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About Coast river business journal. (Astoria, OR) 2006-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 13, 2021)
BUSINESS NEWS Coast River Business Journal so they never had to see the help while they were entertaining,” Erica Vossler said. Wilcox, a for- mer prominent Portland businessman, is described as a “captain of industry and magnate of the China fl our trade” in Oregon historical biographies. Wil- cox lived from 1884 to 1918, only enough to enjoy his Seaview home approximately 12 years after construction. “This was defi nitely his beach cottage,” Erica Vossler said, adding that his former estates in Port- land rivaled the size of hospitals, including some now on the National Register of Historic Places. “His other homes in Portland are really over the top, like mansions that are now hospitals. He was one of the top businessmen while Portland was booming. He started getting wheat from the Gorge and milling it in Portland, starting the largest Port- land fl our mills, then ultimately trading with China.” Bankrolled by his successful businesses, Wilcox built sprawling estates. His mansion in Seaview still has the solid bones and some special quirks evident of the period it was built. “They didn’t have indoor plumbing when they built it. Somewhere along the line they put in bath- rooms. It’s not like modern bathrooms with a toi- let, shower and a sink. They’re broken up. So you can have fewer bathrooms but more people can use them. It’s smart,” Erica Vossler said. Fortunately, some of the most intensive remodel work had been started by some of the three previous owners, and the Vosslers relied on friends and fam- ily to help address any immediate issues. “When we bought it the electrical, plumbing and insulation had been updated. There was a lot done. The main thing we had to do was just restore the historical character and not mess it up,” Erica Voss- ler said. Any boarded up or broken windows were replaced with exact-era replicas installed by fam- ily members. The family involvement has been the Vosslers’ favorite part of the process, they said, whether it was patching holes in the walls or pull- ing carpet. “So many people have come out and helped. My sister caulked all the boards before we painted. It was days and days of caulking and sanding with our loved ones coming to help. When everything was shutdown for COVID-19, we had family come and help,” Erica Vossler said. “It was just a lot of elbow grease. It really just needed to be polished.” Even with free labor, the material for resto- rations came with a signifi cant price, rivaling the cost of a new home. “To fund a restoration isn’t cheap. A normal pane of glass is $50 but ours is $500. How many people out there are going to want to do that rather than tear- ing an old house down and building a brand new one? It’s a lot cheaper to build a brand new house,” Erica Vossler said. “Not counting the mortgage, we invested $250,000 at least.” To help offset the cost, the Vosslers had been counting on renting out the mansion over the sum- mer months but were met with rental moratoriums OUR PROVIDERS ARE READY TO MEET YOUR MEDICAL NEEDS! Dr. Fabiano Internal Medicine Brianna Ayers, FNP Family Medicine Tracy Ramos, PA-C Family Practice Dr. Weaver General Surgery Dr. Dawson Emergency Physician “To provide compassionate patient focused care for our community” Steve Bellinger, PA-C Family Practice Kyle Shafer, PA-C Family Medicine William Chisholm CRNA www.oceanbeachhospital.com Lori Sharrow, NP-C Family Practice Dr. Laurie Belknap Family Practice Mega-sized doors and windows adorn the Seaview Manor. Nearly 50 windows bathe the nearly 8,000-square-feet space in natural light. The custom windows and doors were designed by Theodore B. Wilcox, a wealthy Portland businessman who constructed the home in 1906. and COVID-related restrictions. “As soon as we put money down, we found out about the moratorium meaning no short-term rent- als in Pacifi c County, basically. It was kind of a hard pill to swallow, but we thought it was only tempo- rary until they fi gured out how to tax it. Then COVID hit and that moratorium stayed for a long time. We were ready to rent July 4th, but we couldn’t. That hurt. Eventually the county opened it up after Labor Day weekend,” Erica Vossler said. Sparing the home from falling into disrepair or further development has been a driving force for the Vosslers, who are hopeful more will come to expe- rience the special setting that Seaview Manor has to offer. “Should it fall into a developer, it’s zoned for fourplexes and fi veplexes and I couldn’t imagine that happening,” Erica said. “It would just be devastating. Most of the community hasn’t seen this house. 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