The Heritage Museum of the Clatsop County Historical Society may not be sporting a new sign, but the sign seems to be sporting new colors. It's funny how you sometimes don't notice the changes, or once you see the new paint, you can't remember what the old paint looked like. I think the red is new. One of these days, I'll find an older photo and include it for comparison.
Inside this majestic and sturdily-built Neoclassical edifice, you'll find lots and lots of photos and artifacts from earlier years, and a friendly staff to help you enjoy them. You can enter the building from either Exchange Avenue or 16th Street.
This building began life as Astoria's City Hall about 1905, with construction having started in 1904. Sometime later, the city's administration moved into the centralized downtown area, to
this building. The Heritage Museum still retains a few jail cells in the basement, including one for solitary confinement. The librarian told me that when the Historical Society moved into the building, the entire basement was filled with cells. I'll have to get a tour sometime.
Last night I rediscovered this photo, taken on March 6, 2009. I'd been looking for it and just got lucky. On November 6, 2009, I posted an image of the same sign with its new and strikingly different look. In fact, after seeing the new look, I couldn't remember if there had been modifications to the sign other than the paint. I think someone suggested it might be a whole new sign. It's funny how memory deceives, especially when we get a new image in our heads.
