May is National Preservation Month! This year’s theme is People Saving Places. Use this link to view the “31 Activity Ideas 31 Days to Celebrate” flyer to participate in local activities:
31 Days flyer_May 2022
The City of Astoria has traditionally celebrated National Preservation Month by presenting the Dr. Edward Harvey Historic Preservation Award to those who have contributed to the City’s preservation and architectural heritage. The Award is named for Dr. Edward Harvey, who was a pioneer in recognizing the importance of historic preservation in Astoria. His original efforts of placing plaques denoting the brief history of a building are still seen throughout the City. He also lobbied the Clatsop County Commissioners to establish a Historic Advisory Committee, of which he served as the chairman for many years.
Since 1988, this competitive Award has been presented annually to those who have completed exterior rehabilitation, restoration, or beautification projects which have been sensitive to the historical attributes of the building and/or the architectural heritage of Astoria. At their April 18, 2022 meeting, the Historic Landmarks Commission selected the best examples of historic restoration projects in the residential and commercial categories, as well as awarded special recognition to an individual.
It is with great pleasure that we announce the 2022 Dr. Edward Harvey Historic Preservation Award recipients:
Residential Category – Theodosia Woods and family for restoring the single-family dwelling located at 644 31st Street. Built in 1880, this Italianate-style home had been covered in vinyl siding, with most of the original windows and historic elements removed. Daughter, Linden Clark, did the majority of the restoration work herself.
Commercial Category – Merwyn Apartments for restoring and rehabilitating the building at 1067 Duane Street. Built in 1926, this former hotel had remained vacant for decades and at one time was slated for demolition. Innovative Housing spearheaded a major interior and exterior renovation project, creating much needed housing, as well as restoring its original historic character and flair.
Individual Category – Lucien Swerdloff. In recognition as one of the Founders of the Historic Preservation Program at Clatsop Community College, for his contributions to historic preservation, coordinating workshops throughout the community and demonstrating many of the crafts, and for his passion to education and inspire countless students, forever impacted the overall historic character of the City of Astoria.
The Awards will be presented by Mayor Bruce Jones at the upcoming Astoria City Council meeting, scheduled for Monday, May 2, 2022 @ 7:00 pm.
