W
Story by NANCY M C CARTHY | Photos by HUGH M C KENNA, BRANDON BARNES and MARGARET CHAPMAN
alking into the
t rooms of the century-old
home on G
Gearhart’s Gin Ridge is like
walking into a big family hug.
It’s the feeling
feelin that co-owner Margaret
Chapman has felt ever since she was a youngster
playing in the large cozy rooms
room of her grandparents’ home with an
abundant number of siblings and cousins.
“It lives much bigger than the square footage might indicate,”
Chapman said of the 2,448-square-foot
2,448-s
ocean-front home. “Yet it’s
a great size for just a couple.”
The fi ve-bedroom, 2.5-ba
2.5-bath home is listed for $1.895 million
with realtors Rinda Shea of Windermere
W
Stellar, and Mimi McCaslin
and Anne-Marie Knapp of Christies,
C
Lux Platinum Properties.
Built in 1916, the home i is one of the last originals on the
impressive Gin Ridge wher
where ocean views stretch all the way to
Tillamook Head. A path adj
adjacent to the home leads to the beach.
Nearly every room features
featu a view of the ocean, even the
window over the sink in th
the spacious kitchen. But the family is
sure to gather in the dining
dinin room and the adjacent sun porch
where a 50-foot-long wall
wal of windows opens to an expansive
view of dunes, ocean and sky. The room is bright and comfort-
able even on cold, cloudy days.
On beach nights, the brick wood-burning fi replace in the
living room is the place to
t be. A built-in corner seat next to
the fi replace is perfect for
fo reading, or there’s enough room for
family and friends to gather
gat
around a jigsaw puzzle on the
coff ee table for an evening
even
of fun. “There are so many nooks
and crannies for people to enjoy,” Shea said.
While the “old girl” ha
has a new roof, furnace, plumbing and
septic tank, the early century
ce
touches remain, including the
beadboard and wainscoting
wainsc
on the walls and a second set of
“servants’ stairs” leadin
leading from the kitchen and merging with
the living room stairs to
t the second fl oor. Hardwood fl oors
throughout the house lie under the wall-to-wall carpeting.
“We tried to keep the charm of the house as much as
possible, ” Chapman said.
s
Included in that charm
ch
is a small billiard room in the
basement where Chapman
Ch
and other teenagers played
pool and threw darts.
dart Next to the billiard room is a
welcome HOME
workbench area where Chapman’s grandfather used
to putter on projects.
A small bedroom and half-bath are tucked away on
the fi rst fl oor, but four generous bedrooms and two
bathrooms take up the second fl oor. One bedroom
has room for two sets of bunk beds while the others
will hold queen- or king-size beds. Three of the
bedrooms have ocean views.
Outside, a sand pit is set up for volleyball games.
The .23-acre lot has plenty of room for camp fi res
or large gatherings. Land-use restrictions prevent
any construction in front of the lot, so the view will
endure. Vehicles also are prohibited from driving on
that stretch of beach.
Chapman recalls days when “mothers (were) sitting
there watching their kids, having great conversations
while the kids were playing in the sand or playing
hide-and-go-seek.”
“My grandfather loved clamming,” she added. “He
would arm all the kids with shovels and bags and we
would collect the clams. We would have amazing
clam dinners.”
Some mornings lend themselves to sitting on the
bench outside with a cup of coff ee, quietly viewing
a herd of elk romping on the dunes. “It’s like a wildlife
safari out there sometimes,” Chapman said. “We can
see birds, rabbits, crows, gulls and, occasionally, we
can see hawks. There’s a lot to see out there. The
scene is always changing.”
A walk to the town center’s grocery, restaurant
and bakery – or the annual Fourth of July parade –
takes 10 minutes or less. Yet, it’s an easy drive to the
more bustling Seaside, four miles to the south and to
Astoria, 15 miles to the north.
But for peace and tranquility, the “old girl,” which
has withstood 100 years of blustery as well as blissful
beach weather, is always there to welcome visitors.
“It’s like a little Zen,” Chapman said. “It’s like you go
back in time.”
A CENTURY HOUSE
in Gearhart is ready for another era