By Living Room Realty, November 19, 2020
My seller just closed on this 1892 Farmhouse in the Montavilla neighborhood! This quirky and charming house was one of the earliest built in what was 1300+ acres of rural farmland between Mt Scott and Rocky Butte. Platted in 1889 as Mt Tabor Villa Addition, these large farm sites were sold to land speculators who then platted sub-divisions. A business district quickly evolved on Stark St, near the landmark survey marker erected there in 1854 . This marker “P5” served as a milepost for travelers coming to Portland, marking the distance of 5 miles to the downtown Portland courthouse. This marker still stands today.
Fun Fact: The name Mt Tabor Villa Addition was a cumbersome mouthful and soon the abbreviation contraction of Mt-Ta-Villa became the popular reference to the neighborhood. Coincidentally (or not!) the Montavilla streetcar stop was also labeled Mt-Ta-Villa. The neighborhood name evolved quickly to become Montavilla and by 1905 it was in common use in legal land acquisitions.
My sweet seller loved her time in Montavilla. She and her pup are already off on their adventure, safely traveling in their new home on wheels, one of those super tricked out vans. Here’s to fresh starts and to making your own history.
