Largest House in Portland and Oregon: 6 Mansions That Define Big Living
The first time I stood on a quiet West Hills street and looked up at a roofline that seemed to go on forever, I forgot I was in Portland at all. That’s when I got curious about the largest house in Portland and Oregon.
I’m Stefano Schiavon, founder of rivon home, and I am going to explain all six of these houses right here — the biggest one is the Mittleman Estate — and if you want to know, there’s actually much more to this story than one address.
Where Largest House in Portland and Oregon Are Located
Most of Largest House in Portland and Oregon cluster in Portland’s West Hills and Laurelhurst neighborhoods, two of the city’s oldest money zip codes, with sweeping views of downtown, Mount Hood, and Mount St. Helens.
One sits south of the city near West Linn along the Willamette River. Another, technically the current record holder for Largest House in Portland and Oregon, is down in Salem. Location, more than anything, explains why these homes got so big — hillside lots and riverfront acreage gave architects room to dream.
Touring Largest House in Portland and Oregon
I’ve walked the public grounds of Pittock Mansion more times than I can count, and toured Laurelhurst on foot to see the Bitar Mansion’s peacock gates up close.
The West Hills estates are private, so I’ve seen them from the street and through listing photos, but even from the curb, the scale of these homes changes how you read a neighborhood. It’s a different kind of architecture entirely.
Mittleman Estate: Inside Portland Largest Livable Mansion
The Mittleman Estate Largest House in Portland and Oregon was built in 1930 by architect Roscoe D. Hemenway for Tudor Revival executive George Phelps Berkey. A four-year, $20 million restoration by JHL Design and Green Gables Design and Restoration brought it to what it is today. Here’s what’s built into the home:
- Size: 25,568 square feet
- Bedrooms: 8
- Bathrooms: 13
- Ballroom: 2,100 square feet, doubles as an indoor basketball court
- Pool: Heated indoor pool
- Wine space: Dedicated wine tasting room
- Primary suite: Dressing rooms wrapped in House of Hackney wallpaper
Real estate agents nicknamed it the “Great Gatsby mansion” for good reason. Every room was rebuilt around family life first, entertaining second, which is rare for a home this size, and it’s what makes the restoration genuinely special.
5 Largest House in Portland and Oregon List
Here’s a quick look at the rest of Largest House in Portland and Oregon — where they sit, how many bedrooms and bathrooms they hold, and the one standout space each owner built for themselves.
Peach Cove Mansion
This is the one that could change everything — a riverfront giant that’s been sitting frozen in time since the late 1990s, waiting for an owner with the money and vision to finish it.
- Location: West Linn, on 31 riverfront acres along the Willamette River
- Bedrooms: 9 (planned)
- Bathrooms: 18 (planned)
- Size: 50,000 square feet (planned)
- Special space: Underground parking for a car collection, a full-size basketball gym, and an indoor pool — built by Mark Wattles as his own personal entertainment compound in 1996, still unfinished today
Nearly 30 years later, the original woodwork still holds up surprisingly well. If a buyer ever finishes it, this would instantly become the true Largest House in Portland and Oregon, no contest.
Bitar Mansion
Tucked next to Laurelhurst Park, this one has more heart than square footage. It’s the Bitar Mansion its longtime owner literally dreamed about owning as a boy, long before he ever bought it.
- Location: Laurelhurst neighborhood, Portland
- Bedrooms/Bathrooms: 17 rooms total (Mediterranean Revival layout, built 1927)
- Size: 12,000 square feet
- Special space: Marble-floored ballroom, heated pool, and a servants’ wing — restored by owner Robert Bitar, his childhood dream house, where he later hosted Eleanor Roosevelt and pianist Van Cliburn
Its bronzed iron gates and peacock stonework still turn heads on this quiet street today. It remains the most expensive home ever sold in Southeast Portland, a title it’s held for years.
Pittock Mansion
Portland’s most visited historic home, and the only one on this list you can actually walk through today. It sits above the city like a French château that got lost on its way to the Loire Valley.
- Location: West Hills, Portland
- Bedrooms: 5
- Rooms total: 23
- Size: 16,000 square feet, built 1914
- Special space: A hydraulic “human carwash” shower and a third-floor playroom big enough for tricycles — both built for owner Henry Pittock, now preserved as a public museum
The City of Portland saved it from demolition in 1964 after storm damage nearly ended it. Today it draws around 80,000 visitors a year, making it the most publicly loved mansion on this list.
Morrow Mansion
South of Portland in Salem, this is the house that quietly held the title of “largest house in Oregon” for years before the West Linn giant came along.
