In the mid-1800s, William S. Ladd -- twice mayor of Portland and owner of the Oregon Iron Company -- snapped up 215 acres of land along a scenic curve of the Willamette River, five miles south of downtown Portland. He had arrived in 1851 with little more than a cart of wine and liquor, which he hawked to local grocers and bartenders, but soon rose to become one of the Pacific Northwest's most influential businessmen. By his death in 1893, he'd helped launch over 10 successful ventures and amassed a trove of land holdings.

Then, just a month after Ladd died, the Panic of 1893 triggered an economic collapse that toppled many of his enterprises. His son, William M. Ladd, inherited both the family business and a mountain of debt. When the iron industry crashed in 1894, he turned to real estate to recoup losses -- developing the same 215 riverfront acres his father had bought nearly half a century earlier. In 1916, the newly rebranded Ladd Estate Company unveiled an upscale subdivision on that acreage, christening it Dunthorpe. The vision? To make Dunthorpe the premier spot for Portland's wealthiest denizens to build lavish countryside getaways.

Though Portland's growth and influence have somewhat crept southward over the decades, Dunthorpe essentially holds to its original vision. While plots may be smaller than they were a century ago, the suburb continues to be Portland's prime hideout for those seeking both privacy and prestige. The neighborhood remains a favorite for business moguls, politicians and Portland Trail Blazers.

"It's where wealth originally settled in Portland and where it remains, in many ways," says longtime resident and LUXE |Forbes Global Properties agent Mimi McCaslin. "There are only around 700 to 800 homes in the neighborhood, and fewer than 20 are on the market. Even at the lower end, prices hover above a million -- when properties do hit the market, they don't come cheap."

Yet McCaslin resists the word "exclusive" because, she says, "it suggests Dunthorpe is unwelcoming, and nothing could be further from the truth. Whenever someone new moves in, they're treated like a celebrity -- everyone is eager to say hello and involve them in the community, while still respecting their privacy."

Beyond its storied location, Dunthorpe's architectural heritage also captivates buyers, says Terry Sprague, owner and CEO of LUXE |Forbes Global Properties. "It's one of Portland's original neighborhoods, where the architecture really embodies classic Oregon style." Expect to encounter Colonial Revivals, English Tudors and the occasional stately Georgian. Thanks to its slow but steady growth over the past century, the suburb also hosts an eclectic mix of midcentury modern, minimalist and newly built custom homes. Still, Sprague says residents typically strive to preserve historic structures. "You rarely see an older home torn down to make way for new construction -- they want to honor that history."

A prime illustration is Cedarhurst, an 11,000-square-foot, seven-bedroom estate perched just across the way from the Willamette River. Designed in 1895 by the acclaimed Portland firm Whidden & Lewis -- the visionaries behind Portland City Hall, the Multnomah County Courthouse and Hotel Lucia -- Cedarhurst changed hands many times over the decades, undergoing minor renovations that never fully erased its Colonial Revival charm but left its interiors feeling somewhat scattered and out-of-date.

Enter interior designer Kristin Lane, Cedarhurst's current owner. When she first toured Cedarhurst in 2021, Lane nearly followed in previous owners' footsteps, assuming only superficial updates were required. "It's a running joke, but when we first walked through, I told my husband that all it needed was new floors and paint," she laughs. Not quite. Over the next three years, Lane would go on to make significant updates, taking several rooms back to the studs. While many designers would have seized the chance to fully modernize the interiors, Lane remained committed to restoring Cedarhurst's 19th-century character. "I always push clients to stay true to a home's origins," she explains. "We wanted the house's age to shine through -- but through a modern lens."

To achieve this balance, Lane re-introduced plaster finishes and patterned wallpaper (including a personal favorite, plaid), opted for richer wood tones and laid herringbone parquet flooring in the foyer and dining room. She also re-created lost moldings and integrated new woodwork, like picture rails and board-and-batten accents. Concealed within this period-inspired decor were many modern updates: a tankless water heater for the radiators, a Control4 home-automation system and upgraded lighting, electrical and plumbing.

Currently on the market for $6.6 million, Cedarhurst is co-listed by Sprague, McCaslin and fellow LUXE agent Anne-Marie Knapp. Both Sprague and McCaslin say that while plenty of Dunthorpe homes have successfully retain their historic charm, few do so with Lane's level of artistry. "A lot of designers can be predictable," Sprague remarks, "but Kristin's approach is anything but. Each formal room has its own distinct personality, combining colors and textures in a way that'll resonate with a broad range of tastes."

As for Lane, she admits that achieving such stylish results proved arduous but was ultimately rewarding. "It was a labor of love," she says. "I adore helping clients design their homes, but creating one for my own family is an entirely different experience -- challenging, yes, but incredibly fulfilling."