A Reddit comment from a year ago sums up the curiosity long spurred by this house in the Beaumont-Wilshire neighborhood: “The house...is so iconic for me,” wrote user Into-thevoid420. “Drove past it on the way home from school for years and always admired it and imagined a witch lived there.”

Perhaps it's the double-decker turret at the front, complete with wrought-iron balconette and a wind vane at the top, that conjures Practical Magic associations. But something about this house just inspires imagination. It's been called the "turret house," the "castle house," the "house where the Keebler elves bake their cookies," and, most recently, via the real estate agent, "The Sleeping Beauty of Beaumont." Regardless of whether you prefer witches, elves, or fairy-tale protagonists, it's now on the market, for the first time since 1996.

Situated on a generous corner lot facing the bend in NE Wistaria Drive, the home was built in 1928 for a couple named Carl and Anna Hummel. According to a Historic Resource Inventory form, neighbors reported that it was a replica of the Hummel family home in Germany. We get more French eclectic vibes, thanks to how the tower is sandwiched by cross gables, with the entry door at the base. Not to mention all the decorative detailing, including the half-timbered classical molding that wraps the tower, and the conical roof pierced by steep, triangular dormers—which do, come to think of it, look like witch's hats.

The historical detailing continues inside the entry, framed in brick arches and columns, with a thick paneled front door. With four bedrooms, four bathrooms, and 3,494 square feet, there's much to appreciate, from the arched doorways connecting rooms to the rounded windows, many with leaded glass. Coved ceilings, solid wood trim and floors, double glass doors, and even a candle sconce in the shape of a dragon speak to the house's previous grandeur. Our favorite spot is downright whimsical: a bedroom in the top of the turret with 360-degree views.

However, all that grandeur is nearly smothered by the condition of the house, which has suffered years of deferred maintenance. There's visible water damage, cracks in the plaster and exposed lathe , and stains on the wood floor. Some believe that every aspect of the house—foundation, mechanical systems, roof—will need to be addressed in any future restoration.

Of course, this explains the price ($650,000), and the fact that the sale requires cash buyers willing to take it as-is. But readers of Property Watch have seen this sort of thing before, from this Van Evera Bailey house to the Tigard-Rogers House, considered Portland's oldest home. Both have been purportedly saved from teardown. (The first was purchased in September by buyers completing a remodel, and the second is slated to remain in place, per its new owner.) Just imagine if this one got its fairy-tale ending.

Listing Fast Facts 

• Address: 3880 NE Wistaria Dr, Portland, OR 97212
• Size: 3,494 square feet; 4 bed/4 bath
• List Date: 11/25/2025
• List Price: $650,000
• Listing Agents: Cee Webster, Neighbors Realty

Melissa Dalton is a freelance writer who has focused on Pacific Northwest design and lifestyle since 2008. Contact Dalton here. 

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].