MAC’s 30th annual Mother’s Day Tour visit Rockwood Neighborhood homes

This year’s Mother’s Day Tour of homes in Spokane is moving to the Rockwood Neighborhood on the lower South Hill where some of the city’s finest upscale homes are found.

The five-home tour focuses on the neighborhood itself with a mix of architectural styles reflecting its development over the years.

The tour will be on Saturday and May 12 from noon to 4 p.m. with proceeds benefiting the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture. The cost is $15 for members and $20 for non-members.

“These are an eclectic blend of houses,” said David Brum, the manager of adult programs and events at the MAC.

One of the featured homes is tucked away in a corner of the neighborhood on South Crestline Drive and perched on a large basalt rock outcropping, offering great views of the urban area below. This is the must-see home of Molly McGoldrick Beck and Barry Provorse.

The spacious house was built in 1961 by Jim and Milaine McGoldrick, Molly Beck’s parents. He was the grandson of James P. McGoldrick, founder of the McGoldrick Lumber Co., which burned in 1952 near Gonzaga University. The mill with large log pond was described as the largest industrial operation in Spokane in its day.

The weekend event is the 30th anniversary Mother’s Day Tour by the museum and could draw 1,800 people or more over its two days, Brum said.

Beck said she was initially reluctant to open her doors to so many members of the community, but realized it would be fun to be part of something as significant as the 30th anniversary tour.

Trees and native shrubs have grown up around her house over the years, making their perch feel like it is part of the urban forest. “It is like living in a tree house up here,” Beck said.

Provorse said, “How much more private can you get?”

To which his wife replied, “Yet it is in the neighborhood.”

She and her husband moved into the house several years ago after her parents died.

Provorse and Beck had been living near Woodinville before moving to Spokane. In recent years, they have undertaken serious restoration to floors, exterior deck and master bedroom and bath. Some work is currently underway.

Designed by Donald K. MacGillivray, the house exudes a modernistic feel.

Beck said her parents loved to travel and drew on things they had seen or gathered overseas.

“I guess it could be considered midcentury modern with an Asian, Polynesian twist,” she said.

That twist is apparent as you are about to step inside: “The Torii gate design of the front door is significant in that it marks the entrance into a sacred place,” Beck wrote in her summary of the home’s history.

Furnishings also reflect a love of travel – a small totem pole on the wall, a table with elephant trunk legs and a mirror made by her mother using seashells as the frame.

Although Beck had moved from Spokane by the time the house was finished, it was always a warm homecoming for Christmas and holidays and large enough for extended family gatherings, she said.

The Rockwood National Historic District was established in 1997, and some of the the tour homes are within the district, Brum said.

The original neighborhood layout came from renowned Olmsted Brothers firm of Brookline, Massachusetts. Tree-lined streets wind among the various land forms. The variety of architectural styles reflect the evolution of residential preferences, according to the historic listing of the city-county historic preservation office.

Distinctive rock lanterns mark two entrances and are joined by extensive rock work throughout the neighborhood.

This year’s tour is going by the name “Rockwood: A Distinct Quality of Luxury.”

This story has been updated to correct the spelling of Donald K. MacGillivray’s name.