Inns in the Mist : Beds and Breakfasts with Personality in Two Small Towns on Oregon’s Wind-swept Coast : ASTORIA: Bedding Down in Restored Victorian Homes With Elegant Pasts

There are treasures scattered over the hills of this old town built near the mouth of the Columbia River.

They are treasures that visitors can share: antique Victorian homes converted to cozy bed and breakfast inns; early-day Astoria’s finest mansion, open now as a year-round museum, and arguably the finest maritime museum in the Northwest.

In fact, there may not be any other community of its size (Pop. 10,000) in the West with such a collection of vintage homes.

Astoria, founded in 1811 as a fur-trading post, can count at least 500 houses of historic importance, according to Bruce Berney, director of the Astoria Public Library and a member of the Astoria Landmarks Commission. “We have jewels here,” Berney contends.

And Astoria’s old-fashioned neighborhoods are beginning to catch the attention of travelers.

As one approaches on U.S. 30 from Portland in the east, the highway leaves the rain forests of northern Oregon behind and it’s curtain up on a view of elegant Victorian homes crowning green hills and stairstepping down the slopes almost to the Columbia River waterfront. And not just a few Victorians here and there--whole neighborhoods of beautiful houses hugging the misty hills. It’s a movie-set kind of place, a flashback to earlier times when Astoria was a prosperous and sometimes rowdy salmon-packing, fur-trading port.

Hollywood has discovered picturesque Astoria, but recent motion pictures filmed here such as “Kindergarten Cop” and “The Goonies” haven’t done much to showcase the city’s vintage architecture.

For years, most travelers hurried through, perhaps glancing up at the old mansions on the hills but more concerned with fighting traffic jams on the narrow main streets leading toward the beach resorts farther to the west. And the city’s run-down business district and its somewhat scruffy riverfront area didn’t offer much encouragement for do-it-yourself walking tours.

That has changed. Credit the bed and breakfast industry, a relatively recent addition to Astoria’s economy. And when the Columbia River Maritime Museum opened in 1982, travelers found another reason to spend more time here. The museum--top-rated by Oregon and Washington historical societies--will be the focal point of a big Pacific Northwest celebration next year, marking the bicentennial of Capt. Robert Gray’s discovery of the Columbia River for the United States. More than 40 communities along the Columbia are scheduled to mount festivals and other events, and Astoria has been designated the key city, with a major exhibition at the museum opening May 9, 1992. Definitely not a stuffy, static collection of old anchors and bottled ship models, the Columbia River Maritime Museum is a building with a roof in the shape of ocean swells. (Youngsters say the roof line looks more like a skate-boarding ramp.) Inside are bright, roomy theme galleries with exhibits that trace the seagoing history of the region, from early explorations to whaling, accompanied by fascinating fragments of historic ships. Hardly a day goes by without school buses from Seattle and Portland arriving for tours (more than 100,000 visitors toured the museum last year).

Moored alongside the building is the retired Coast Guard lightship Columbia--the last lightship to work the Pacific Coast. A former seagoing lighthouse that stood guard at the entrance to the river, the 128-foot-long Columbia was retired in 1979, painted bright red and moored at the museum. It’s maintained in operating condition by the museum, and looks as if it could lift anchor on short notice--but it won’t. An unmanned Coast Guard buoy near the river mouth does the job today.

But if Astoria is getting on the map (and into the pages of guidebooks), it probably has more to do with the town’s fledgling B&B; industry than anything else. About half a dozen fine bed and breakfasts have opened here in the last 10 years in pristine 19th-Century homes--and with the old river town preparing for bicentennial crowds, more are promised. Travelers often can find accommodations on short notice in fall and winter, but summer B&B; reservations are becoming mandatory.

Most of the inns are within walking distance of downtown restaurants, and several offer dramatic views of vessel traffic along the Columbia River.

No new blueprints were needed. The historic homes of pioneer ship captains, salmon canners, merchants and politicians were ready-made for Astoria’s enterprising innkeepers.

In keeping with the tenor of Astoria, many of the new owners say they feel like custodians of history. “There is something precious about the old houses here, the resplendent Victorians,” says Karen Nelson, owner of the five-unit Franklin House Bed and Breakfast Inn, a gracious Victorian dating to 1870 that was built for Brenham Van Dusen, an early-day insurance man.

Nelson and her late husband, Seymour, had owned a dairy farm in the Salem, Ore., area. After her husband’s death, Karen Nelson visited Astoria to help her daughter, Renee Caldwell, with her bed and breakfast inn, the Franklin Street Station Bed and Breakfast Inn on Franklin Avenue.

“And then I fell in love with the idea of doing this myself,” Nelson recalls. “I saw this wonderful house one day (in 1987) and learned that the owner was figuring on selling. And here I am . . . “

The parlor of Franklin House is an ode to red-velvet Victorian times, and the views from a soft sofa are of old Astoria through large bay windows. A huge crystal chandelier, the original, catches sparkles of light from the dining-room ceiling. Guest rooms are named for Pacific Northwest lighthouses (such as the Cape Flattery Room with its black-marble-faced fireplace) and are fitted with brass beds and frilly comforters.

