Back to Photo Page

2002 Home Tour

Next Property

2407 NE Tillamook Street
A Victorian Stick Style Home - Among the Oldest in Irvington

When William O. Fouch built this home for his family in 1891, Irvington was still largely undeveloped.  Elizabeth Irving-Ryan was still alive and managing lot sales (the "Irving" in "Irvington"), few streets were paved, and the first electric trolley line into the neighborhood had just started operating.  

Fouch was a pioneering electrical engineer in Portland, founder of Fouch Electric Manufacturing, and later president of the Oregon Association of Electrical Contractors and Dealers.  Unfortunately, soon after he built the home, a terrible panic swept the U.S. economy.

In the bad economic times of the early 1890's Fouch lost the home, and it went to Myrtle Reed who proceeded to live here with her 2 sisters and 3 brothers for nearly 60 years.  While little had been changed in the house by the 1990's, it also had suffered from the ravages of time and Portland's wet winters and was in desperate need of updating.  The delightful, characteristically Victorian exterior ornament had been damaged or removed altogether and much of the stained glass had been removed.

In the mid-1990's, the current owners began the painstaking job of restoring the home to its original look, using historic photographs as a guide.  Stained glass was restored or reconstructed, the elaborate "Stick Style" ornament was rebuilt - in some cases completely from scratch based on the old photographs, mechanical systems were replaced, bathrooms restored to their original look with clawfoot tubs and 19th style plumbing fixtures, and the third floor attic has been transformed into a modern master bedroom suite.

The kitchen too, received a complete makeover from the studs out.  Cherry-wood cabinets provide continuity with the past with modern convenience - and maintained the original footprint of the house.

As a concession to rainy, grey Portland, the interior decor emphasizes light and brightness, rather than the dark colors and heavy draperies of the 19th Century.  French doors from the living room to the side yard furnish yet more light, while skylights brighten the third floor master suite.

Altogether this is a classic transformation of a fine old home into a comfortable 21st Century residence that respects its history and architectural style.