ASTORIA — “I can’t go any place without someone asking me about the house,” said Greg Newenhof, the owner of one of Astoria’s most intriguing residences: the George C. Flavel house.
It began two years ago when his Portland attorney asked for advice. Did Newenhof know anyone who could help one of his firm’s clients, Mary Louise Flavel? She needed a crew to clean her house before selling it in auction.
Newenhof suggested the Clatsop County Historical Society might find volunteers to sort and clear the building. He offered to assist.
“When I came into the house, I thought how good of bones it had. I was amazed by what good shape it was in,” he recalled. “It piqued my interest in it.”
When the house went up for auction, Newenhof returned with two contractors. One contractor, Duane Clayton, was impressed by the quality of the building’s joinery. The other contractor, Tim Pierie, said the house looked like “a lot of work.”
George Conrad Flavel was the son of Capt. George and Mary Christina Flavel. George C. married Winona Callender, daughter of Melville P. Callender, manager of the Simpson Lumber Co. The younger Flavel worked for his father, then later became the vice-president of First National Bank, established by his father in 1886.
In 1901, he commissioned a stunning Colonial Revival designed by M. DeLin, an architect of which little is known. It is known, however, that he sometimes partnered with Joseph W. Suprenant, a prominent local contractor. The house was constructed by Eric Gustafson.
It served three generations of Flavels.
In 1990, the captain’s great-grandchildren, Harry and Mary Louise, and their mother Florence, left Astoria. The house has not been permanently occupied since.
“My priority was to weatherize,” said Newenhof when he purchased the house. “Then, I’ll work inside.” Joe Herman restored the “chimney of a life-time.” JL French set down a new cedar roof and repaired the built-in gutters.
Pam Chestnut reglazed the windows. Newenhof repaired a few windows, too. He said quarter-inch thick, plate glass was originally used in the lower sash of view windows. The glass was ground down to get clear views without the distortion seen in period, wavy glass.
“It’s amazing the way light flows through the house, too,” remarked Newenhof. He said removing years old plywood from windows made the house feel completely different. “My neighbor Muriel Jensen said, ‘It’s like the eyes of the house have opened.’”
Inside, Bogh Electric installed a new electrical box and rewired the second floor. Newenhof will redo the first floor himself so that he can retain more interior plaster and “fish” the wires himself. JP Plumbing placed new lines to the house and installed new pipes throughout. Dugan’s Heating installed a new high-efficiency gas furnace.
Although the project remains on budget, the time frame to complete the work has strayed.
“I should have known it takes longer than anticipated,” he admitted. He tackles a little at a time, two hours a night, after work. He also spends his weekends there.
Newenhof, who appreciates history, acknowledged he can get a little distracted. Flavel family letters and papers, some dating to the 1870s, remain. “That’s neat to read, but I don’t get any work done.”
“Some days I’m overwhelmed,” he said, thinking about the work ahead. “Other days I get things done and I get excited.” He said he is particularly excited about his light fixtures and leaded glass.
George King Lighting repaired original light fixtures and reconstructed others for the ceilings and walls. David Schlicker Stained Glass Studios restored and reconstructed leaded glass windows broken by vandals or stolen by thieves. The original windows were made by the Povey Bros., one of the most prolific and prestigious studios on the West Coast.
Twenty-five years is a long time for any building to be empty. Its lack of paint on cedar siding and its overgrown yard, belied a well-built house.
“People asked me if I were going to tear it down,” said Newenhof. “No,” he told them. “It’s too beautiful of a house, too well made and it’s in good shape.”
City Lumber, co-owned by Greg and his brother Jeff, are sponsoring a fundraiser for Clatsop County Historical Society. The George C. Flavel house will be open for tours Sunday, Aug. 14, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. More information is available on the historical society’s website: www.cumtux.org.