Nelson’s daughter and her husband, Jim Caldwell, are former Portland, Oregonians who moved here in 1976 to operate a mortuary. Across the street, they couldn’t help noticing, was a classy old Victorian that had been given loving care by a series of former owners.

“One day (in 1986) the house came for sale, and we decided there and then that it would be a lovely place for a B&B;,” says Renee Caldwell, who notes that guests usually turn on to Astoria’s old-time charm in a big way. “And then some of them, realizing that Astoria still is more or less undiscovered, hurry to call real estate agents.”

The Caldwells’ Franklin Street Station Bed and Breakfast Inn, also on Franklin Avenue, was built in 1900 and was the home of Earl Fisher, a wealthy ship supplier who, incidentally, owned the first automobile in Astoria.

The five-unit inn shows off a lot of loving care. Original woodwork gleams in tones of gold and brown. The Lewis and Clark Room (named for the explorers who wintered near Astoria in 1805-06 after crossing the continent) features an antique brass bed and clawfoot bathtub. Another room, the Astor Suite (named for Astoria’s founder), has lace curtains, brass beds and a modern wet bar. There are original art works--oils, watercolors and pastels--by Astoria artists in all the rooms. They are for sale, with all proceeds going to the artists, not the inn.

Just a few blocks east, on Grand Avenue, the Grandview Bed & Breakfast has a cozy breakfast nook tucked into an octagonal, bullet-shaped turret overlooking the Columbia River and several turn-of-the-century buildings. There’s just enough room for four around the breakfast table, from which guests watch ships go by near where the Columbia meets the Pacific.

The house was built in 1895 as the residence of Ebenezer Tallant, co-owner of a major salmon cannery. Current owner Charleen Maxwell fell in love with the Tallant house when she vacationed here four years ago, just before retiring from a position with Eastman Kodak in Los Angeles.

“I soon realized the Northwest was where I wanted to be,” she said. “I searched all the coastal towns. Astoria won out. It was affordable.”

One airy guest room in the eight-unit Grandview, the Garden Room, has a big bay window lighted from the south. Another, the Gazebo Room, has a sitting area where guests part lace curtains to watch the ships go by on the river below. Old oak floors are polished like glossy new wood.

Four miles from downtown Astoria, in the district known as Uppertown, is K.C.’s Mansion by the Sea B&B; on Duane Avenue. The 20-room Victorian was built in 1888 for Benjamin Young, a pioneer salmon packer. Three years ago it was acquired by Gus Karas and Cher Jenkins, who have opened four bedrooms to the public (each with private bath). An old-fashioned country estate, it has a carriage house in back, an extensive garden, wine cellar and workshop.

Also in Uppertown, the Astoria Inn B&B; on Irving Avenue was an 1890s Victorian farmhouse that John and Nola Westling acquired four years ago and completely renovated. From the front porch, one can see 10 miles up and down the river. In back, hiking trails reach into the wooded hillside above the town.

How did Astoria come to have such a choice array of historic homes?

Accidents of history--in this case, devastating fires--according to library director Berney.

In 1922, a fast-moving fire destroyed 35 square blocks of then-run-down Astoria. Businessmen rebuilt--this time a thoroughly modern business district--without having to expand into adjacent neighborhoods.

Not as well-remembered, Berney says, was a second fire in 1922 that wiped out the Hammond Lumber Co., the town’s largest employer. The mill was not rebuilt. Then came the Great Depression.

“So, there was no real population growth or new construction here for some time,” Berney said.

As a result, most of the original homes of prominent families were left, like dainty dowagers, to doze through the decades. And now they are Astoria’s gems.

If cheery, moderately priced B&Bs; were not enough to attract travelers, Astoria could snare its share with some individual mansions and restored downtown buildings.

In the heart of Astoria, on Eighth Street, is Flavel House, a marvelous mansion built in 1855 by Capt. George Flavel (flah-VELL), Astoria’s first millionaire.

With sharp, almost exaggerated architectural angles and an octagonal tower climbing three stories, like a misplaced lighthouse, Flavel House could be the setting for an Agatha Christie mystery.

The 20-room home of Flavel, first of the Columbia River bar pilots, and his wife, Mary Christina, was completed in 1885, about the time the Statue of Liberty was being dedicated in New York harbor, when Jack the Ripper was making his dreadful rounds in London, and Mark Twain was writing his delightful stories in Connecticut.

Flavel had ventured to Astoria by way of the California gold fields. Here he found lodging in a boarding house owned by the parents of his future bride, Mary Christina Lydia Boelling. They were married in March, 1854, when the captain was 31 and Mary Christina was only 14.

