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THE DAILY ASTORIAN • THURSDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2015
Flavel House: ‘It hasn’t been this way in a long time’
Continued from Page 1A
Fixer-upper
Built in 1901 for Capt.
George Conrad Flavel, the
Flavel House is the architec-
tural equivalent of a transition
fossil, possessing features
from the Victorian and Colo-
nial Revival periods. It was
added to the National Regis-
ter of Historic Places in 1986.
When Newenhof bought
the house for more than
$221,000, its visual grandeur
had faded. Outside, the win-
dows were boarded up and
the roof was falling apart.
Inside, the plaster is cracked
and cratered. Layers of wall-
paper are peeling away. The
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rotted in places. And most
surfaces remain covered with
a thick coat of dust and grim.
“Some people thought it
should be torn down, thought
it was in bad shape,” Ne-
wenhof said. “But, to me, it
doesn’t look nearly as bad as
a lot of houses.”
Since then, he has replaced
the roof, repaired the two
chimneys, removed a base-
ment furnace and restored
electrical service. Though he
hooked water and sewer back
up, he will need to replumb
the entire house before any-
one can actually drink the
water.
When the boards on the
windows came down, Muri-
el Jensen said it was as if the
eyes of the house were open-
ing up.
“Even before the Christ-
mas lights, when we could
see him working inside with
the lights on downstairs, it
was wonderful,” she said.
“It’s like the house is alive
again.”
Meanwhile, Newenhof is
replacing broken windows,
some balusters and the front
porch railing, aiming to rec-
reate the original design. His
next project is to heat the
house.
Despite the house’s hag-
gard appearance, “it’s built
like a rock,” said John Good-
enberger, a local expert in his-
toric preservation.
The houses of the era were
built to last, Newenhof said.
“A new house, if it hasn’t
Joshua Bessex/The Daily Astorian
Lights adorn the balcony and front porch of the Flavel House.
‘It’s like the house
is alive again.’
Muriel Jensen
Astoria resident and author
been lived in for 25 years,
would be rotted away,” he
said.
If the Flavel House has to
have a non-Flavel occupant,
Goodenberger is glad it’s Ne-
wenhof.
“Greg is local, he owns
(City Lumber), he knows
how to do the work, he loves
history and he’s going to live
here,” Goodenberger said.
“All of these things are a nice
conclusion to a long story.”
Christmas memories
Along with dozens of the
Flavels’ Christmas cards that
Newenhof recovered from
the attic, there are 1920s-era
photos of Mary Louise Flavel
growing up there as a child at
Christmastime. She moved
out of the house in 1990 and
now lives in the Portland area.
This year, Newenhof plans
to invite his own family — his
brother, sister-in-law and their
children — to see the long ne-
glected house. The house may
not be ready to live in, but it’s
ready to create new Christmas
memories.
“It hasn’t been this way for
a long time,” Curt Johnson
said. “It’s really got a lot of
life and excitement, a lot of
hope.”
Joshua Bessex/The Daily Astorian
A Christmas tree lights up a window of the Flavel House.
M erry
Christmas
and happy
new year
Give your little elf
The gift of good health.
Merry Christmas from CMH
The caregivers at Columbia Memorial Hospital would like to wish your family
Happy Holidays! We would like to thank you for your support and trust in
allowing us to be your children’s healthcare provider.
from
M ORISSE
L OGGING
This Holiday Season and throughout the coming year, may you and your
family be surrounded with peace,
joy, good health and love.
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