A Portland Colonial Revival-style mansion, built for a tycoon, owned by the Episcopal and Catholic churches and long cherished by an advertising genius, sold for $3.45 million.

The seller, Dan Wieden of renown Wieden+Kennedy advertising agency -- the man who gave Nike its "Just Do It" mantra and whose family founded Caldera, a respected nonprofit arts education organization and camp for at-risk youth -- had lived in the house since 1993, which is longer than anyone else.

Over the decades, owners have hosted performers from the "Sound of Music" Von Trapp family to Thomas Lauderdale of Pink Martini, said Suze Riley of The Agency, who listed the property.

"In its earlier history, members of the Kennedy family have been known to visit," she said.

The 8,512-square-foot mansion, on two-thirds of an acre above Southwest Broadway, was made for entertaining.

The living room is 40 feet long and opens to a large sunroom and patio. The dining room can seat three dozen people and the remodeled kitchen can handle catering and special requests.

What's the history of the white house on Southwest Greenway Avenue that went on the market for the first time 25 years?

It was built in 1951 for Theodore B. Wilcox, Jr. and his wife, Ruth.

Wilcox, a second-generation millionaire, had already built three or four houses for his family when a recession was brewing. "But it didn't stop him from hiring the architect at the top of his game, Roscoe Hemenway," said Riley.

Respected and prolific Portland architect Roscoe De Leur Hemenway was famous for his stately designs, exacting details and the graceful way he positioned a house on the land. During his career, which spanned from 1923 to 1959, he designed English Tudors and other traditional house styles.

But newspaper stories and real estate listings spotlighted what were celebrated as "Hemenway Colonials."

He designed more than a dozen Colonials in the Dunthorpe neighborhood in the 1940s and 1950s.

"It was during this period that he produced what many consider to be his finest work, a residence for investor and civic leader Theodore B. Wilcox, Jr.," writes Morgen Young in The Oregon Encyclopedia.

The original plans are archived at the Oregon Historical Society's Davies Family Research Library.

For this house, Hemenway conceived of a gabled and columned front facade. Inside, classic features include pediment cornices, crown molding and paneled wainscoting.

A chandelier illuminates the foyer and matching wall sconces add a glow to the living and dining rooms. Riley pointed out the bullet-shaped hinges, massive circular door handles and other hardware "to be appreciated."

The winding, formal stairs are outlined by twisted wood balusters. There's also a simple stairwell that linked the kitchen to upstairs servant quarters.

But why exert yourself in a home created for opulence and ease? The original elevator calls at all three floors; from the game room in the basement to six bedrooms on the second floor, said Riley.

The Wilcox family bequeathed the property to the Episcopal Diocese of Oregon in 1961 and it was later sold to the Catholic Archdiocese of Portland for use as a residence. People in the neighborhood refer to it as "The Bishop's House."

The 625-square-foot master suite has a fireplace, dressing room and marble bathroom. French doors open to a balcony, with a hot tub in the center, that connects the master suite to a bedroom at the other end of the mansion.

In Hemenway's plan, there were twin "his" and "her" suites, but one suite was converted to two bedrooms, Riley wrote on her blog.

On the third floor is a library with a wet bar, theater and powder room.

The largely unfinished basement has an additional 3,576 square feet of space. One corner has a pool table. Tucked away is a large safe and store rooms.

The property sold after 86 days on the market and an 8 percent drop in the asking price of $3.75 million. Annual taxes are $58,190.

-- Janet Eastman



jeastman@oregonian.com

503-799-8739

@janeteastman



