At the turn of the twentieth century, outdoor recreation became popular in Portland. The Oregon Iron & Steel Company developed nearby Sucker Lake into a lake resort, selling land under the motto "Live Where You Play," eventually renaming it Lake Oswego. Emma Austin purchased a lot in 1910 and built a unique one-bedroom summer cottage inspired by California bungalow architecture. The home gained recognition for its distinctive design and was included in a historical book. By 2015, however, challenges arose for the preservation of this historic house.
In 1910, a Portlander named Emma Austin bought one of the company's lots in the Briarwood neighborhood, a less populated, more countrified area than the planned subdivisions popping up immediately around the lake.
The Emma M. Austin house is unusual for its architecture: there are no other bungalows of this style in the vicinity.
In 1999, architectural historian William Hawkins included the home in his book Classic Houses of Portland, Oregon: 1850-1950, hailing the house for its pristine bungalow detailing.
By 2015, however, the house was in trouble.
Collection
[
|
...
]