A Victorian in Mist,Oregon is a delight to behold. It’s the first Victorian home I’ve listed and getting to know the history of this gorgeous property was equally as much fun as it was to take the photos on that perfect blue-sky day last fall.

69355 Highway 47, Mist Oregon $325,000

MLS#10069763 

Built in 1870, the current owners have much history to share with new owners, both written and in photos that will go with the home.

Here is what Louise Green, the seller, shared with me about this wistful (Mistful?) property.

The old Magnussen place was built from local fir and some cedar in the 1800s. Lars Magnussen came here as one of the first pioneers of the Nehalem Valley.

 He brought his bride her from Norway and they raised their four children here. The pictures of the family are all located on the wall in the dining room.

Mr. Magnussen made a small washhouse/canning room down beside Messner Creek [located at the back end of the property].

Legend has it Mrs. Magnussen’s mother in Norway had lost her life in a stream while washing clothes, so Mrs. Magnussen insisted that a stove be put in the washhouse with a pump to bring water from the creek before she would use the washhouse.

Messner Creek (beaver dam) 

Back of the property

Inside the house where the kitchen still is, Lars built the family a wooden bath tube that also had a wood cover so it could also be used as a table.

When we moved here in 1985 we had to replace all of the foundation (long cedar logs), which was “powdered” wood.  While under the house, we discovered a hole in the ground about 5’ deep and 6-7’ square. It was a mystery to us just what the purpose was. So, I asked around and found two stories.

The first story seemed realistic: when Indians attacked, the family would go down in the hole through the living room floor and sought protection there as well as use of the cedar trough-like structure going to the outside to fire back at the Indians.

The next story probably “holds more water”: It was said the Magnussens built a vegetable storage under the house and the trough provided air circulation.

Maybe both?

Part II The Green’s first winter, coming soon.