When Anne and Richard De Wolf received word from a realtor friend that Portland’s historic Isam White House in Northwest Portland was for sale back in 2016, they were immediately intrigued, despite not being in the market for a home at the time. In fact, the couple had only just completed renovating their house across town. The realtor had contacted the De Wolfs in hopes they might know of some other potential buyer—not expecting them to be the ones. Yet this local landmark was too special for the Arciform owners to pass up.

“We made an offer on it that night,” Richard recalls. “We didn't look at a single other house. We weren’t house shopping, and we just bought the damn thing.”

At just over 10,000 square feet, the house was bigger than Anne and Richard would ever need. Yet the couple saw an opportunity in the added space, particularly an attic wing that had originally served as a ballroom for the Whites to entertain in; it could be transitioned into short-term rental spaces and the basement would be apartments. The De Wolfs knew the location and a house this beautiful could be a powerful attraction to visitors. Why stay in a cookie-cutter hotel when you could spend the night in the historic Isam White House? The couple also knew the house could help them give back. “We want it to be able to host open houses, to donate this space as a venue for charity auctions. And the house is a treasure trove of wonderful details and craftsmanship,” Anne De Wolf says. “I can invite a client over and show them many creative details that this house has.”

Read more about the Isam White House in Iconic Magazine Spring 2022 and Iconic Magazine Fall 2022

The Isam White House is proudly featured on Magnolia Network's Diary of an Old Home , and in Portland Monthly Summer 2022

Exterior photo by Alden Rodgers Photography - Interior photos by Chris Dibble, @dibblephoto