Del Mar Villa & the Smith Family Legacy
An aviation pioneer, a fighter-pilot son whose dream became a museum, and the riverfront home in the heart of Oregon wine country that carries their story.
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A home named for two people
The estate's name, Del Mar, joins the names of its builder, Delford “Del” Smith, and his wife, Maria.[14][15] Beginning in 2002, Smith built a Mediterranean-style villa on the west bank of the Willamette River near Dundee, beside a restored 1906 farmhouse known as the J. D. Gordon house.[14][17] Smith founded the Evergreen aviation companies, and he and his son, Captain Michael King Smith, founded the aviation museum in McMinnville that became home to Howard Hughes’ “Spruce Goose.”[1][3][11]
Photos: April Dawn Buckner
Delford M. Smith
Smith was adopted as a toddler and grew up during the Depression. In 1960 he co-founded Evergreen Helicopters, which grew into Evergreen International Aviation, a company operating worldwide.[1][2][3]
Read his story →Captain Michael King Smith
Michael flew the F-15 with the Oregon Air National Guard’s 123rd Fighter Squadron. The aviation museum was his idea. He died at 29, and the museum now carries his name.[6][7][9][11]
Read his story →The Residence
The estate covers 46 acres beside the river, with a villa of about 26,000 square feet, rose gardens, and a Victorian farmhouse. Today it is known as Del Mar Villa.[14][19]
Visit the residence →
A father finishing his son’s dream
Michael and his father began collecting vintage aircraft in the early 1990s. In 1992 their museum won the bid to become the new home of the Spruce Goose.[6][11] Michael died in 1995. His father then built the museum in his memory, and it opened in 2001.[1][3][11]
In 2026 the museum took the name North American Aerospace Museum. Its leadership said it would continue to recognize “the important roles of Del and Michael King Smith in establishing this remarkable institution.”[12][13]
The Legacy
Del Mar Villa is private. Tours are by appointment only, with the owners’ approval. Email April Dawn Buckner at [email protected].