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CORVALLIS - Portland's Pittock Mansion and the McLoughlin House in Oregon City are two well-known historic homes that have been turned into museums, capturing glimpses of how past generations of Oregonians lived.

Fewer people known about some of Oregon's other "house museums," from the Beekman House in Jacksonville, to the Flippin House in Clatskanie, to the Kam Wah Chung Museum in John Day.

Now they can learn.

The Oregon State University Press has published a new book by Kathleen M. Wiederhold called "Exploring Oregon's Historic House Museums." It offers readers insight into more than 40 Oregon homes, built from 1841 to 1936, that are maintained as museums. The houses range from cabins, like the Webster dwelling in Pilot Rock, to opulent homes like Pittock Mansion. Each of the houses has regular operating hours and is open to the public.

The book devotes a chapter to each house, complete with a history of who built and lived in the house, detailed descriptions of architectural styles and interior features, a step-by-step tour with tips on what to see, and visitor information.

"Oregon's house museums offer visitors a unique, often intimate perspective on the state's history," said Tom Booth, marketing manager for the OSU Press. "They afford glimpses of how people lived, and they showcase the objects that Oregonians used in everyday life.

"Kathleen Wiederhold's book provides history buffs, old house enthusiasts, antique aficionados, and cultural tourists with a useful guide to these wonderful structures and their stories," he added. This is the second book the OSU Press has published from Wiederhold, who also wrote the popular guide, "Exploring Oregon's Historic Courthouses."

Both books are available in area bookstores and libraries, or can be ordered by calling 1-800-426-3797.

The following homes are included in the book:

The Portland Area

Bybee-Howell House (Portland); Pittock Mansion (Portland); Ermatinger House (Oregon City); McLoughlin House (Oregon City); Rose Farm (Oregon City); Stevens-Crawford House (Oregon City); Tigard House (Tigard); Harlow House (Troutdale).

Northern Willamette Valley

Old Aurora Colony Museum: Kraus House and Steinbach Cabin (Aurora); Newell House (St. Paul); Foster Farm (Eagle Creek); Dibble House (Molalla); Hoover-Minthorn House (Newberg); Brunk House (Rickreall); Bush House (Salem); Deepwood Estate (Salem); Mission Mill Museum: Lee House, Parsonage and Boon House (Salem); Settlemier House (Woodburn).

Southern Willamette Valley

Monteith House (Albany); Moyer House (Brownsville); Morse House (Eugene); Shelton-McMurphey-Johnson House (Eugene).

Lower Columbia River

Flippin House (Clatskanie); Caples House (Columbia City).

The Coast

Flavel House (Astoria); Lindgren Cabin (Astoria); Yaquina Bay Lighthouse (Newport); Seaside Museum: Butterfield Cottage (Seaside).

Columbia Gorge Fort Dalles Museum: Surgeons Quarters and Anderson Farmhouse (The Dalles); Rorick House (The Dalles).

Eastern Oregon

Adler House (Baker City); Kam Wah Chung Museum (John Day); Frazier Farmstead Museum (Milton-Freewater).

Southern Oregon

Hughes House (Cape Blanco); Drain House (Drain); Schmidt House (Grants Pass); Beekman House (Jacksonville); Kerbyville Museum: Naucke House (Kerby); Floed-Lane House (Roseburg).

Southeastern Oregon

Fort Rock Valley Homestead Village Museum: Menkenmaier Cabin, Boedigheimer House, Webster Cabin, Belletable House (Fort Rock); Schminck Memorial Museum (Lakeview).