Portland artist, queer activist, and Buddhist teacher Eric Marcoux and his husband, ballet dancer Eugene Woodworth, spent 60 inseparable years together—more than 40 of them in this house. Rumor has it that Alfred Edelman designed the home soon after relocating to Portland from New York—and that Marcoux paid him in art for his services. Edelman was not only an architect, but a visual artist himself, as well as cofounder of Hot Lips Pizza and Delphina’s Bakery.

That combination of art, grace, spirituality, and love created an absolutely gorgeous home that feels like part of the landscape—even more than other Pacific Northwest midcentury buildings in the same ethos. The weathered, wood-shingled house is surrounded by lush bamboo and appears partially buried in the earth.

Going inside doesn’t feel like leaving the outdoors. An enclosed porch gently leads into the living room (with the option of heading straight into a bedroom suite). It’s a cabin-like interior, but it’s more sculptural than rustic. The walls are all warm wood panel, except for one partial tile wall separating the living room from the dining room with a Persian ruglike pattern. An iron stove with a unique, gently sloping shape also separates the two spaces, as does a handsome carved wood column at one corner.

The dining room also relies on wood grain to set the tone, along with a tall window overlooking a courtyard—although presumably some of these walls were used for the couple’s deep catalog of art. The kitchen is minimalist, and even the hardware on the wood cabinets is designed to blend in. A small amount of open shelving seems designed to display earthenware; anything loud could seem out of place.

Unsurprisingly, the house comes with a massive art studio spanning one side of the house, painted white with vaulted tongue-in-groove ceilings. A bank of floor-to-ceiling windows lines one wall of a large nook, perfect for gaining inspiration. 

The top floor used to be a glasshouse. Now, it’s a loft, a bedroom, an office, and a large attic storage space, but has the potential for greater creative use—as does the big unfinished basement.

Woodworth died in 2013, and while the pair had been spiritually married for quite some time, they were legally married in Washington state just before he passed. Marcoux died in January at the age of 94, and left this home to his students and a whole treasure trove of art behind. If you’re interested in learning more about Marcoux’s life, a documentary is set to debut next year.

Listing Fast Facts 

• Address: 3418 NW Thurman St, Portland, OR 97210
• Size: 3,336 square feet, 3 bedroom/1.5 bath
• List Date: 10/24/2024
• List Price: $799,900
• Listing Agent: Deb Kemp, Deb Kemp Realty

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].