When the sun shines . . . or not

With very few exceptions, Astorians wait until summer to paint or repair their houses. With our 70-plus inches of rain per year, this is probably a good idea. It's hard for paint to dry on wet wood, and who wants to work on the siding on a sloppy day if you don't have to. Of course, this month we've had plenty of rain and drizzly, overcast days. You can see there's no blue sky behind this interesting old home on the corner of 12th Street and Harrison, and the red flowers are not so vibrant under gray skies.

However, you can get an idea from this photo of what the houses are about in our town. I'm looking forward to posting many photos of whole houses and architectural detail. I love the details. They're everywhere you look, and most houses are unique and interesting in some way. It's hard to get bored while walking down (or up) the streets. Most of the homes are older, and, as I said, unique, if not quirky. While the buildings downtown include a lot of Art Deco or semi-Deco, the residential structures are often some form of Victorian or Craftsman Style (Arts and Crafts Movement), or a Scandinavian design. When a real estate agent can't pin down the style, the home is usually referred to as "Astoria Classic." There are a few that could actually be called Classical, or have elements of that style. I have some vague knowledge of these style, and I'll enjoy getting an education in the process of posting photos.

Notice that there's a round blue and white plaque just to the left of the door. This house has been designated as one of Astoria's historic homes. Unfortunately, the blue and white plaques are generic and don't give the reason the house was singled out. There are a number of homes around town that bear larger plaques describing the history and ownership of the buildings.

This home was once owned by the Thiel family, who owned various businesses in Astoria in previous decades. We'll see more of them later.