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1511 NE Knott Street Stately Colonial Revival Home in the Grand Tradition |
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1511 NE Knott Street Stately Colonial Revival Home in the Grand Tradition |
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This fine Colonial Revival house was built in 1912 by the Mautz Building and Investment Company for its founder, Edmund J. Mautz. He and his family lived in the home, which he designed himself, for only a few years before selling it in 1914 to Francis Seufert, the owner of a successful salmon cannery in The Dalles. When, in 2007, this house was placed on the National Register of Historic Places, it was given the official historic name of the Francis and Annie Seufert House, after its second owners. Seufert was a self-made millionaire whose innovations in salmon harvest -- particularly the "fish wheel" which permitted high production fishing in a river teeming with salmon -- made his the most successful salmon packing company in Oregon. Throughout his years living here on Knott Street, Francis Seufert continued to manage his business in The Dalles where he was active until his death in 1929. Fish wheels continued to be the primary means of fishing on the Columbia until 1934, by which time both Oregon and Washington had outlawed them to protect the down-river fisheries at Astoria and Ilwaco.
This home is a wonderful example of the contrasts between the public and private spaces in grand Irvington homes of this period. While many modern home renovations combine the smaller rooms of old homes into "master suites" or "spa baths", the owners of this home have maintained the original servants wing and offer us a glimpse into the past, right down to the original cut crystal door knob facing the center hall, with it's plain metal counterpart on the servant's side of the door. Other preserved features from days of household staff long gone include the original 10' high cabinetry in the butlers pantry, and a delightful "bell indicator" in the kitchen that alerted the butler which door or bedroom or other area of the home was summoning help.
This is not to say that the home is treated like a museum. The kitchen was completely renovated and showcases the passions of the current owners. A beautiful collection of Majolica fruit and vegetable pieces dot the shelves above a bar island that has their home brewed beer - ice cold - on tap. The basement houses all the brewing equipment, as well as some souvenirs from the owners’ annual trips to Germany for Oktoberfest.