Portland's artisan reputation owes a lot to the glass-making Povey brothers. Their mostly unsigned, yet highly distinguishable stained-glass windows were installed a century ago in public and private landmarks, from The Old Church events center in downtown Portland to the Pittock Mansion perched on the West Hills.
When Oregon's civic leaders, church members and mansion owners in the late 1800s to early 1900s wanted majestic art glass to illuminate spaces, they turned to European-trained designer David Povey, and his craftsman brother John.
Their Povey Brothers Art Glass Works, Oregon's first decorative window company, was known as the Tiffany of the Northwest.
Highly coveted when new, many of their original art glass windows remain on display in buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places or are preserved by individuals and organizations such as the Bosco-Milligan Foundation's Architectural Heritage Center in Portland.
Another way to get to know the brothers' work is through the Queen Anne Victorian house that John Povey had built in 1891, three years after the company was started.
The dozen stained- and leaded-glass windows in John Povey's home aren't as elaborate as those in church or grand estates. Instead, they are to scale and scope of what would have been considered a middle-class house at the time.
"John was an artisan," says Diana Stuart, who moved into the historic house in the 1970s. "He wasn't wealthy, but working class. So you could call his home modest."
The windows showcase different glazes and styles, from complex to spare, and nature-inspired motifs of fish and birds to simple triangles.
It's almost as if the variety was to serve as samples of what the brothers could produce in their studio warehouse in Chinatown. But this was no showroom. Instead, it was a private home, as it still is today.
The three-story house at 1312 N.E. Tillamook St. was one of the first homes in Portland's newly fashionable eastside Irvington neighborhood. In addition to original art windows, it stands out for other ornamental architectural features.
Passersby see a trio of tall bay windows on the main level. Above, a circular wood ornament fronts the second-floor balcony. Knob-turned spindles and other stylized pierced work also adorn the facade.
Inside, the home looks similar to how it appeared 126 years ago. Povey lived in the house until he died in 1917, and his family stayed under the gable-peaked roof until 1964.
Stuart believes there were two other owners before her partner, Alan Baily, bought the house in 1972. Before they arrived, all of the walls and ceilings had been layered in wallpaper and paint.
She recalls stripping off white and brown enamel paint to restore the western red cedar woodwork to its original natural stain.
"It took years, using dental picks" to take off the stubborn specs of enamel, says Stuart. Additionally, the couple had decades of paint stripped off. Taking painted surfaces to bare wood eliminated all lead concerns inside and out, she adds.
Over four decades, Stuart and her late partner also secured the structure with steel supports, replaced collapsing ceilings and updated the unworkable kitchen, which once had a rusted sink.
When something couldn't be saved, they installed elements that replicated those in the late 19th century. Broken spindles were replaced with new matching ones, made with antique knives and milling techniques.
Today, new solid fir kitchen cabinets have a finish that matches the originals, and the ceiling has vintage-looking, pressed tin tiles that were popular in the era the home was built.
"The good news and one reason the home is on the National Register of Historic Places, is no one moved walls or destroyed the ornamentation," she says.
Original light fixtures best exhibit this critical time in home design: The tops of the lights are piped for gas, while the bottom halves are wired for electricity.
The turn-of-the-last century was a dynamic time. One long-timer in the neighborhood says Povey was often seen standing on his balcony with binoculars, watching the horse races at Irving Park and calling in bets using one of the region's rare telephones, says Stuart.
The natural world was an inspiration to the Poveys, says Stuart. Her dining room has an original stained glass window with an image of salmon and the transom over the front door has clear-glass cockatoos; their heads bent, their tails upward in a swoop.
Along the stairs are five windows, each with a jewel-like glass medallion. "The windows in the house are modest but lovely," says Stuart. "I always wondered how they were selected. Maybe someone ordered them and never picked them up."
Another design surprise is in the property's backyard: Respected Japanese garden designer Hoichi Kurisu, who supervised construction of the Portland Japanese Garden a half century ago, was hired by Stuart and Baily to install landscaping.
Stuart reminisces that it was a wonderful home in which to raise their daughter who grew up helping the couple meticulously restore the home, appreciating its history and craftsmanship.
"Our home gave us a visceral connection to the Irvington community since we were living in a piece of its history," says Stuart.
Now since she is downsizing and selling the property, Stuart hopes that another family will share her family's love for the house.
- Janet Eastman
jeastman@oregonian.com
503-799-8739
@janeteastman