Coolest Sign Award

Astoria, Oregon ~ November 20, 2012

I could fall in love with almost any Victorian house, but I have a special place in my heart for Italianate Victorians. I can't tell you why. They're not as interesting-looking as the more ornate Victorians, so maybe it's their unexpectedness or their stately effect. Or maybe it's the name. This house across from the rectory (or whatever denomination it is) in my last post gets my personal "Coolest Sign of the Day" award.

Circa

1870

This Italianate was built to be the

home for the Charles Heilborn

 Family. In 1904 it became the 

home of Geo. Nelson, a ship's

Chandler. Eleanor – his

 wife – was the daughter of 

Capt. Gustov Holmes.

1929

Mildred Stacey arrived in

Astoria the night of the 

1922 fire. She moved into 

this house in 1929 and ran 

an upscale boarding house 

from 1930-1960's. She lived 

here until her passing at 

the age of 104 ~

 private     residence

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Rectory in the Rain

Astoria, Oregon ~ November 20, 2012

I always love the variety of design and detail found in Astoria's older buildings. This one bears a plaque from the historical society. I believe this is on Franklin Street. I know it's near 15th. I did not take note of the denomination of the church next door, so maybe someone will tell me.

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Rich in Color and Design

I had no idea that yesterday's comments were going to take such a strange turn when I planned to follow up with these photos of the First Presbyterian Church on the corner of 11th and Franklin. The church is next door to the social hall (yesterday's post), which, it seems, has had many (and varied) uses. I love the colors in this photo especially. They've been painting this church for at least a year, and the results are warm, inviting, and fun to look at.

The church also has interesting architectural features. As with yesterday's building, I would call it Gothic Revival, which I guess in the U.S. is of the Victorian Era.

All four photos are of the side (or is it the back?). It's the opposite side from Franklin Street.

Here is a link to one of the towers and the facade on 11th.

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Adventures on 8th Street

April 10, 2010

I hope we get some interesting comments from locals and visitors about 8th Street. Eighth Street is one of my favorites. It's fun for walking, and I feel like I've accomplished something when I get to the top. Every few steps, it's fun to turn around and look at the view. And no, the hill doesn't stop where it looks like it stops, you simply can't see any further up the slope from here. It's fun driving 8th Street, too. At about the point where the road disappears in this photo, it feels like you've gone airborne. No wonder the sign at Franklin and 8th says, "No Trucks, No Trailers, No Buses."

Looking back down 8th Street from somewhere near Franklin. That's the Flavel House behind the power poles. Since this is Goonies Week (25th anniversary of the movie), I'll note that the Goonies' Jail is behind the Flavel House (out of view). You can see the corners of the Clatsop County Courthouse and the Astoria Post Office.

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Astoria High School, About 1909

The photo above is another postcard loaned by Midnight Mike. The only date on it is the postmark, which is 1909. The picture shows the old Astoria High School at the corner of 8th Street and Grand Avenue. The photo was taken from 7th and Franklin.

Earlier on this blog, I posted the photo above, taken from almost the same location (7th and Exchange), but from a vantage point closer to the ground. In the next photo, taken the other day (March 23, 2010), I was standing at the opposite corner of the park, which is somewhere in front of the blue house in the background above.

You can see what a lopsided piece of ground it is. I wonder why they eventually tore down the building? The park is currently used as a baseball diamond, and at the left is a swing set. There's a picnic table with benches near the tree. Of course, that's the great Columbia River in the background; the hills on the other side are in Washington.

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Motorcycle mailbox

B SQUARED always finds the creative, funky mailboxes, so I guess this photo is to show that we have at least one in Astoria. I'm sure there must be a few more. I'll keep my eyes open and my camera handy. If I remember, this one is on 16th Street around Franklin Avenue.

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A park on a hill

I took this photo from the corner of 7th Street and Franklin Avenue on the same misty day (January 5th) and from almost the same location as the photo of "Ships on cotton." The park fills the block between 7th and 8th Streets, and you can see a piece of 8th Street just in front of the blue house. Eighth is probably the steepest street in town, and it's one of my favorites. It's old, narrow, and it has a lot of character. It's also fun to drive on, although you have to be very careful at the blind intersections. See how steep the street is here? Then look at "Ships on cotton" again. Eighth street drops from that vantage point to river-level in only two blocks, and most of the drop is in the one block between Exchange and Franklin. The houses are typical of Astoria's charming old residences. Three blocks up the hill to our right is Karen's old house.

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A house for Karen

This large stucco house sits at the corner of 4th Street and Franklin Avenue. I took the photos on the same overcast and misty day as I took the picture of the "Ships on cotton" from a vantage point just down the street.

Here's the house from the side and back. About this house, Karen wrote: "Can't wait to see the picture of the old house. When we had it, it was covered with ivy, and I mean covered. Dad loved the ivy, so we could never paint the house. The people who bought it from mom took it all down. Last time I looked at the house, it seemed to me it had been turned into 2 apartments. Lord knows it was big enough. Dad built a deck out over the garage that could be accessed from the big bedroom upstairs that we used as a party room. We had a great view from it."

I see now that the deck must be on the other side. Karen also sent an interesting story about one of the other houses in the neighborhood, so when I go back to take its photo and post the story, I'll see if I can get a picture of the deck on this house. Each house in Astoria has its own style and history. One of the unusual things about the house in today's post is that it's made of stucco. In Astoria, that's the exception, as most houses are made of wood.

