ASTORIA, OR: The Doughboy Monument, located in Astoria's Uniontown-Alameda Nationally Registered Historic District, is still on track to complete restoration and repair work by the 100th Anniversary of the end of World War I on November 11, 2018. Astoria Parks and Recreation, along with Senator Betsy Johnson and Astoria City Councilor, Cindy Price, have secured a combination of grant funding and donations to refurbish the monument. The City of Astoria will be engaging in a formal bidding process to find contractors for various parts of the project in February.
Planning Consultant, Rosemary Johnson, will be managing the repair and restoration work on the Monument. The Astor-East Urban Renewal District has budgeted funds with City and Clatsop Community College's Historic Preservation Program (CCC) staff providing in-kind labor to be used as matching funds for the grant. The students will work under the guidance of professional trades people to learn their trade while providing a valuable service to the City.
In August, prior to the start of the grant related work, a vehicle crashed into the east side of the Monument and led to extensive damage to the structure. The City has had a damage assessment of the Monument completed, which identified the structural damage to the east side including the destruction of the east wing entry, planter boxes, and two lamp posts. The City is in the process of acquiring structural repair drawings of the work on the Monument and will be seeking a contractor to perform the structural repair.
A summary of grants and donations received, along with work to be completed include:
- A $12,000 Veterans and War Memorials grant from the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) - awarded in 2017 to restore the west restroom, patch exterior cracks, repaint the structure, repair the flat roof, and refurbish the flag pole. That work will be completed by a combination of local contractors and students from the Clatsop Community College (CCC) Historic Preservation program.
- In December 2017, the City received a generous pledge of $5,000 from the Samuel S. Johnson Foundation for additional work. That work is proposed to restore the tile roof, replace two of the light fixtures, and possible other miscellaneous work not covered by the SHPO grant. The pledged donation was the result of the continued support of Senator Betsy Johnson to our City, facilitated by the assistance of City Councilor Cindy Price.
"The amount of community involvement we have for this project is nothing short of inspiring," says Angela Cosby, Director of Astoria Parks and Recreation. "From our partnerships with Clatsop Community College, our elected officials, our grant providers, and our staff, we will be leaving a lasting legacy of the veterans of Clatsop County who served in World War I with honor and valor."
The Monument, also known as the Astoria Victory Monument, was designed by Charles T. Diamond in the Spanish Revival mode in 1926 with a bronze sculpture by American artist, John Paulding. It was commissioned by the local American Legion Post 12 to honor Clatsop County residents who participated in World War I. The Monument has become an icon for Uniontown and for all Astorians.
For any questions, please contact Rosemary Johnson at rosemaryjcurt@gmail.com or Astoria Parks Director, Angela Cosby at acosby@astoria.or.us or 503-325-7273. If you wish to donate to the full restoration of the Monument, you may make a donation at the Astoria Recreation Center, located at 1555 W. Marine Drive. You may also make a donation on-line at www.astoria.or.us under the Parks and Recreation "Donation" tab. 