Flavel spared no expense to make his mansion the finest in Astoria: He shipped richly grained slabs of lumber to San Francisco to be hand-carved for interior trim. He installed six fireplaces, each faced with tiles from Europe and Asia. Architectural details included window cabinets to hide fold-away interior shutters. Gaslighting flickered across Astoria in those days, but Flavel’s house was ready with wiring for soon-to-come electricity. And, of course, there was central heating. Total cost: about $36,000.

The house was considered the epitome of gracious living in Astoria, where wealthy families in spacious homes staffed with servants would entertain one another with genteel musicales and dramatic presentations.

But just a few blocks away, down on the waterfront, Astoria was rocking with raucous saloons and bawdy houses. Shanghaiing gangs prowled the shadows to ambush tipsy customers.

Flavel died in 1893. Mary Christina Flavel remained in the mansion until her death in 1928.

The house later was deeded by the family to Clatsop County, which used it for county offices, then in World War II it became Red Cross headquarters.

After the war, some suggested tearing the gloomy old house down. It’s just an old office building, they said.

But the late Mae Miller, leader of the fledgling Clatsop County Historical Society, decided that Flavel House should be saved as a museum. Her successful campaign preserved what now is considered one of the Pacific Coast’s best examples of Queen Anne-style Victorian architecture, where for the $3 price of a ticket, visitors can catch a whiff of the mannered, elegant past that existed side-by-side with the gritty life of the Columbia River docks.

A ticket to Flavel House also includes admission to the Heritage Museum (Astoria’s former city hall), at 16th and Exchange streets. The Clatsop County Historical Society operates Flavel House, the Heritage Museum and the Uppertown Fire Fighters Museum, at 30th Street and Marine Drive.

With the restoration of Flavel House in 1951, history-proud Astorians finally had a focal point, an opulent original.

Now, as Astoria’s bed and breakfast business grows, and the Columbia River Maritime Museum prepares for bicentennial crowds, city government and local merchants are at work on a 12-block-long riverfront redevelopment program, including a river’s-edge promenade. A few pieces of the project--to be substantially finished by spring--are in place now.

But even with the sprucing up, it will remain a working waterfront, with fish processing plants, tugboat bases, offices for river and bar (the shallow area between river and ocean) pilots, marine supply stores and fuel docks.

“We want to make the area more accessible to residents and visitors, but we sure don’t want to change its character,” says city community development director Paul Benoit.

GUIDEBOOK

Astoria, Oregon

Getting there: Astoria is at the mouth of the Columbia River, about 95 miles northwest of Portland. Take U.S. 30 from Portland to Astoria. Or drive north from Portland to Kelso, Wash., on Interstate 5, and follow signs through neighboring Longview, Wash., to intersect U.S. 30 on the Oregon side of the Columbia River at Longview. The Lewis and Clark Bridge across the Columbia connects Longview with Oregon.

Where to stay: Most of Astoria’s bed and breakfast inns are open year-round. Summer rates for two are about $63-$100 a night, winter rates about $53-$75; some offer two-bedroom suites for families.

Franklin House Bed and Breakfast Inn, 1681 Franklin Ave., (503) 325-5044. Five bedrooms, private bathrooms. Full breakfast served in dining room, off-street parking, view of Columbia River.

Franklin Street Station Bed and Breakfast Inn, 1140 Franklin Ave., (503) 325-4314. Five rooms, private baths. Full breakfast.

Grandview Bed & Breakfast, 1574 Grand Ave., (800) 488-3250 and (503) 325-0000. Nine units. Continental breakfast (fruit, juice, smoked salmon and cream cheese) served in two observation towers at the corners of the house.

K.C.’s Mansion by the Sea B&B;, 3652 Duane Ave., (503) 325-6172. Four bedrooms, full breakfast in dining room overlooking river, sea and garden.

Astoria Inn B&B;, 3391 Irving Ave., (503) 325-8153. Three bedrooms with private baths. Completely new interior. Full country breakfast in dining room. Co-owner John Westling is a native of Pasadena.

A list of bed and breakfast inns and motels, with addresses and prices, is available at the Astoria Area Chamber of Commerce in downtown Astoria.

Museums: Flavel House, 441 Eighth St., is open daily, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., May through September; open every other day, noon-4 p.m., October through April. Fees: adults, $3, seniors, $2.50, children, $1. The Columbia River Maritime Museum, at the foot of 17th Street on the waterfront, is open 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m. daily throughout the year. Fees: adults, $3, seniors, $2, students, $1.50.

Recommended reading: “Walking Tour of Astoria, Oregon” and “A Brief History of Astoria, Oregon, 1811-1900,” both by Vera Whitney Gault; $2 each at the chamber of commerce.

For more information: Contact the Astoria Area Chamber of Commerce, 111 W. Marine Drive, Astoria, Ore. 97103, (503) 325-6311. Clatsop County Historical Society, 1618 Exchange St., Astoria 97103, (503) 325-2203. Columbia River Maritime Museum, 1792 Marine Drive, Astoria 97103, (503) 325-2323.