The Mansion’s original owner, David Cole had it built in 1884 as a wedding gift to his wife, Amanda Laura Boone, great-granddaughter of frontiersman Daniel Boone. Constructed of lumber milled entirely on the property, the original building cost came to $8,000, a large sum in those days.

Cole was a ship captain who later owned a chain of local hardware and lumber stores. The house is said to be one of the first in Portland to have running hot and cold water, central heating, interior electricity, and a windmill-powered water pump.

The house now holds historical artifacts from the 19th and early 20th centuries: antique furniture, old clothing (including Amanda Laura Boone’s wedding dress and slippers), old photographs, lithographs, magazine covers, and much more.

Listed on the National Registry of Historic Places, the mansion also has its original wood fixtures and houses one of the largest displays of Povey stained glass in the world. Povey glass is known for its round, faceted jewels and the image of a bird in every window.