1617 NE Brazee Street Prairie Style 4-Square Built for a Lumber Tycoon

Just as many modern day Irvington residents eventually move to different houses within the neighborhood, so it was too back in 1913.  When August Olson, an enterprising logger, engaged architect Robert Rice to design this large home, it was his second in Irvington. His first home was on NE 18th Avenue (on the Home Tour in 2001 and again in 2010).  Ten years later in 1923, he commissioned Rice to build his third and final home, also in Irvington, on NE Siskiyou.

This spacious home is now in the hands of a family dedicated to restoring it rather than remodeling it.  They've worked extremely hard to have their restorations blend seamlessly into the fine craftsmanship of the existing details.  Beautiful Povey glass top lights shimmer in the living and dining rooms, signature Rice brothers glazed brick surrounds fireplaces on two floors, and simply delightful pocket windows slide up, up and away into the eaves in 2 second floor bedrooms.

Great care has been taken to replace moldings and details that had been damaged or removed over the years. In some rooms of the house, up to 50% of the woodwork is new, and was custom milled to match the original profiles.

In terms of style, Rice borrowed freely from the horizontal emphasis of Frank Lloyd Wright's Prairie Style, while employing the popular 4-Square form that had won him so many clients due to its practical layouts and economical use of materials.