Preservation is Astoria’s calling card
is more than skin deep •BY GARY ADAMS & JOHN GOODENBERGER
A
place can often be measured not by what it builds but what it saves. Astoria’s history runs deep, and it is reflected in the buildings that still remain from its early days. John Goodenberger, adjunct instructor of historic preser- vation at Clatsop Community College, puts it this way: “Our historic structures are almost like an old growth
forest in that we’re not going to get these structures again. Astoria is an unusual community in that it has retained so many of its historic struc- tures. To lose them means we would become like so many other places. It’s that unusual character that draws people to start their businesses here, move here, or to come into the city.” None of this is accidental, however. The Capt. George Flavel House Museum, one of the finest exam- ples of Queen Anne-style architecture in Oregon, is “ground zero” for Astoria’s preservation movement. Once slated for demolition, the Clatsop County Historical Soci- ety saved the house in 1950. Now filled with pe- riod furniture, it interprets the life of Capt. Flavel: Astoria’s first licensed bar pilot, its wealthiest cit- izen and one of its most eccentric. Step inside and look for all the decidedly Victorian touches – a steeply pitched hipped roof, balconies and veran- das, patterned shingles, cutaway bay windows and a three-story octagon tower with a 360-degee view, where the Captain could keep a keen watch on the Columbia.
The Gothic-style residence of river pilot Capt. Hiram Brown was nearly destroyed by the city of Astoria’s demolition campaign in the 1960s. But once again, forward-thinking residents stepped in and re- stored the building. Dating from 1852, the Capt. Brown residence is Astoria’s oldest standing house. Interestingly, it was barged to its cur- rent location in 1862 from Astoria’s Uppertown. It is one of many buildings to be moved from its original setting. Capturing a sweeping view, the Henry Hoefler house represents a new wave of residents. They restore not because the building is in im- minent danger, but because preservation is a desired lifestyle. Con- structed for a confectioner, the Mission-style house is one of the area’s showpieces. Astoria’s commercial district, destroyed by fire in 1922, is evolving one building at a time. The restoration of the Liberty Theater offered a watershed moment. Suddenly, the once down-on-its-luck theater drew patrons into – rather than away from – the downtown core. The Mediter-
70 OUR COAST
ranean-style atmospheric theater is one of the best preserved and most ornate in the region. Used today as a performing arts center, its acoustics are unparalleled.
Astoria has retained many of its
historic structures. It’s that unusual character that draws people here.
The restoration directly affected two neighboring buildings. The Hotel Elliott, a fleabag traveler’s flophouse, was converted to a boutique hotel. Wandering through the hotel’s wood-clad lobby takes you back to a time when first impressions counted. The Astoria National Bank, now called the Banker’s Suite, was re-envisioned as a ballroom and high- class gathering space. Both buildings benefit from the Liberty’s year- round cultural events. The Fort George building has tapped into another culture: that of a brewpub. Constructed on the grounds of Astoria’s first trading post, the restored brick industrial building also houses an organic bakery. Its gigantic, monolithic wood beams speak to a long-gone era when timber was king. An adjacent beer canning opera- tion recalls the salmon canneries that once lined the river’s edge. Today, Astoria’s waterfront features other inno- vative uses. For instance, the Callender Navigation Co.’s wood-framed warehouses were renovated for office and commercial space. The building cluster offers a covered public area, featuring close-up views of river pilots at work.
The SP&S Railway Depot, owned by the Co- lumbia River Maritime Museum, represents the lat- est wave of preservation. Historic preservation students from CCC are restoring a former baggage area for use as their workshop space. The museum is converting a waiting room to house the “Columbia River Ship Chandlery.” Demonstrations of traditional tools used by boat builders are planned, as is a complete renovation of the building. With its Historic Preservation Program, the college is doing its part, as Goodenberger points out. “It’s our hope that when a person gradu- ates out of our two-year program, they’ll go off for further education, or get work with local contractors, or start their own businesses. They will not only speak the language of historical preservation, but will have a basic knowledge of preservation techniques so that they can be employed in the field.”
So dedicated to saving these historic beauties is Astoria that its City Council even has a special award for historical preservation, the Dr. Ed- ward Harvey Historic Preservation Award. The local Historic Landmarks Commission gives it out each July and nominations can come from any- one. So if you see something you like ... give it your vote!
History
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