Putting some Pop on Top: Restoration on Fourth St.
By Tom Peterson
George and Terri Robertson are making a good impression.
The couple from Portland is well into a restoration of the Wilkinson House at 207 Fourth Street in The Dalles.
This morning, Oct. 25, Hector Valdez, 42, was atop a tall ladder painting the jigsaw gables a nice brick red.
Hughes of blue and yellow are giving the Queen Anne Victorian a fresh look.
Side Note: England and Scotland united as a single sovereign state known as Great Britain under Queen Anne’s rule, which began in 1702. The Queen Anne style was first created and promoted by Richard Norman Shaw and other English architects in the late 19th century. The name refers to the Renaissance style architecture popular during the reign of England's Queen Anne.
George Robertson said he purchased the home after taking a tour of towns east of Portland. He had a list of seven different houses to view. He said it was a nice break during the COVID lockdown. And when he saw this home, he walked around it once and knew they would buy it.
Robertson said he also based his decision on the accessibility and charm of the downtown area, which in his opinion is in the steps of a major transformation.
For the past 8 months, George and a crew have been restoring the house inside and out.
The home was built in 1902 by Samuel and Annie Wilkinson. Samuel was a wool dealer, and at that time Shaniko, now a ghost town, was the wool capital of the world.
Crews have fixed the foundation, raising the house to repair it in places. The front porch also had some wood rot at its foundation which was also repaired.
Lath and plaster have been removed and replaced with sheetrock.
The Robertsons are doing a proper restoration and there is more to be done, breathing another era of life into the home.
CCCNews observed Jason Hinkle, of Fallen Tree Hardwoods, recently at the home, meaning the wooden floors will be restored in weeks to come.
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One last historical note: The Wilkinsons sold the property to Maximilian A. Vogt in 1909. Vogt came to The Dalles from Germany in the 1860s and worked at the Umatilla House hotel, which was at the river’s edge near the Union Street underpass.
Maximilian built the Vogt block downtown and a large armory at 3rd and Washington, both of which were destroyed by the great fire of 1891 and rebuilt several years later. Vogt is also known for contributing money to purchase the Vogt Fountain upon his death, and the fountain is now the centerpiece in the Rose Garden at Sorosis Park.
