1930 NE Fremont St French Eclectic with Chateau Elements

The construction of a substantial new home in Irvington was big news in 1933.  This was a time, remember, when workmen building the local public school were working half shifts to spread the work out and keep more workers employed when unemployment was nearly 25%.  The Oregonian ran a feature article and photo of the house as it neared completion.  Dr. John S. Rankin, Division Surgeon of the Southern Pacific Railroad and President of the Staff of the Portland Sanatorium hired the architectural firm of Johnson and Wallwork to design a house that would be both home and doctor's office.  

The architects Carl Wallwork and his partner Folger Johnson chose a French Eclectic Style with a steeply pitched hipped roof, slightly flaring eaves, and dormers that cut into the cornice.  The French influence may be traceable to Johnson's architectural training at the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris.

The overall effect is strongly European on the exterior -- a feeling that is continued in the spacious rooms of the interior as you see from the photos.  An unusual feature of the house was the doctor's office just to the right of the entrance door.  As a result, there were actually two front doors, one entering directly into the entry hall, and one to the right (the light area under the front canopy) opening into the office.  The latter entrance was closed off years ago in a remodel, but there remain two sets of doorbells.

The new owners had only been in the house for a few months when we invited them to put their home on the Tour.  They graciously consented, even though not all their redecorating was completed.  Thus we see a "work in progress".

The house is designed for entertaining.  The large sunken living room has a magnificent stone fireplace and a raised platform off one side just perfect for a grand piano.  The kitchen was remodeled in the 1980's, adding a stone floor and featuring a cozy fireplace.  Behind what appears to be a closet door in the master bedroom dressing room is a secret room -- once a chapel with a timbered ceiling that is now used as an entertainment center.