Wendy Squires and Angel Lopez own the house known in Bridlemile as the Walther House at 4021 SW 45th Avenue. Angel and Isabel Lopez gave me a tour of their home. Fred and Rosa Walthers built the house in 1948. The architect was Ericson. The signature feature the houses Ericson built in Portland are wagon wheel windows. The one in the Walther home is in the guest bathroom. Half the wagon wheel turns to open the window.
Originally 50 acres surrounded the home. Beautiful old trees fill the .9 acre property. Angel Lopez was told that Mr. Walthers may have been from the south because many of the trees he planted are magnolias and dogwoods, trees typically found in the southern part of the US. There are 51 trees on the property. A circular drive forms the approach to the house. On the north side of the drive a steep down slope section leads to the garage. A small building that resembles a playhouse also on the house on the north is the well house. A well still supplies water to the gardens. It probably provided water to the house before electricity was installed.
The home has been carefully maintained as it was in the 1940’s. The front door opens into a gracious entry hall. The living room is directly ahead, study and bedrooms to the right (north) and the kitchen is to the left (south). All the original features remain including big windows in each room with lovely views of the grounds. A large marble fireplace is an outstanding feature of the west-facing living room which joins a large bright dining room. There is a door from the dining room to the patio. Attractive wood detail is around the ceilings and over the windows in all the rooms. The floors are hardwood and original. There is built in storage everywhere. Closets are lighted. The kitchen, which faces east on 45th, has tile counters retaining the 40’s look. The windows are asol original. Angel and Wendy plan to update the kitchen but will keep it in the period. Across the hall is a room that was probably originally a study. There are lovely built in cabinets and bookshelves. Clever lighting recessed above and below the mirror over the basin gives the bath a charming look. All the rooms are large and comfortable but the master bedroom is especially large and bright. A door off the kitchen leads to the full basement. The lower level has a large family room, a bedroom and big laundry. The bathroom below the main bath upstairs has a clothes chute. There is a huge workroom/furnace room. Angel said that recently they had the furnace worked on and were advised to keep the original furnace in and just upgrade the added parts. The heating system is forced air and the large furnace is oil fed. An unusual feature of the heating system is that it is designed in three zones. Each is controlled separately. What a great tour.
Fred and Rosa Walthers 1948 – 1979
John and Jan Wilson 1979 – 1985
Richard and Laurel Baird 1985 - 1998