The Pittock Mansion is recognized as one of the premier house museums in the entire Pacific Northwest. It was the vision of Oregon Pioneers Henry and Georgiana Pittock to build a grand estate overlooking the City of Portland. More than a monument to Henry and Georgiana, Pittock Mansion stands today as testament to the skill and artistry of the craftsman who built it. In appreciation of the outstanding cultural value embodied in the now almost 100 year old building, Preservation Artisan Guild (PAG) members are donating time and resources for an Angels Project to help restore the Pittock Mansion bathrooms to their historic appearance.
Work has focused primarily on the third floor maid’s bath where original finishes and fixtures have been restored. With the exception of a very rare toilet, the missing plumbing fixtures and specialties in other bathrooms have also been replaced with historically accurate originals. When complete, the Angel’s Project will provide an accurate interpretation of the bathrooms in the Mansion as they would have appeared in 1914. Also, a broken second floor etched light fixture was reproduced to match the existing historic hallway fixtures. Angel Projects, such as this help to advance PAG’S mission to promote the building crafts and decorative arts for future generations to enjoy.
Special thanks to PAG charter members Gracewood Design for their work on the hand painted floor cloth, and Mike Edeen, Artisan Woodworks who spearheaded the wood floor restoration, and Juno Lachman for recreating the missing glass shade. Additional thanks go to Karla Pearlstein, Restoring History LLC who was able to source the missing plumbing fixtures with hard to find originals. The Preservation Artisans Guild also thanks Patti Larkin, Pittock Mansion Collections Manager for her help and support.
It took highly skilled artists and craftsman to create Pittock Mansion nearly 100 years ago. Those same skills need to be passed forward to ensure places like the Pittock Mansion will be preserved in the future. The Preservation Artisans Guild is about making sure that happens.
