The Centennial celebration is an unprecedented opportunity to celebrate the Mansion’s history and plan its future. A council of community leaders who are passionate about Pittock Mansion and its role in preserving and sharing Portland history are providing advice, counsel, and assistance in advocacy, networking, and fundraising in preparation for and during the Centennial year. The Centennial Council members are already helping connect us to resources that will further the Mansion’s efforts to thrive for the next 100 years.

The Centennial celebration for Pittock Mansion in 2014 will be an occasion to celebrate both the history of a beloved landmark and the generosity of our current generation of investors who will leave a well-cared-for Pittock Mansion to future citizens and visitors for many decades to come.

Pittock Mansion’s first Centennial Council meeting was held at Oregon Historical Society in February, 2013.

Pittock Mansion Centennial Council Members

Charles A. (Tony) Adams – Henry Pittock Descendant
Peter Adams - Henry Pittock Descendant
Chris Anderson – The Oregonian, President and Publisher
John Bradley - R&H Construction, Chief Executive Officer
Duncan Campbell - The Campbell Group, Founder; Friends of the Children, Founder
Mike Donahue - retired KOIN-TV News Anchor
Bart Eberwein – Hoffman Construction, Executive Vice President
Nick Fish - City of Portland, Parks Commissioner
Gerry Frank - Oregon’s Premier Citizen
Gary Maffei - retired Vice President of Merlo Corporation and Foundation
Cyndy Maletis - Community Volunteer
Mike McMenamin – Co-owner, McMenamins
Mary Oberst – former Oregon First Lady; State Advisory Committee on Historic Preservation, Member
Zari Santner - former Portland Parks & Recreation Director
Bob Scanlan- ScanlanKemperBard Companies, Chief Executive Officer
Richard Sorenson – RBC Wealth Management, Senior Managing Director
Bob Speltz - Standard Insurance, Director Public Affairs
Julie Neupert Stott – Neupert Interior Designs, Owner and Interior Designer
Kerry Tymchuk - Oregon Historical Society, Executive Director
Julie Vigeland – Oregon Arts Commission, Chair
John von Schlegell - Endeavour Capital, Managing Director
 Ted Wheeler – Oregon State Treasurer

The Mansion’s Preservation Committee has worked diligently with PP&R staff to plan the project for a couple years, as the design team investigated the needs and challenges and created construction documents.

Currently, three of the Mansion’s four terraces leak or seep water, and none of the terraces drain properly. Each will need a new drainage strategy to ensure effective waterproofing for the long-term. Ensuring that the connections between the balusters in the railings and existing terrace gutters are sound will be a crucial and complex process. Though there are other seismic concerns at the Mansion, because the balusters and railings will be removed during construction, they will be repaired, as well as seismically-anchored to provide stability when people lean or sit on the railing and during a possible seismic event, which is critical for a public facility.

Construction will begin in the summer of 2013, and with the remaining funds secured, Pittock Mansion Society expects all four terraces to be repaired by October 2013, in time for the beginning of Pittock Mansion’s Centennial celebrations.

Sporting a 1914-style frock coat, waistcoat, and top hat, Carney introduced community musicians who perform at the Mansion during the holidays, including Cleveland High School’s female a capella group, High Altotudes, and Portland’s male a capella group, The Portland Timbre, who even provided a quick singing lesson.

http://www.kgw.com/community/blogs/drew-carney/2012-Pittock-Mansion-Christmas-Exhibit-182768201.html

http://www.portlandarchitecture.com/

Fidler’s inspiration for Vampires of Oregon began when she explored  the grounds of Pittock Mansion for the first time on a cold, quiet, icy winter morning. Fidler found that the natural elements and fog surrounding the Mansion created a perfect backdrop for a vampire-themed series of portraits. She returned with friends dressed in costumes from the early 1900s for a photo shoot, but then noticed the photograph of Henry Pittock on the mantel in his bedroom, and was surprised that he had exactly the look she wanted. She found more photos of early Oregonians whom she thought also looked vampiric at Oregon Historical Society. With the help of skilled interns from local college art programs, Fidler used the photos of Pittock and other early Oregonians to create her series of larger-than-life vampire scrolls featuring fine, cross-contour lines similar to those on topographical maps embellished with colored pencil, iridescent inks, and textural marks to radiate energy.

Be sure to see Anna Fidler’s unique 21st century approach to portraiture at Portland Art Museum before this exhibit closes on December 16. For more information, see http://www.portlandartmuseum.org/annafidler

Last February, City Council approved funding to support key Portland Parks & Recreation priorities, including a project to restore the Mansion’s terraces to address risks to public safety and prevent water seeping inside. Since then, the Mansion’s Preservation Committee has worked diligently with Parks staff to support the project, as the design team investigated the needs and challenges and created construction documents.

It was soon realized that the scope of work had to be expanded to address issues uncovered. Currently, none of the terraces drain properly, so each will need a new drainage strategy. Ensuring that the connections between the balusters in the railings and existing terrace gutters are sound will be like solving a three-dimensional puzzle. This is a crucial and complex process that will help ensure effective waterproofing for the long-term. The repair of each terrace will include the removal of the clay tiles, replacement of the waterproofing membrane, installa­tion of through-wall flashing, and reinstallation of the tiles.

Expanding the scope also allows two components of stability to be addressed for the balusters and railings: stability when people lean or sit on the railing and stability during a possible seismic event, which is critical for a public facility. Though there are other seismic concerns at the Mansion, because the balusters and railings will be removed during construction, they will be repaired, as well as seismically-anchored.

Additional funding will be needed to complete the project. The City of Portland and Parks & Recreation have committed $550,000 toward the $1,137,000 project. Pittock Mansion Society is contributing $250,000, including a $75,000 grant that was recently received. Work continues to raise the remaining funds, and construction is scheduled to begin the summer of 2013—just in time for the Mansion’s 2014 Centennial Celebrations.

http://www.wheeloffortune.com/minisites/portland/greatoutdoorsweek/pittock-mansion.php