Historic Hood River
Shushula
Notes
A while back we learned about Shushula, Dr. T. L. Eliot’s summer home in Hood River. Here are the blueprints for this “cottage” constructed in 1891/2. At more than 1700 square feet, it was probably one of the largest homes in Hood River at the time.
It has a very simple but attractive floor plan. No space wasted with bathrooms, closets, or a kitchen.
It’s a safe bet there was an outhouse nearby. I had assumed all cooking was done on the hearth at the central fireplace, but then I found another photo in the collection of the “mess house” out back at Shushula.
Whidden and Lewis were prominent Portland architects. They designed Portland City Hall and dozens of other important Portland buildings. This building was from very early in their partnership. It’s a shame it hasn’t survived.
The Museum has a nice collection of blueprints for some of the more prominent buildings in town, such as the Columbia Gorge Hotel, the Rialto, and Eliot’s other major Hood River landmark, the downtown Eliot (Franz Hardware) Building. I’ll be sharing them with you shortly.
Longshot
Up until the early 20th century many homes did not have kitchens as we know them today. The kitchen if it existed at all was often either a separate building or separated from the house by a breezeway. The cook stove as we think of it was the invention of Thomas Benjamin (aka Count Rumford) circa1900 and would have taken years to catch on so cooking would have taken place over open flames and filled a house with smoke if done indoors. Benjamin was an interesting character who also invented the chimney throat and smoke shelf thus making homes more heatable and smoke free. An upper class home of the mid 19th century would have used many of his inventions. He has largely been forgotten by the American populace as he was a Tory and spied for the British during the Revolution.
Norma
I will be curious to see if the Eliot Bldg. includes the hardware as well as the furniture store. They were one at one time and then the doorway in between was boarded up. Would be interesting to know why.
Ellen
Cool that the Museum has these. Where was Shushula located? Was it at the end of Eliot Drive?
Eric
I’d love to know the location of where this was located also. Rev. Eliot was my great grandfather.