Rejuvenation Projects Blog

The Giltner Mansion was erected by prominent architect and builder Frederick E. Bowman in 1912. Bowman literally built hundreds of houses in Irvington, including his own glorious estate – which looks remarkably similar to the Giltner Mansion. Bowman’s homes have housed mayors, musicians, Oregon Supreme Court Judges, developers, leaders of industry, bankers, and a modern crop of Portland’s elite citizens. The Giltners were no exception – they were prominent lawyers, politicians, bridge players, patrons of the arts, and socialites. In its glory days the house hosted extravagant parties with three or four hundred guests. Live orchestras played in the conservatory over the ambient trickle of an indoor fountain while scarlet geraniums, palm leaves, and fir sprigs adorn the mantles and tables and reporters from the Oregonian furiously jotted down the decorative details and splendid garments worn by the hosts and guests.

However, the past century has not been kind to the estate and when it passed into the care of McCulloch Construction in mid-2010 we found a house in deep decay. Since then we’ve been proofing the house against the elements – and the winter rain storms have revealed just how much work this lovely old home needs. These beautiful leaded, beveled glass windows sit atop an antique Honduran mahogany butler’s pantry. Unfortunately, the joints of the lead casing had cracked in several places and the panes of glass were slipping, leaving large gaps for the rains to pour in and pool on the butler’s pantry. Fortunately, we found the problem early on and had it all patched and cleaned before there was any permanent damage.

For more information about this historic home, please visit: http://www.mccullochconstruction.com/current/Siskiyou-Restoration.html