The Giltner Mansion Remodel

The Conservatory

We are doing a major preservation and addition to a ruin of what is perhaps the most historically significant home in Irvington.  Erected in 1912 by prolific builder Frederick E. Bowman, this soon to be 8,000 square foot mansion was originally home to the Giltner’s, a family of prominent lawyers, politicians, cultural leaders, patrons of the arts, and socialites. In its glory days the house hosted extravagant parties with three or four hundred guests at a time. Live orchestras played in the conservatory over the ambient trickle of an indoor fountain while scarlet geraniums, palm leaves, and fir sprigs adorned the mantles and tables and reporters from the Oregonian furiously jotted down the decorative details and splendid garments worn by the hosts and guests. However, the past century has not been kind to the estate and when it passed into the care of McCulloch Construction in mid-2010 we found a house in deep decay. Since then we’ve been proofing the house against the elements – and the rain storms have revealed just how much work this lovely old home needs. The original plumbing had rusted through causing a continuous water flow within the walls.  Major posts had begun to rot leaving floors sloping up to one inch per foot.  Windows and doors had begun to leak, while the roof had been allowed to leak into the house in numerous places for long years.  Holes due to rot had opened in the house large enough to pass a basketball through, in one case housing a family of possums.  Fortunately, we have the skills to fully restore this historic home back to its original classical grandeur. But we won’t stop there—-this home will be more than just a museum.  The original home, while glamorous for its high society owners, had a tiny kitchen intended for use only by servants.  So, while building on a sense of history, we are updating the home for modern living with a kitchen and family room addition.  The garage was a rarity in Portland when it was built, and its positioning blocked the kitchen windows. The old garage has been removed and will be rebuilt closer to the SW corner of the property, thus making room for the new addition.  It will include space above for guests or home office. Last, but in this case not least, the basement is being transformed from a dark rotting space with low hanging pipes, to a recreational room complete with gym. The result will be among the best homes on the East Side.  It will capture everything grand in big historical homes, while enjoying the convenience of modern luxury.

Beautiful leaded, beveled glass windows sit atop an antique Honduran mahogany.

Dining Room

Historic Courthouse Fence

McCulloch Construction blog reader Chris Wilson sent us a wonderful picture of the old Oregon City courthouse that confirms the belief that the unique wrought iron fence around the Giltner mansion and the old courthouse fence are one and the same! When we zoomed in on the lower-left corner, we found that all the curves, twists and protrusions precisely aligned.  Thank you Chris for this excellent piece of original research!

A Sentimental Journey

For the Killorin family, taking a tour of their former home was a slightly surreal experience. The fifteen family members that walked through our Alameda Tudor had 43 years of family history rooted in the home, 43 years of holidays, birthdays, rainy winters, perfect summers and daily rituals.

When Paul Killorin sold us their home, he experienced tinges of sadness, like he was leaving a dear friend. Yet he felt confident in the remodeling skills of McCulloch Construction and knew that we would take care of his home and his memories.

And so we have. When John led the Killorin family  into their old home they immediately felt the improvements. Natural light filled the entryway, creating a sense of spaciousness. McCulloch Construction remodeled the hallway and kitchen to create a sight-line from the front door to the back door, allowing light from the kitchen to seep into the entryway and mingle with light from the banks of windows in the living and dining room.

The new bonus room with superb views of downtown Portland glitters with possibilities. The newly tiled bathrooms sparkle with class, and the basement went from concrete mediocrity to comfortable rec room with the installation of carpet and new French doors that open up to the backyard.

Paul Killorin was so overwhelmed with joy that he wrote us an effusive note:

“My daughters, their families and I all thoroughly enjoyed your guided tour of ‘our’ home.

We lived here and experienced all the family joys of 43 years. Your generous tour allowed us to experience an event, a momentary sentimental journey through this artistically redesigned, structurally changed and restyled home.

Now the new owner not only will live in it but also love it. Thank you John for giving the Killorin family the thrill and joy of walking through the imagination, artistry and craftsmanship of a McCulloch Construction-remodeled home.

Best wishes to you and another Happy and Prosperous New Year.

Cordially,

Paul Killorin & Family”

Historic Architecture: Wade H. Pipes

Work in earnest has begun on a historic Wade Pipes home in the West Slope. The residents LOVE their home’s history and are passionate about Wade Pipes – they even have the original furniture plans drawn by Wade Pipes himself! They were kind enough to share it with us and we’ve used the plans to create cabinets for their kitchen expansion that exactly match the originals. It’s so wonderful to work with clients who are as excited about historic homes and architects as we are!

Home Histories

At McCulloch Construction we deeply care about the history of our homes. We strive to incorporate the architectural vocabulary of the original architects and always work within the the homes’ design aesthetic – be it Prairie School or Colonial Revival. As we remodel our home on Siskiyou, we’ve reproduced historic windows, copied mantle details from the architect’s personal residence, and worked with local historian and landscape architect Wallace K. Huntington. We even employ a full-time researcher to track down interesting details about house histories and their original residents. Some of the pictures and stories he’s unearthed can be viewed on our facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mcculloch-Construction-LLC/302520900375).

An interesting character that has prominently featured in his research is Fronia Wallace Giltner – wife of Roscoe Ross Giltner and original resident of 1729 NE Siskiyou. She was a prominent socialite and many of her cultural events and bridge parties were written up in the Oregonian’s society pages. After Roscoe died in 1918, Fronia’s social activities increased as she looked for ways to keep herself occupied. She constantly hosted events for her sorority members, hosted visiting musicians, and even allowed her gardens to be used as the stage for a children’s theater hand puppet production of Sleeping Beauty. Our favorite find was probably this advertisement for a cooking demonstration that shows a partnership between Fronia and a gas range company. We got a real kick out of seeing her in this ad and hope you do too!

Historic Consultation

History is important to us. Over the years, we’ve worked on fantastic buildings like the William Barlow House and the Arts & Crafts home Wade Pipes designed for his father. As many of you know, we recently acquired a beautiful, but dilapidated, 1912 Colonial revival gem in historic Irvington. To assist us in cultivating a period-accurate landscape, we partnered with legendary landscape architect and local home historian Wallace K. Huntington. In addition to designing the landscapes of countless Portland estates, Mr. Huntington has created permanent installations in the Crystal Springs Rhododendron Gardens and The Oregon Garden, and is a member of the Architectural Heritage Society’s Board of Advisors.

We were, of course, thrilled to receive his input on our project. From advice on creating authentic Colonial-style lawns and gardens to planting the best shrubs, Mr. Huntington was a veritable font of wisdom and we were pleased when he told John “not everyone would be sensitive historically, but you have all the right instincts and that’s what’s important.” John will put those instincts to good use in the months ahead.