- Location: Salem, Oregon, on nearly 10 acres
- Bedrooms: 7
- Bathrooms: 17
- Size: 21,000 square feet, built 1992
- Special space: Two full separate apartments built into the property, plus a swimming pool and 11 fireplaces — built for owner Richard Morrow’s own daily use
A buyer once tried turning it into a bed and breakfast, but local zoning rules blocked the plan. It remains a private residence today, quietly holding its place in Oregon’s mansion history.
The Forestry Building (not a private residence, but worth knowing)
This one isn’t a house at all, but no list about Oregon’s biggest wooden structures is complete without it — the log building Portland once called its “temple of timber.”
- Location: Portland, built for the 1905 Lewis and Clark Exposition
- Bedrooms/Bathrooms: None — an exhibit hall, not a home
- Size: 206 feet long, built from massive Douglas fir logs
- Special space: Called the “world’s largest log cabin” in its day, destroyed by fire in 1964, ending its run as one of Oregon’s most photographed timber landmarks
Built from two miles of massive logs for the 1905 Lewis and Clark Exposition, it drew crowds from across the country. Its loss is still considered one of Portland’s saddest architectural stories.
Which Oregon Mansions Sold and Which Are Still Unfinished
The Bitar Mansion sold in 2006 for $1.825 million, then again in 2011 for $870,000 after foreclosure. The Mittleman Estate is currently listed at $25 million. The Morrow Mansion sold in 2016 for $2.5 million. Peach Cove Mansion, despite years on the market and a $12 million investment, has never sold as a finished home — it remains framed, roofed, and empty.
Fires, Foreclosures, and Storms: What Happened to These Mansions
A few of these homes have unusual histories worth knowing. The Bitar Mansion fell into disrepair after 2010 and was auctioned on the Multnomah County Courthouse steps in 2011.
Pittock Mansion sat abandoned for six years after 1958, badly damaged by the 1962 Columbus Day Storm, before the city stepped in to save it. Peach Cove Mansion stalled after its owner relocated for tax reasons, leaving 50-plus workers’ unfinished framework exposed to Oregon weather for nearly three decades.
Largest House in Portland and Oregon: Price Comparison Table
| Property | Location | Size | Bedrooms/Baths | Status | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mittleman Estate | West Hills, Portland | 25,568 sq ft | 8 bed / 13 bath | For sale | $25,000,000 |
| Peach Cove Mansion | West Linn | 50,000 sq ft (planned) | 9 bed / 18 bath | Unfinished | ~$3.25M+ (land/shell) |
| Pittock Mansion | West Hills, Portland | 16,000 sq ft | 5 bed / 23 rooms | Public museum | $225,000 (1964) |
| Morrow Mansion | Salem | 21,000 sq ft | 7 bed / 17 bath | Sold | $2,500,000 |
| Bitar Mansion | Laurelhurst, Portland | 12,000 sq ft | 17 rooms | Sold (2011) | $870,000 |
| Forestry Building | Portland | ~21,000+ sq ft | N/A (exhibit hall) | Destroyed (1964) | N/A |
Other Notable Portland Mansions Worth Knowing
A few other Largest House in Portland and Oregon deserve a mention even though they didn’t make the top six.
- Fir Acres (M. Lloyd Frank Estate) — Designed by the same architect who built the Bitar Mansion, Herman Brookman. It’s now part of the Lewis & Clark College campus in Portland.
- Channing Frye’s Portland homes — The former Portland Trail Blazers player and his wife still own homes in Dunthorpe and Wilsonville, and return to the Portland area most summers.
For more inspiration on how architecture and interior design work together in homes of any size, browse our Home Decor category for practical ideas you can actually use.
FAQs: Largest House in Portland and Oregon
Portland is in which state, USA?
Portland is located in the state of Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States.
Is Portland the largest city in Oregon?
Yes. Portland is the largest city in Oregon by both population and metropolitan area, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Why are so many large mansions located in Portland’s West Hills?
The elevation, mountain views, and large hillside lots in West Hills gave early 20th-century architects room to build big, without close neighbors crowding the design.
Final Thoughts
Chasing the title of the largest house in Portland and Oregon taught me something I didn’t expect: size alone doesn’t make a home memorable. Every largest house in Portland and Oregon on this list has its own story, from Brookman’s peacock gates to Pittock’s hand-carved staircase.
Whether you’re researching the largest house in Portland and Oregon out of curiosity or planning your own build, craftsmanship always outlasts square footage. That’s the real lesson behind the largest house in Portland and Oregon it’s never just about size.
