The Aubrey R. Watzek House is a historic house at 1061 SW Skyline Boulevard in

Portland, Oregon Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the list of cities in Oregon, largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette River, Willamette and Columbia River, Columbia rivers, Portland is ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

. Built in 1936–1937 for a lumber magnate, it was considered a major regional statement of Modern architecture not long after its completion. It was designated a

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places listed ...

on July 25, 2011.Weekly List Of Actions Taken On Properties: 7/25/11 through 7/29/11
/ref> It is now part of the

University of Oregon The University of Oregon (UO, U of O or Oregon) is a public research university in Eugene, Oregon. Founded in 1876, the institution is well known for its strong ties to the sports apparel and marketing firm Nike, Inc, and its co-founder, billion ...

's John Yeon Center for Architecture, and is used as a special event facility.

Description and history

The Aubrey R. Watzek House is located in Portland's west side Sylvan-Highlands neighborhood, in a bend of SW Skyline Boulevard between SW Barnes Road and SW Fairview Boulevard. The property affords expansive views to the north, east, and south, including views of Mount Hood. The house is a single-story gable-roofed wood-frame structure, with a U-shaped configuration around a central courtyard. It presents a deceptively modest entrance area to the arriving visitor, with the main entrance set in an otherwise blank wall. The entry opens to the courtyard, which is a garden space with a small pool, and then into a narrow hall from which the rest of the house is gradually revealed. The living room and dining room are sited to provide maximum exposure to the views. Aubrey Watzek was a lumber magnate, who commissioned John Yeon, then a young architect, to design a house for himself and his mother. Yeon completed the design in 1936, but Watzek initially rejected it. After working for a time with another architect at A.E. Doyle, he accepted Yeon's design. The house was completed in 1937. Watzek lived in the house until his death in January 1973. The house received immediate notice after its construction, and was included in an architectural exhibition organized by the

Museum of Modern Art The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on 53rd Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. It plays a major role in developing and collecting modern art, and is often identified as one of ...

. Yeon purchased the house after Watzek's death, and it was subsequently taken over by the

. It is open for group tours, day meetings, and other special events.

References

External links

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Historic images of the Watzek House
from the University of Oregon digital collections
Aubrey Richardson Watzek House
from the University of Washington Pacific Coast Architecture Database
Summer at the Watzek House
an exploration of ongoing historic preservation at the Watzek House {{DEFAULTSORT:Watzek, Aubrey R., House Houses completed in 1936 John Yeon buildings University of Oregon Modernist architecture in Oregon National Historic Landmarks in Oregon Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Portland, Oregon 1936 establishments in Oregon Southwest Portland, Oregon Portland Historic Landmarks

Description and history

See also

References

External links