Guide to the Hillside Neighborhood in Portland, Oregon

Also Known as Kings Heights

This part of Northwest Portland lies upon a portion of the Tualatin Mountains that overlook downtown Portland. with the 5,000-acre plus Forest Park immediately to the west (Macleay Park is a part of Forest Park) and the shops and restaurants of Northwest Portland at the foot of the neighborhood immediately to the east, there is easy access to both urban amenities and the beauties of nature. Downtown Portland is minutes away.

The promoters of the original Westover development called the area "the finest residential section in the United States." The Westover developers' plan to terrace the hill, then known as "Scotch Nubbin", so that they could build homes. That was completed in 1914 and homes started to be built. Since then the neighborhood has grown to approximately 575 households.

The above photo is a view looking east from King's Heights

Origin of Name King's Heights

How Hillside got its name is unknown but we can assume because it is on a hillside. The neighborhood is commonly known as King's Heights. About 1852, Amos Nahum King purchased the rights to 513 acres and part of the property included the Hillside neighborhood. That part of the property up in the hills in the Northwest area soon became known as King's Heights. Amos' acreage also include the neighborhoods of Northwest District (aka Nob Hill), Arlington Heights, Goose Hollow, among others.

King's Heights/Hillside Home Styles

Many homes have a view of the city or mountains like the photo above. Some can see the ships lying to the northeast on the Willamette River. Most of the homes on the steep, winding streets are gracious older homes, generally without much of a yard. Some condominium complexes have been built in the lower reaches of the neighborhood. This is expensive real estate and most homes are in the million and above range.

You will find English Tudor, Queen Ann Victorian, Colonial, and Foursquare homes in the neighborhood. Contemporary homes that are built on steep lots using modern building technology are evident.

The photo is of the Henry Hahn house in King's Heights and was designed by noted local architect Emil Schacht. The home was built in 1906 and it is one of Portland’s best examples of the Arts & Crafts style.

¹Hillside Home Prices

• Number of Homes Sold in Hillside—►  81 homes sold in 2011 and 15% were distressed sales. 43 homes sold in 2010 and 16% were distressed properties sales.
• Average Price for Homes Sold in Hillside—►  $600,114 in 2011.
• Median Price for Homes Sold in Hillside—►  $502,000 in 2011, $639,000 in 2010, $577,500 in 2009, $683,050 in 2008, and $740,000 in 2007.
• 1-Year Median Sales Price Change in Hillside—►  2010 to 2011 the sales price change was -21%. 2009 to 2010 the sales price change was 0%.
• 5-Year Median Sales Price Change in Hillside—►  2007 to 2011 the sales price change was -32%. 2006 to 2010 the sales price change was -7%.
• Portland Metro Area Median Home Price—►  $221,000 in 2011, $239,900 in 2010, $247,000 in 2009, $278,000 in 2008, and $290,000 in 2007.
• Portland Metro Area Average Home Price—►  $263,300 in 2011, $282,100 in 2010, $289,900 in 2009, $330,300 in 2008, and $342,000 in 2007.

Please be aware that the above figures are subject to error and are intended as guidelines only. View Hillside/King's Heights homes currently for sale by clicking here.

Parks and Community Centers in Hillside

Macleay Park is a natural area for hiking located at NW 29th Avenue and Upshur Street. It was acquired in 1897 and has a history bordering on the Appalachians "Hatfields and McCoys." Danford Balch was the original owner and settler of this area. He arrived in Oregon in 1847 and settled his donation land claim in 1850. A nearby claim was taken by the Stump family. The two families did not care for each other. Mortimer Stump, the eldest son of the clan, began courting Anna, the oldest of the Balch daughters. Danford warned Mortimer to stay away from his fifteen-year-old daughter, but Mortimer paid no heed. When Anna turned sixteen, she and Mortimer ran away to Vancouver, Washington, where they eloped. Two weeks later, Danford took his shotgun and met members of the Stump family, including his new son-in-law, at the Stark Street Ferry. As the ferry was loading, Danford shot both barrels into Mortimer, who died instantly. On October 17, 1859 he was hanged at a public gallows in front of over 500 witnesses. The creek that runs through the property bears his name because for years after his hanging people still referred to the area as the Old Balch Place. The property was eventually acquired by Donald Macleay, a prominent Portland merchant. Hence the name of Macleay Park.

The Hillside Community Center facilities includes classrooms, gymnasium, tennis courts, soccer field, outside play area, kitchen, and office.

The story of how the Community Center started tells one a lot about the character of the neighborhood. Owned by an art school who could not afford its upkeep, the building was about to be sold to developers. Residents felt that the site would be better used as a park and community center. The problem, of course, was money. The community was given a year to raise $106,500 to purchase the land and the buildings on it. After an exhaustive neighborhood fundraising effort, plus contributions from the City Council and private foundations, the community was still $25,000 short. To make up the difference, twelve families took out second mortgages on their homes to guarantee the loan that finalized the purchase. This group was known as the 'Trembling Twelve.' In spring of 1974, the neighbors turned the property over to the City of Portland, which accepted it as a public park and agreed to maintain it and staff a community center there.

Hillside has 124 acres of park land and open spaces according to Metro and the Portland Department of Parks and Recreation.

Hillside's Treasure: Pittock Mansion

The Pittock Mansion was home to Portland pioneers Henry and Georgiana Pittock from 1914 to 1919. During the late 1800s and the early 1900s, their lives and work paralleled the growth of Portland from a small Northwest town site to a thriving city with a quarter million population. With its eclectic architectural design and richly decorated interior, including family artifacts, the Pittock Mansion stands today as a living memorial of this family’s contributions to the blossoming of Portland and its people.

English-born Henry Lewis Pittock journeyed on a wagon train from Pennsylvania to Oregon in 1853 where, at the young age of 19, and in his own words, “barefoot and penniless,” he began working for Thomas Jefferson Dryer’s Weekly Oregonian newspaper. In 1860, at the age of 26, he married 15-year-old Georgiana Martin Burton of Missouri. A consummate businessman, Henry Pittock took ownership of the Weekly Oregonian in 1860, changing its format to the daily paper we read today. He went on to build an empire incorporating real estate, banking, railroads, steamboats, sheep ranching, silver mining, and the pulp and paper industry.

Henry and Georgiana were at the pinnacle of their successful lives when they commissioned architect Edward Foulkes to design and build their new home overlooking Portland, the city they loved. They began planning and designing their new home in 1909. The mansion was completed in 1914, replete with stunningly progressive features including a central vacuum system, intercoms, and indirect lighting. The threat of demolition at the hands of land developers, and the extensive damage caused by a storm in 1962, brought concerned citizens together to raise funds to preserve the site. Seeing this popular support, and agreeing that the house had tremendous value as a unique historic resource, the City of Portland purchased the estate in 1964 for $225,000. Fifteen months were spent restoring it. The mansion opened to the public in 1965, and has been a community landmark ever since.

The mansion is located in the Hillside neighborhood and it is open to the public. Below is a video of many area of Portland to include a brief tour of the Pittock Mansion.