About the Project

  • “A contract was let today to Erick Gustafson for erecting a residence for Captain George (Conrad) Flavel on the property recently purchased by him from D.H. Welch. The building is to be completed on or before December 31. The price is not made public but it is understood the residence will cost about $4000.” Daily Astorian, August 5, 1901.

    It’s the first mention of the historic home on 15th Street built by Captain George Conrad Flavel. Captain George Conrad Flavel was the son of Captain George Flavel, the first Bar Pilot in Astoria, and the owner of the beautiful Victorian home on 8th Street in Astoria. The Flavel home on 8th Street is now the home of the Clatsop County Historical Society.

    The younger Captain Flavel built his home with every intention of making it as spectacular as his father’s home. Built in a different era, and in a different style, it is every bit spectacular and beautiful in its own way. With over 4500 square feet of space, not counting the attic, it is about half the size of the Flavel House on 8th Street.

  • The younger Captain Flavel lived in the home with his wife Wenona until he passed away in 1923. His son Harry Melville Flavel lived in the home until he passed away in 1957. H.M. Flavel’s second wife, Florence Flavel, and their children, Mary Louise Flavel and Harry Sherman Flavel lived in the home until the early 1990’s, when they moved out of Astoria.

    The home was abandoned for over 20 years, until Greg Newenhof, co-owner of City Lumber Company in Astoria, purchased the home in May of 2015. Greg is planning to restore the home to its original glory and live in it. When asked how long it will take him to restore the home, Greg says jokingly, “probably for the rest of my life!”

  • With the home in much better shape than it looks from the street, restoring the home isn’t as daunting a project as most people imagine. Since he purchased the home, Greg has had the power restored and water and sewer lines hooked up. In the most visible work done to date, the blue tarps that covered the roof for the past few years have been removed, and the roof has been replaced with cedar shingles. The other dramatic work done has been repairing the two chimneys. The chimney work, which mason Joe Herman called his “chimney of a lifetime”, restored the chimneys so they could be used again.
  • Interest in the Captain George Conrad Flavel home has been overwhelming. Greg has been amazed by the number of people who walk or drive by the home and stop to take a look. Please don’t be surprised if he doesn’t take a lot of time to talk to you about the project—he doesn’t want to be rude, but he’s trying to get work done.

    One of the most often asked questions, beside “are you really going to live here?’ is a request for a tour of the home. At the current time, tours are not available due to construction and insurance issues. Greg is planning to work with the Clatsop County Historical Society and offer tours of the home as a fund raiser for the Historical Society at some point in the near future. The date has not been set yet as some work needs to be done in the home to get it ready for the tours. Watch our Facebook page, this blog, and other media sites for the tour dates.

    We appreciate your interest in the Captain George Conrad Flavel home.