Oregon City: Inside Ermatinger House

We had looked at the outside of the Francis Ermatinger House before, but even then it was barely mentioned in a post about the McLoughlin Promenade. 

Part of that is that it had not been open at the time that we started exploring Oregon City. That was partly due to COVID and partly due to needed repairs.

We actually discovered that it was reopened on the McLoughlin Promenade Ghost Tour, where it was one of the stops. Even though it is officially "not haunted", that just made us want to go more.

One thing I had not realized was that Mrs. Ermatinger was John McLaughlin' granddaughter. When he was building houses for various people, I was thinking that he was a really generous person and employer. Actually, I still think he is, but the Ermatingers, at least, were more than business associates.

Grandpa.

There are a variety of interesting artifacts in the house, like this spoon that once belonged to Captain Couch.

Other items may not be tied to prominent individuals, but they show what was popular at the time.

In addition, there are items tied to the history of the area, like this Hudson Bay Company blanket, or this top hat.

It may be especially interesting for those interested in architecture or historic preservation, for at places in the 1843 house you can see the original wood, roofing, and samples of old wallpaper.

Two other visitors had opted for the guided tour. We joined them, and found it really enriching. We recommend that.

As we happened to visit at Christmas time, there were some seasonal decorations.

We also got some small gift packs left over from an event, and it was a nice touch.

The Ermatinger House was never intended to last for 180 years, and yet here it is. It may even have been the site of the coin toss that named Portland. Seems worth a visit.

COVID: Masks are not required, and the other visitors were not wearing them. It fortunately was not crowded.

Accessibility: Not great. There has been a ramp added that can get you from the outside to the first floor, but there are stairs and some of the passages are not particularly wide.

https://www.orcity.org/parksandrecreation/ermatinger-house