Portland’s oldest home, on land ripe for development, is for sale at $1.95 million (2024)

Portland’s oldest surviving residence, the 1855 Tigard-Rogers House in the Southwest Bridlemile neighborhood, is for sale. Neighbors hope the historically significant dwelling is preserved, and the listing broker says a creek and environmental protections on the 2.86-acre parcel restrict development.

The Tigard-Rogers House rests on its original site and on a 0.38-acre tax lot. The combined property for sale has three other tax lots: A 0.16-acre lot with a 674-square-foot structure built in 1930; a 0.52-acre lot with a 1,504-square-foot structure built in 1957 and a 1.84-acre lot.

“The interest I have had so far is from people who want to build a home on the land,” said broker Marilyn Brown of (W)here Inc., who has the property at 4504 S.W. Shattuck Road on the market for $1,950,000, a decrease from the asking price in February of $2,693,670. “I think someone could create a private estate with one environmentally conscious house, or maybe two, for a multigenerational family. I don’t think that would ruin the integrity of the property.”

Brown said the Tigard-Rogers House was last renovated in 2010 and no longer has characteristics of the original modest dwelling. The hand-hewn, notched log underpinnings are covered with red aluminum siding installed in the 1970s and “it’s pretty rough in there,” she said. “Anyone can restore anything but it would be a major undertaking.”

Brown said the property’s three home structures and a garage that stored old farm equipment have not been used for years.

Some of the Bridlemile Neighborhood Association board members and other friends of the Tigard-Rogers House proposed to the city that the historic site become a public park, safeguarding the house and a 150-year-old Ponderosa pine listed in the Heritage Trees of Portland database.

The house is included in the Oregon Historic Sites Database and as a City of Portland Historic Landmark, demolition requires approval after a demolition review and a 120-day delay. Alteration, addition and new construction proposals affecting Historic Landmarks are subject to a historic resource review.

Mark Barnett, who serves on the Bridlemile Neighborhood Association board, said, “From my point of view, the most logical use for the property would be a historical park.” He said restored 19th century residences like the Pittock Mansion, now a museum and public park, show the life of wealthy Portlanders. “In contrast, a restored Tigard-Rogers home could show what life was for the average early settler,” he said.

Barnett received a response Aug. 19 from Portland Parks & Recreation that due to current constraints on resources, the city was unable to acquire, restore or move the house.

Val Iven, a longtime member of the Facebook page Stop Demolishing Vintage Portland Houses, posted on March 2: “I love that house. A year ago I was passing by it and they were taking away an old steam tractor that had been in the barn for many years. I would love someone to restore that house and outbuildings.”

The Tigard homestead

The ancestral land of the Atfalati was given to settlers Andrew Jackson Tigard and Sarah Jane Edwards Tigard through the Oregon Donation Land Law of 1850. His brother, Wilson McClendon Tigard, founded the city of Tigard southwest of Portland.

Andrew and Sarah and their seven children lived in the two-room house until their homestead was sold to Edward and Esther Rogers around 1875. The Rogers family’s 180-acre farm was sold off in pieces during the Great Depression to pay debts. Edward and Esther’s great-grandson Roger Hanco*ck bought a slice of the property in 1981 and lived there until he died in 2022.

Hanco*ck was a machinist who reconditioned steam engines, model train engines and vintage farm equipment. Steam-driven farm tractors built in 1896 and 1903 were once displayed on his property. The flannel-wearing owner had a small part in Gus Van Sant’s 1989 film “Drugstore Cowboy” and was a longtime member of the Pacific Railroad Preservation Association, a nonprofit, volunteer organization dedicated to restoring and maintaining the 1938 Spokane, Portland & Seattle 700 steam locomotive.

A preliminary preservation planning proposal was written in December 2006 to renovate or rehabilitate the Tigard-Rogers House. At the time, Hanco*ck and history supporters said converting the residence into a museum or other public facility would enhance the character and environment of the Bridlemile neighborhood, educate citizens about Portland’s history, and honor the Tigard and Rogers families.

After Roger Hanco*ck’s heirs put the property on the market on Feb. 13, Bridlemile Neighborhood Association board members talked again about promoting the preservation idea.

The Developer Packet includes copies of the deeds and zoning information. The listing description states “the Hanco*ck Estate, nestled in the west hills of Portland, stands as a prime residential property ... poised for development, offering a unique opportunity for those seeking an upscale living experience.”

Brown said in the listing that the property has “a tranquil setting ... excellent connectivity to all of Portland and neighboring areas, and overall appeal for prospective buyers looking to create their dream home or estate.” She added that potential buyers should check with the City of Portland for development options.

— Janet Eastman | 503-294-4072