Historic Blog about the Architect that designed this craftsman farmhouse home, located just minutes from downtown historic Astoria Oregon, its looking for its next Steward...will it be you? ************************************************************************* The original owner of this historic home was a man by the name of Lewis Wilson. In 1925, Mr. Wilson commissioned none other than John E. Wicks to provide the architectural design for the house, which according to historical records provided the residence for the Wilson’s 72-acre dairy and bee farm. Of particular significance to this property is in fact, the architect, John E. Wicks. Considered ‘Astoria’s Architect’, the story of Wicks, as well as his body of work weave an interesting tale. John E. Wicks was born in Vaasa, Finland in 1878. He immigrated to the United States at the age of 19, where he worked in the mines of Colorado. It was here that he was able to teach himself English. In 1903, he enrolled in an architectural program in Kansas. Excelling at his studies, he was able to complete a three-year program in just one year. After graduating, he received a full scholarship to Stanford University where he intended to continue his studies. On his way there, he stopped in Astoria, Oregon to visit his brother. He never made it to Stanford, and he never left Astoria. John Wicks opened his office in Astoria on May 25, 1904. Wicks designed primarily commercial structures but also a number of residences, such as this one. The oldest existing residence designed by Wicks is the Andrew Young House, built in 1905. His first major commission was the design of Astoria High School, which is now Towler Hall at Clatsop Community College. After numerous commissions and a fair amount of success, Wicks brought his wife and 2 daughters with him to Finland in December of 1911. Here he worked and studied his craft further. In 1914, with the threat of world war looming, he secured passage on the Titanic. By a stroke of luck, a business obligation prevented him from boarding the ship. Thus, he and his family were saved. Finding alternate means of travel, they arrived back in Astoria in May of 1914. Many of the original Wicks buildings burned down in the Great Astoria Fire of 1922. The significant number of buildings destroyed during the fire, left Wicks in the unique position of designing and planning nearly all of the rebuild. Just a few of his projects include: The Commodore Hotel, The John Jacob Astor Hotel, Captain Robert Gray School, Astor School, Lewis & Clark School, Jewell School, and most of the buildings that can be found in downtown Astoria today. An inventory of his known projects spanning 1904-1954 stated that they numbered 342. John Wicks passed away in 1963 at the age of 85. At the time of his death, he was the oldest practicing architect in Oregon. The buyer of this wonderful property has the unique opportunity to own a piece of Astoria’s history. Sources and information: Clatsop County Historical Society Clatsop County Assessors Office
Posted on: Tue, 09 Sep 2014 19:21:48 +0000
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