The Haunting Of The Pittock Mansion: The Real Story Behind Newspaper Tycoon Henry Pittock’s Oregon Estate
The Pittock Mansion, a Victorian chateau-style home, is nestled in the West Hills neighborhood of Oregon, Portland. And the property has its own share of haunted history, enough to excite all horror fans to check out the destination soon. Originally, Henry Pittock, a newspaper tycoon of the early 1900s, built the mansion.
Once the symbol of Portland’s rich elite, the mansion’s haunted story is rooted in how both homeowners died after spending only four years inside the mansion’s gilded walls.
Even today, locals say that the spirits of the dead owners are somewhere inside the mansion, with people often reporting strange events and occurrences here over the years.
Our obsession started with Portlock, Alaska’s mysterious story – how a normal everyday town turned into an abandoned ghost town. Of course, the obsession didn’t end there – rather, it motivated us to check out the most haunted spots in the United States.
Today, we have for you the very bizarre tale of Oregon’s famous haunted mansion – the Pittock Mansion. Prepare yourself for one hell of a ride because things are about to get a little scary around here!
Meet Henry Pittock: The Publishing Tycoon Who Built The Pittock Mansion!
Born on 1st March 1835, Henry Pittock spent the bigger parts of his childhood in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Pittock attended preparatory school, and by the time he turned 12, Pittock started working in his dad’s printing business.
Pittock was not just a publishing magnate; he was also a talented mountaineer. Pittock and his brother decided to join two families traveling to the West, inspired by tales of the frontier and western expansion.
Soon, the two brothers landed in Oregon territory without any money and literally barefoot. In Oregon, Pittock started working as a typesetter for the weekly edition of Oregonian based in Portland. And that too for the publication’s founder. Eventually, Pittock became the managing editor of the paper.
During this time, Pittock first met Georgiana, his wife – the couple got married sometime in 1860. Pittock actually became one of the richest men in the whole of Oregon society as someone behind the major newspaper of the city. Plus, he invested in different industries consequently, including mining, ranching, banking, and railroads.
As we mentioned in the beginning, Pittock was an outdoorsman and a keen climber. He founded the Mazamas Climbing Club. Moreover, he was a part of Oregon’s first expedition, Mount Hood.
Georgiana was also an active member of Oregon’s society. She was involved in several charities and cultural organizations, including the Ladies Relief Society and Women’s Union. She was one of the founding members of Martha Washington Home, a type of residence for all working women.
Georgiana was enthusiastic about gardening and became one of the founding members of the Portland Rose Festival and the Portland Rose Society.
In 1909, the couple decided to build a dream home in Portland for retirement.
Building The Unprecedented Pittock Mansion And The Tragic Aftermath:
The Pittocks hired Edward T. Foulke, an architect, to design their dream retirement home from scratch.
The architect originally built the 46-room Pittocks Mansion, with its French Renaissance exterior, on a hill that overlooked Portland.
The inside of the building was designed uniquely with modern amenities such as a dumbwaiter and an elevator, strikingly beautiful views of the Cascade Mountain range and Mount Hood, a massive central staircase, marble floors, and oak-paneled cabinets.
The inside of the mansion’s entryway ceiling has foil lining. During Georgianna’s early years, she used to save foil from used tea containers to decorate the mansion.
In 1914, the architect and his team finally completed building the Pittock Mansion. At the time, Henry was 80, and Georgiana was 68.
The Death Of Pittocks And Change In Ownership:
Unfortunately, the couple didn’t have plenty of time together in their dream retirement home. In 1918, only four years after the mansion was built, Georgiana died, and the following year, Henry passed away as well.
Of course, other members of the family stayed in the house for several years until Henry’s grandson, Peter Gantenbein, who had actually grown up on the property, tried to sell it in 1958.
Gantenbein wasn’t able to do so, and consequently, the house sat literally empty for many years. In 1962, due to a huge Columbus Day Storm, Pittock Mansion was damaged severely. During this time, Gantenbein started contemplating the idea of getting the building destroyed.
But the community kept rallying around the well-known property. In fact, the residents of Portland donated a solid $75,000, helping the city buy and then restore the famous home.
In 1964, Portland officially purchased the mansion. The city decided to form a nonprofit to look after the house. The nonprofit spent over a year repairing the mansion and restoring all the damaged parts. Then, in 1965, the property opened as the Pittock Mansion Museum for public touring.
Interestingly, many tourists and visitors have claimed to have encountered certain inexplicable experiences on these tours. Some say that they even came across the late Pittocks as well.
The Haunting Of The Pittock Mansion: The Real Story Behind The Oregon Estate Of Newspaper Tycoon Henry Pittock
Perhaps because the Pittocks passed away before they could even enjoy the grand home they had built from scratch, they still haunt the property.
Visitors have claimed that they have seen windows latching and shutting on their own, a Henry Pittock portrait moving around, and the sound of footsteps. And that’s not all.
Tour guides have claimed that they have encountered random figures inside the Pittock Mansion when they open the building every morning for business. Then there are locals who say that they have come across the unmistakable aroma of roses. Roses were undoubtedly Georgiana Pittock’s favorite flower.
As visitors toured the Pittock Mansion, they allegedly encountered apparitions of the late couple and their head groundskeeper.
At the same time, all these reports also talk about how ghosts are not harmless. Instead, there is this vibe that the ghosts are happy and at peace to see that people have come to see their beautifully restored mansion.
#DreamAndTravel: And It’s A Wrap!
Indeed, the ghosts at the Pittock Mansion are gracious and friendly hosts.
It seems like, though the Pittocks did not live long enough to actually enjoy the beautiful home they had built, the couple is pretty content with welcoming others to check out the gorgeous views they didn’t get to enjoy in their lifetime.
So, are you planning to visit the Pittock Mansion? You need not be sacred, considering the ghosts are gracious.
Not every experience with the supernatural ends up like The Shinning – sometimes, you can also encounter Casper!
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