If you’re looking for your own little slice of historic significance—and you like rounded edges—this quirky Colonial-inspired home tucked away in the Clark Historic District in Forest Grove fits the bill. You can tell it’s special from the curb: Two rounded eyebrow dormers peek out of an irregularly shaped hipped roof like sleepy eyes, with a half-circle portico at the center, up rounded steps to a rounded stoop. 

Because it’s a contributing home to the historic district, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, we have plenty of information about this pad’s provenance. It was originally built for Ralph Ira Mills, who had lived in Forest Grove since he was a kid, and his wife, Bessie. Ralph worked as a dentist for the US Army in World War I before returning to Forest Grove to open a dental practice in 1919. They sold the home in the 1940s, just a couple of years before Ralph retired.

The next notable owners were Clyde and Hazel Walker. A former agricultural engineering professor at Oregon State University, Clyde had moved on to working for an agricultural supply company by the time they took up residence in 1946. They sold the place in 1949, and moved abroad to Jordan a few years later, working for the US Department of Agriculture’s Point Four Program.

Their old house is cute inside, too. The rounded front door and sidelights bring some visual interest to the living room. In the dining room, a built-in china cabinet spans one corner, and, under some windows on a side wall, a built-in buffet is bookended by two more glass cabinets. The square glass panes on the cabinet nicely complement the front window, which has columns of small panes on either side.

Off the kitchen, a sunroom leads to an incredibly low-maintenance yard, with stone and brick patios and built-in planters, cozied in under a large tree and within high fencing.

Two bedrooms and one bath are on the main floor, along with a cute little built-in linen cabinet. The attic has been converted to a large suite, complete with a sitting area, a large bedroom, walk-in closet, and en suite bath.

Below, a partially finished basement can be used as a rec room; the present owners have a cozy media room down there. It also has a large utility room with laundry and plentiful cabinet space—it looks like a shared laundry room in an older apartment building.

The neighborhood is extremely cute, too. Many of the surrounding houses also contribute to the historic district, the vast majority constructed between 1859 and 1951. Most of its 1920s brethren are in historic revival styles—this one is a little hard to pin down, but its stately columns, hipped roof, and dormers give it a touch of Colonial. Others sport classic styles like Tudor and Cape Cod.

Listing Fast Facts 

• Address: 1648 Ash St, Forest Grove, OR 97116
• Size: 2,816 square feet, 3 bedroom/2 bath
• List Date: 7/19/2024
• List Price: $699,900
• Listing Agent: Cris Unger, Premiere Property Group

Editor’s Note: Portland Monthly’s “Property Watch” column takes a weekly look at an interesting home in Portland’s real estate market (with periodic ventures to the burbs and points beyond, for good measure). Got a home you think would work for this column? Get in touch at [email protected].