The design on the on the pillar looks somewhat Italianate to me, although I'm not an expert. I believe the Italian trend in the U.S. was prominent in the Victorian era, when many of our local houses were built. However, whether the trim on the column is new or old, I can't say.

Karen sent e-mail with more about this house:

January 9, 2010

It looks so much better than it used to. . . . I mentioned the house was a dirt-brown color when we lived there. The ivy on that side was so thick that Mom and I would have to get on Dad to trim it away from the windows every so often so we could get some light. My room was the one upstairs on the chimney side and the ivy went all the way up there. Every Christmas Dad would thread lights through the leafless ivy branches. It took him an entire weekend usually. It became tradition that when the lights started going up, Fritz would concoct the first of many of that year's batches of glogg and he and Art Sandstrom would come over and straw-boss the whole operation. It is amazing that between the usually stormy weather and the glogg, Dad never fell off the ladder.

A couple other interesting things is that the house has an 8-x-8-inch sold oak beam that runs in one piece the entire length of the house. It is there to stay. Another is that this year will my graduating class at Star of the Sea will be celebrating our 50th reunion. The class voted to have our all-night graduation party at my house because of the big bedroom upstairs that we used as a party room. The deck is over the garage on the other side of the house from your picture. Dad was something of a character too. I have some old news clippings and pictures that I will dig out and send you one of these days. I think you will get a kick out of them.

Ships on cotton

I took this photo on Tuesday, January 5, from the corner of 7th Street and Franklin Avenue. What sruck me, of course, is how the ships seemed to be floating in a mass of cotton. The clouds had separated just enough to give us a view, but had left one good layer on the water's surface to enshroud the point where the ships connected with river.

What also strikes me when looking at the photo is that I don't know how to convey the breathtaking sensation we get when looking down from a height. I'll just have to tell you that this vista caught me off guard in a very pleasant way. I know that Karen will relate to this view, as it's just down the street from her old house. Karen, I really will post the house photo, but today I'm taking part in "Skywatch Friday." Everyone - for more images of the sky around the world, check out Skywatch Friday.

Orientation and links for those who love them: We're looking directly across downtown Astoria, facing up-river. The hilltop you see is in Washington. The gray spire on the waterline at the right is the radio tower. Pier 11 is just to the right of the evergreen tree on the left of the photo, and the Flavel House is behind the tree. The big red building in the center of the photo is this one, and just to the right with lots of windows is Baked Alaska, although the linked photo is taken from the other side of the building.

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Soaring

This lovely old Italianate Victorian house seems to be soaring into the sky. It's located one house over from the "oldest dwelling in Astoria," and we've been to this address before, because this is where the hitching post horse lives. Note that there's a small, round, blue and white plaque by the front door indicating that this is a historic home. I learned from Lee (Bend, Oregon, Daily Photo) that this house used to be larger. At one time, the house just up the hill from it was attached. The upper house was disconnected, turned sideways, and finished off as a separate building. This must have been an even more imposing structure at one time, but it has nothing to worry about. It's striking and lovely as-is, and the flowery bower adds a nostalgic touch of antique charm. It looks as inviting today as it ever did.

Nice horse, where did you come from?

I wish I knew the story behind this hitching post, but I don't. I believe Astoria has at least two old hitching posts, but I couldn't find one of them even with the address (I'll have to go looking again) and I don't know where the other is supposed to be. There are some posts with rings in them on Duane Avenue near 14th that could be old hitching posts, but I'm not sure if they are. The wood on this post looks pretty new, and for all I know, the nice horse may be old or it may have come from a garden center, although it's implanted in front of a picturesque old Italianate Victorian house at 14th and Franklin, one house over from "the oldest dwelling in Astoria." If you know, please leave a comment, otherwise I'll probably knock on the door someday and ask. In any event, the horse munching on the metal ring brought a smile to my face. He/she looks rather friendly.

Yellow and blue for Jacob

I'll give you the convoluted references in a moment, but this photo is to let Jacob know that we do have yellow and blue here in Astoria. The "house" is the house of God, actually the First Presbyterian Church at 11th Street and Franklin Avenue. All summer, they've been working on a new coat of paint, turning the slightly faded yellow into a beautiful, rich non-faded version of about the same color (more waterproof, as the old paint was due for replacement). The sky, of course, is blue, as it is in real life today. I wonder how much longer that will last here in the land of clouds and rain? Jacob, I may be breaking your "house rules" with the lack of blue on the building, but I suppose it's also possible they could play some kind of blues gospel inside the church. This is only conjecture, based on the fact that Astoria is home to many, many, many "mature" hippie types. This means that here at the end of the world, we may have some of the best darn live local blues music you're going to find anywhere outside of Chicago.

I digress horribly. Jacob was discussing "Swedish houses." Whether or not any Swedes attend this church I also could not tell you, but since so many Swedes were instrumental in founding Astoria, I have to think that the answer is "yes." But speaking of blue and yellow Swedish houses, Lee (Bend, Oregon, Daily Photo), tells me there were at one time quite a few yellow and blue houses in Astoria owned by Swedes. Fer real.

To understand the nonsense behind this post (should anyone care to), travel to Ocala, Florida (this post), and to yesterday's Astoria post, where you will have to read Jacob's comment in the Comments section. Brattcat also has a "Swedish house" on her blog.

And lest I forget, happy Skywatch Friday, everyone!

P.S. for Vogon Poet, today I was going to post pix of the inside of yesterday's house, but Jacob got me going. I'm sure you can understand that, and maybe tomorrow I'll show the inside :)