Property Watch: A Lake Oswego Summer Cottage Gets a Studs-Out Remodel

At the turn of the twentieth century, Portlanders were enamored of the outdoor recreation craze spreading across the country. We were planning our city park system, taking custom houseboats down the Willamette River, and planning overnight rowing parties on nearby Sucker Lake, so named for its plentiful stock.

The lake, and the swaths of land around it, was once owned by the Oregon Iron & Steel Company. In a moment of struggle, the company decided to develop its holdings as a lake resort to capitalize on the country’s favorite pastimes, and started selling off parcels with the motto “Live Where You Play.” (By 1927, the lake’s name had been changed to “Oswego,” and by 1960, both the city and lake became Lake Oswego.)

In 1910, a Portlander named Emma Austin bought one of the company’s lots in the Briarwood neighborhood, a less populated, more countrified area than the planned subdivisions popping up immediately around the lake. Austin then built a modest one-bedroom summer cottage. Its river rock siding, porch pillars, and chimney, all connected with a low-slung gable roof at the first floor, were more in keeping with the stylings of famed California bungalow architects Greene and Greene than any of the neighbors. Per the Oregon Historic Sites Database: “The Emma M. Austin house is unusual for its architecture: there are no other bungalows of this style in the vicinity.”

In 1999, architectural historian William Hawkins included the home in his book Classic Houses of Portland, Oregon: 1850–1950, hailing the house for its pristine bungalow detailing; he pointed to the stonework, the exposed beams at the porch, the stone fireplaces, the built-ins. Owners after Austin lived in the house full-time, adding a kitchen in the 1930s, and historians note how it parallels the city’s own development, from summer enclave to year-round residence.

By 2015, however, the house was in trouble. The Lake Oswego Preservation Society was tipped off that a developer had bought the property and planned to tear down the house, so as to be able to rebuild on the double, 1.04-acre lot. The developer gave the group a week to find a buyer, and they did: John McCulloch of McCulloch Construction, a company that specializes in historic preservation and saving old homes, such as the Markham House in Laurelhurst.

For many years, Emma Austin’s original architect was unknown, with rumors circulating that it might even be Frank Lloyd Wright. But it has since been identified as Joseph Jacobberger, a prominent architect of the era, responsible for many houses around the city and the University of Portland campus. McCulloch’s restoration of the Emma Austin house maintains many of Jacobberger’s original details, such as the casement windows, woodwork, and arched double-glass doors flanking the stone fireplace, while making key updates throughout, like a new metal roof, foundation, cedar shake siding, seismic upgrading, and mechanical systems.

Now, the historic detail in the living room is complemented by an entertainer’s kitchen, complete with custom cabinets, oversized island, marble counters, and period lighting. A 600-square-foot addition includes two bedrooms, additional bathrooms, and a generous primary suite, its bathroom swathed in marble and outfitted with heated floors, walk-in shower, and soaking tub. The bedroom there has the home’s second original fireplace.

Emma Austin bought the property to be closer to nature, and that can be equally true for new owners. These days, the sizable lot has a plethora of outdoor delights, including gardens, winding paths, a gazebo with a firepit, and even a footbridge over a stream.

• Address:  49 Briarwood Rd, Lake Oswego, OR 97034
• Size: 3,074 square feet/3 bedroom/2.5 bath
• List Date: 6/17/2025 
• List Price: $1,798,000
• Listing Agent: Allison Williams and Carolyn Spurlock, Real Brokerage LLC

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].