Farmhouse

On December 18, 2019, The Astorian reported that the historic farmhouse located at the Clatsop County Fairgrounds
was scheduled to be burned in January of 2020.

In response, Lower Columbia Preservation Society (LCPS) presented:

The Top 3 Reasons NOT to Burn
The Fairgrounds Farmhouse

Developing a plan to preserve this significant historic resource should involve the community and LCPS stands ready to partner in this process.

There is no demonstrated, immediate need to burn or otherwise demolish the historic Farmhouse anytime soon. There are no budgeted or definite plans to do anything with the home site itself (although additional parking has been cited as a possible use in the future). The Farmhouse is a significant historic resource, one of few remaining structures that demonstrate the rich history of this county-owned property's use as an agricultural experiment station. We ask that community leaders and the public consider these 3 reasons NOT to burn the Farmhouse: Health, History and Housing.

HEALTH

There are multiple layers of Lead Based Paint (LBP) throughout the historic Farmhouse. LBP is a common, hazardous substance found in most historic buildings. Its use was outlawed in 1978.
When the Farmhouse burns, LBP will vaporize into the heated air; lead particles will then fall back down onto the site, surrounding lands and waters, or wherever the winds may carry them. Although the risks of contamination can be mitigated, they cannot be eliminated.
The possible presence of asbestos containing materials (ACM) is also of serious concern. Asbestos is a pernicious hazardous substance for which there is no safe level of exposure. Independent testing for both hazardous substances is required by law prior to any burn.

HISTORY

The Farmhouse was built as the John Jacob Astor Experiment Station Superintendent’s house. In 1913, the Oregon Legislature passed a law providing for the establishment of an agricultural experiment station in Clatsop County.
Despite state support, additional funds were necessary to bring the project to fruition. $10,000 in left over funds from Astoria’s 1911 Centennial exposition were donated to the cause. Clatsop County contributed use of the site, which had been purchased for and was then being developed as a county hospital and poor farm.
Administered by Oregon Agricultural College (now Oregon State University Extension Service), Astor Station experimented with both dairy cows, grass seed and various vegetable varieties, winning multiple state and national awards over the decades.
Astor Station closed in 1973. The farm was then used by Clatsop Community College’s farm and forestry programs until the early nineties. In 1993, the farm site was adapted to serve the public as the fairgrounds, after the county sold its central Astoria fairgrounds location to the City of Astoria.
Although many of the old farm buildings were expected to be razed during the development of the new use, the superintendent's house was specifically sited as a resource that would be reused.
The Farmhouse would likely qualify for listing on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) thanks to the physical integrity of the house itself and the site’s associations with the state-operated agricultural extension centers and early 20th century social welfare and poor farm relief programs.
Historic designation could compliment additional opportunities, including economic development, housing or revenue generating uses, that have yet to be explored by the County.

HOUSING

The Fairgrounds Farmhouse is an excellent candidate for renovation, either on its existing site or relocated to a new parcel of land.
The large, two-story house was designed as a residence and was built using quality materials and craftsmanship, mostly local.
The structure is remarkably level atop a solid, full concrete basement foundation, mostly watertight (thanks to a recent reroofing). The building can be renovated and restored for use again as housing or adapted and reused for a variety of alternative roles in our community.
Burning the Farmhouse forecloses the opportunity to add a renovated property to the tax rolls, assuming it is reused for a taxable ownership or purpose.

LCPS RECOMMENDATIONS TO CLATSOP BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS (CBOCC):

1) Call a halt to the proposed “Burn-to-Learn” exercise unless and until the issues being raised above are resolved.
2) Confirm that the Farmhouse has been tested for hazardous materials (lead and asbestos) and immediately make those results available to the public. Ask your own Public Health Department to verify the hazardous nature of LBP and ACMs.
3) Ask your own Community Development Department if existing protections for Clatsop County’s historic resources as required under Goal 5 are adequate.

Lower Columbia Preservation Society stands ready to assist Clatsop County in fostering wise stewardship of the historic John Jacob Astor Experiment Station Superintendent’s House, the Fairground's farmhouse.

LINK TO HISTORIC FILM OF ASTOR EXPERIMENT STATION, 1955