A Grand Rescue on the Coast

This 1892 Queen Anne house, never remodeled but long neglected, gets upgrades from new foundation drainage to picture rails reinstalled. Antiques and fine finishes dress every room.

- BY BRIAN D. COLEMAN | PHOTOS BY WILLIAM WRIGHT

ALTHOUGH MIKE AND LAURA BROSIUS had lived in cities across the country and abroad, their thoughts always came back to Astoria.

A historic town on the northwest coast of Oregon, Astoria is a picturesque village of 19th-century homes set on steep, forested hills that overlook the Columbia River as it flows into the Pacific. The couple felt that this would be the perfect place in retirement. They'd noticed the grand Victorian house, set high on one of the hills, and were drawn as much by its exuberant architecture as by its sweeping view. Built in 1892, the Queen Anne/Stick Style house had never been “remuddled,” inside or out. It had original stained-glass windows, ornate Eastlake-style hardware, and beautifully faux-grained woodwork. ROOM LAYOUTS had not been altered substantially. Mike and Laura already had restored several houses but never a large Victorian .... When the price was reduced, in 2016, they purchased it. They would soon realize it was a substantial retirement project.