The daily Astorian., June 24, 2016, WEEKEND EDITION, Image 30

in Gearhart
This home is
lovingly preserved and
smartly improved
tep into the house on Gearhart’s Gin Ridge, and
you’ll step into history.
If the early 20th century potbelly stove in the corner of the
dining room doesn’t emit a sense of the past, then, possibly,
the pencil marks along the room’s archway, dating from the
1940s, showing the heights of the children growing up in the
home, will.
Or maybe the claw-foot tubs in two of the bathrooms recall
the stately home’s construction era.
Built in 1908, before Gearhart became an incorporated
city, the 2,156-square-foot home at 235 S. Ocean Ave. has
been lovingly preserved and smartly improved.
Reportedly once owned by the Blitz family, of the Blitz-
Weinhard Brewing Co., the fi ve-bedroom, 2.5-bath house
retains the original fi r wood fl oors and wood paneling on
the walls and ceilings. Yet, an elegant staircase leading to a
spacious deck in front of the house, added only a few years
ago, provides the style a Gin Ridge house should have.
Listed with
realtors Rinda Shea
and Melissa Eddy of
Windermere Stellar,
the house on a double
lot has an asking price
of $885,000.
Even more than a
century ago, when
families built summer
homes to last for
generations, the goal
was to relax and have
fun at the seashore.
With an expansive
living room and dining
room, along with an
updated kitchen, this home could easily fulfi ll that goal.
“We spend a lot of time playing cards in this room,” said
Brett Corrick, who owns the house with her husband, Wayne
Corrick. The room is a small alcove, just off the living room.
Natural light streams through the windows on three sides
of the alcove and fl ows into the living room, which has a view
of the hills to the south from another wall of windows.
Although the home is heated by gas, on cooler evenings,
the Corrick family often gathers around the brick, wood-
burning fi replace, which has a gas starter.
Wood beams in the living room continue into the
adjoining dining room where the home’s turn-of-the-century
feel is greatest. A built-in buffet and china cabinet along the
southern wall will hold many place settings for holiday meals
at the long table in the center of the room.
A small bedroom and full bath is adjacent to the dining
room. There’s another surprise in the bathroom: the original
gravity toilet still works, even with the wood cistern.
A butler’s pantry and updated kitchen with lots of counter
space fi ll out the main fl oor.
Upstairs, four comfortable bedrooms – some with ocean
views – and a bathroom are ready for family or guests.
A full basement with a game room and a half-bath contains
plenty of storage areas for beach toys.
While the home’s interior provides lots of cozy corners
and entertainment space, the outside – the deck, front lawn
and basketball hoop – are popular gathering spots.
“I’ve always had a passion for renovation, for hardscaping
and landscaping,” said Brett. “The exterior of the home is
where we put most of
our attention.”
The Corricks bought
their home to reconnect
with family history –
Brett’s grandparents
had once owned a
house in Gearhart.
With the Blitz house,
they not only acquired
a home that embodied
Gearhart’s past, but they
found a community of
friends who watch out
for each other.
“That’s the beauty of
Gearhart,” Wayne said.
“Kids can be kids and be safe.”
In addition, “We have met a lot of friends of my
grandparents and parents we wouldn’t have met otherwise,”
Brett said.
The home is only a few minutes’ walk from the beach, the
public tennis courts, shops and restaurants. Yet, its setting
on a double lot with a view of the ocean and the hills is private
and serene, just as it has been for more than 100 years.
“I feel that we honored the home,” said Brett Corrick.
“But I love that the previous owners honored the history.”
Story by Nancy McCarthy | Photos by Brandon Barnes