The Menefee House: A Pietro Belluschi-Designed Residence

Sided with board and batten fir, this striking single-story house was designed to blend into its rural landscape while maximizing views of the surrounding hillsides and nearby Coast Range. Features include sheltered walkways, generous patio and courtyard spaces, and glass curtain walls, as well as an expansive wood-burning fireplace topped with a striking repousse’ copper hood designed and made by artist, and frequent Belluschi-collaborator, Frederic Littman.

The original owner of the house, Percy (“P.L.”) Menefee, was an actor turned turkey tycoon who, for a time, was known as the world’s largest producer of broad-breasted Bronze turkeys. Menefee granted Belluschi control over the design of both the interior and exterior, which resulted in something truly special.

With radiant heat flooring and a seamless transition between indoors and out, the house’s design was considered so radical for its time, it attracted the attention of publications nationwide, including Time Magazine and the New York Times. It also won an award for excellence from the magazine Progressive Architecture.

Also radical was the house’s price tag of $120,000, at a time when a modest new tract house could be purchased for just $5000.

About Pietro Belluschi

Pietro Belluschi (1899-1994) was a revered architect celebrated for his pioneering contributions to Northwest Regional Modernism. Born in Ancona, Italy, he made Portland his home, crafting timeless designs that integrated local materials, such as wood and rock, into elegant structures. Notable works include the Portland Art Museum and the Equitable Building.

Belluschi's influence extended far beyond Oregon, as he served as the Dean of Architecture at MIT and chaired numerous design juries, including that of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. His legacy lives on through iconic buildings such as the Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Assumption in San Francisco. Restore Oregon is delighted to showcase Belluschi’s design prowess and enduring impact on Pacific Northwest architecture through this delightful tour of his Portland-area churches.