Saved from demolition, fairytale Lake Oswego home sells for $1.47M

A Portland socialite’s upscale summer house built a century ago in Lake Oswego sold for $1,470,000.

Emma Austin’s country getaway on Briarwood Road is a 1910 Arts and Crafts bungalow designed by prominent architect Joseph Jacobberger and restored and updated in 2020 by preservation specialist John McCulloch of Portland-based McCulloch Construction.

“John McCulloch was later recognized with the Morgan Award from the Lake Oswego Preservation Society for his contribution to preserving the historic house,” said listing broker Steve Nassar of Premiere Property Group.

The two-story residence has hardwood floors across much of its 3,074 square feet of space. The living room has original arched doors on each side of a stone-and-brick fireplace and the office as well as the basement wine cellar have custom built-in cabinets.

The three bedrooms include a newly remodeled primary suite. Three bathrooms feature marble finishes and tile floors.

White Glove Staging & Home Improvements installed furnishings that helped buyers envision how the home functions today while preserving its historic character, said Nassar.

The house, clad in river rock and wood shingles, is on a one-acre forested property with a gazebo, fountain, waterfall, mature rose gardens and a redwood tree.

In person or through online photographs, home shoppers were able to see the value in the home’s history, architecture and personality, said Nassar, who shared the listing with broker Robert Fine, also of Premiere Property Group.

The property was listed for $1,650,000 on Feb. 5, 2026. The asking price was lowered to $1,595,000 on April 8 and the transaction closed June 26 with a final sale price of $1,470,000.

“We leaned heavily into the story, character, restoration and lifestyle of the property rather than positioning it simply as another Lake Oswego luxury listing,” Nassar said.

The buyer, who submitted a cash offer for a quick close, works in the homebuilding industry and understands construction and craftsmanship, Nassar said.

History of the house

The Emma Austin residence on Briarwood Road in Lake Oswego was built in 1910.

In 1910, when Lake Oswego was known as Sucker Lake and surrounded by fishing shacks, Austin completed her high-end summer home south of Portland and influenced other urbanites to build vacation homes nearby.

Austin’s Arts and Crafts home represents Lake Oswego’s dramatic transformation from producing pig iron in the 1860s to becoming one of Oregon’s most expensive enclaves.

Portland architect and preservationist William J. Hawkins III wrote in “Classic Houses of Portland, Oregon, 1850-1950” that Emma M. Austin’s vacation home is timeless and “one of the finest bungalow-style houses.”

Hawkins praised the exterior’s massive stone columns and Japanese-inspired wood beams that extend to wide eaves.

In 2016, Austin’s house on a double lot was saved from the wrecking ball by the Lake Oswego Preservation Society. A developer who had acquired the property gave the nonprofit time to find a buyer who would restore it. The society reached out to McCulloch.

His construction company shored up the foundation and safeguarded original windows, lighting fixtures and hardware.

The project also included installing energy-efficient systems as well as other improvements to the structure’s seismic strengthening.

 

A new garage and stone retaining walls match the home’s original stonework, according to the Lake Oswego Preservation Society.

 

By Janet Eastman | The Oregonian/OregonLive