeping with their loyalty to their home state, the Pittocks hired Oregon craftsmen, and used Northwest materials to build the house. The final estate included the mansion, a three-car garage, a greenhouse, a servants' residence, all of this was located on 46 acres of land almost 1,000 feet above downtown Portland.

Henry Pittock moved to Oregon from Pennsylvania in 1853 and began working for the Weekly Oregonian and he quickly took ownership in 1860. Henry changed the papers format to a daily paper. He went on to build a financial empire by investing in everything from real estate to sheep ranching.

Georgiana Pittock married Henry when she was 15 years old. She then dedicated her life to improving the lives of the women and children in her community. In 1867 she helped establish the Ladies Relief Society, whose Children's Home provided care, food, and housing for disadvantaged children.

In 1918 Georgiana died at the age of 72 and one year later her husband Henry died at the age of 84. The Pittock family remained at the mansion until 1958, then the estate was put on the market by Henry and Georgiana’s grandson.

Unfortunately a destructive storm came in 1962 and this made the land builders anxious for their chance to buy the land. Fortunately the City of Portland decided to purchase the estate in 1964 for $225,000. The mansion opened to the public in 1965 after 15 months of restoration and has become a popular historical city attraction.

If you do visit the mansion you are welcome to roam the serene grounds free of charge but if you are interested in viewing some of the beautiful architecture on the inside there is a charge. The tour that is offered is very interesting and is well worth the time and money spent. Many nearby residents walk to the mansion because it has a park-like setting overlooking downtown Portland and Mount Hood. In my opinion, this is one of the best view points to gaze out on the city from.

From journals Weekend Journey in Downtown Portland