A mucky-muck at a prominent department store chain would certainly have the resources to build and furnish a mansion. And that's exactly what Meier & Frank executive Leon Hirsch did in 1923 after he hired acclaimed architects Sutton & Whitney to design a Jacobean Tudor-style house in Portland Heights.

The architectural style, first popularized during the 17th century reign of King James I of England, is noted for its use of columns, arched recessed entries and other classic English Renaissance ornamental details.

Hirsch's four-level brick mansion, at 1957 SW Montgomery Dr., has a formal dining room with a Baccarat crystal chandelier, wood paneled library and three fireplaces.

It's no wonder the stately house was included in the venerable book, "Classic Houses of Portland, Oregon, 1850-1950."

Hirsch was related by marriage to Meier & Frank founder Aaron Meier, who married Jeanette Hirsch. Leon worked 50 years for the company that transformed the general store concept into a modern department store, according to historians.

The chain operated in the Pacific Northwest from 1857 to 2006, and was considered one of America's Great Stores. It's credited with introducing the perk of a money-back guarantee.

Members of the Meier, Frank and Hirsch families owned most of the stock when the company was sold in 1966. The company sold again in 2005 to the May department stores, and was later rolled into the Macy's brand.

Leon Hirsch was characterized by colleagues as a loyal, efficient and vigilant company man. He was married to Edith E. Dittenhofer, and they had a daughter, who graduated from Miss Catlin's School (now Catlin Gabel) and the University of Washington.

Another footnote: Leon's cousin Max Hirsch purchased Willamette Tent & Awning in 1907 and turned it into the Hirsch-Weis canvas products company. Max's son Harold founded White Stag skiwear.

Leon Hirsch's home has changed hand over the decades, but still retains its original architectural character. For the latest improvement, Heidi Semler Interior Design worked with brothers Brian and Jeff Bohrer of Cornerstone Construction Services, who were praised for restoring and updating the John Yeon designed Shaw House in Lake Oswego that was selected as the centerpiece of the 2015 Street of Dreams.

In the Portland mansion, original oak floors, crown moldings and cast-iron radiators were restored. The updated kitchen has white tile backsplashes and quartzite counters that mirror the era in which the home was built.

Step outside to see the covered dining porch that looks like an arched arcade. The front terrace, gardens and grounds were designed by landscape architect Craig Kiest of Huntington & Kiest, a Portland firm he founded with the late architectural historian and landscape architect Wallace Kay Huntington.

The historic mansion, on a third of an acre, was listed for sale on Saturday, April 1. The price: $2.8 million.

With 8,994 square feet of living space, that breaks down to $311 a square foot, which is under the median price of $491 a square foot for the Northwest Portland area, according to real estate database Redfin. (Update: Redfin linked to the Northwest when it should be Southwest, which is $262 a square foot.)

Annual taxes are about $34,500.

Who would live in the Leon Hirsch house today? Past recent occupants have included young families with sophisticated tastes, international travelers and business movers-and-shakers who want to live close to the cultural center, restaurants and shops of the Pearl District area, says MJ Steen of Windermere Stellar, who listed the property.

And maybe scholars of Portland's rich retail history?

-- Janet Eastman



jeastman@oregonian.com

503-799-8739

@janeteastman



