English-born Henry Lewis Pittock was a successful businessman who, at the age of 26, took ownership of the Weekly Oregonian in 1860 (the same yeary he married 15-year-old Georgiana Martin Burton of Missouri, a marriage that would last nearly 60 years) changing its format to the daily paper we read today. He went on to build an empire incorporating real estate, banking, railroads, steamboats, sheep ranching, silver mining, and the pulp and paper industry
Pittcock commissioned architect Edward Foulkes to design and build an estate overlooking Portland, Oregon. The mansion was completed in 1914, featured a central vacuum system, intercoms, and indirect lighting. The Pittocks hired Oregon craftsmen and artisans, and used Northwestern materials to build the house. The final estate included the mansion, a 3-car garage, a greenhouse, and the Italianate gate lodge servants' residence, all situated on 46 acres of land almost 1,000 feet above downtown Portland.
The City of Portland purchased the estate in 1964 for $225,000. The mansion was opened for public tours in 1965 as a community landmark.
