Astoria Column
title: "Astoria Column" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1920s-murals", "1926-establishments-in-oregon", "buildings-and-structures-completed-in-1926", "buildings-and-structures-in-astoria,-oregon", "cable-television-in-the-united-states", "culture-of-astoria,-oregon", "towers-in-oregon", "monumental-columns-in-the-united-states", "murals-in-oregon", "national-register-of-historic-places-in-astoria,-oregon", "tourist-attractions-in-clatsop-county,-oregon", "great-northern-railway-(u.s.)"] topic_path: "geography/united-states" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astoria_Column" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::data[format=table title="Infobox NRHP"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Astoria Column |
| image | Astoria Column 2024.jpg |
| image_size | 300 |
| caption | The Astoria Column in 2024 |
| location | Astoria, Oregon, U.S. |
| coordinates | |
| built | 1926, |
| added | May 2, 1974 |
| refnum | 74001681 |
| :: |
| name = Astoria Column | image = Astoria Column 2024.jpg | image_size = 300 | caption = The Astoria Column in 2024 | location = Astoria, Oregon, U.S. | nearest_city = | coordinates = | architecture = | built = 1926, | added = May 2, 1974 | refnum = 74001681 | governing_body = The Astoria Column is a tower in the northwest United States, overlooking the mouth of the Columbia River on Coxcomb Hill in Astoria, Oregon. Built in 1926, the concrete and steel structure is part of a 30 acre city park called Astor Park.
The 125 ft-tall column has a 164-step spiral staircase ascending to an exterior observation deck at the top.
History
The tower was built in 1926 with financing by the Great Northern Railway and Vincent Astor, the great-grandson of John Jacob Astor, in commemoration of the city's role in the family's business history. Patterned after the Trajan Column in Rome (and Place Vendôme Column in Paris), the Astoria Column was dedicated on July 22, 1926. Maintenance work was done in 1936. In 1974, the column was listed in the National Register of Historic Places.{{cite web | title = Oregon National Register List | publisher = State of Oregon | url = http://www.oregon.gov/OPRD/HCD/NATREG/docs/oregon_nr_list.pdf | accessdate = 2008-08-19| archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20080910052608/http://www.oregon.gov/OPRD/HCD/NATREG/docs/oregon_nr_list.pdf| archivedate= 10 September 2008 | url-status= live}} The murals that make up the column were refurbished in 1995 and a granite plaza was added in 2004.
The column was one of a series of monuments erected by Great Northern between 1925 and 1926.
Details
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ed/The_Astoria_Column_at_Astoria,Oregon-NARA-_520101.tif" caption="The column in 1938, as photographed by [[George A. Grant]]"] ::
The 125 ft column stands atop 600 ft Coxcomb Hill and includes an interior spiral staircase that leads to an observation deck at the top. The spiral sgraffito frieze on the exterior of the structure has a width of nearly 7 ft and a length of 525 ft. the mural shows 14 significant events in the early history of Oregon, as well as 18 scenes from the history of the region, including Captain Gray's discovery of the Columbia River in 1792 and the Lewis and Clark Expedition.
Constructed of concrete, its foundation is 12 ft deep. Built at a cost of , the tower has 164 steps to the top, where there is a replica of the State Seal of Oregon.
A plaque near the column commemorates the pioneering Community Antenna Television (CATV) system built by local resident Leroy E. "Ed" Parsons, initially at the Hotel Astoria, in which twin-lead transmission wires redistributed the signal of KRSC-TV (now KING-TV) in Seattle, Washington to area homes. Former Astoria resident Byron Roman was also involved in early cable invention and distribution.
The cast-iron spiral staircase inside the column was closed for safety reasons in November 2007. It was reopened to the public in time for the Regatta in August 2009.
Gallery
File:Rainbow Column with Fuchsia top.jpg|Astoria Column in a rainbow File:Dedication of Astoria Column.jpg|Newspaper on the day of dedication File:Astoria Column 3.jpg|Detail of the column mural File:Interior top of Astoria Column - Oregon.jpg|Roof File:Stairs of Astoria Column - Oregon.jpg|Spiral staircase (looking down) File:Inside the Astoria Column (Astoria, Oregon).jpg|Spiral staircase (looking up) File:Astoria Column (Clatsop County, Oregon scenic images) (clatDA0074c).jpg|The column at night File:Astoria Column Blue.jpg|The column in blue lighting
References
References
- "The Astoria Column: Your visit to Astoria, Oregon starts here.".
- (July 9, 1926). "Astoria to hold big celebration". Eugene Guard.
- (July 13, 1926). "Astoria Column, Coxcomb Hill". Spokesman-Review.
- (July 24, 1926). "The Column at Astoria". Eugene Guard.
- "[[wikisource:en:Oregon Historical Quarterly/Volume 37/Number 3#269. News and Comment]]", ''Oregon Historical Quarterly'' vol. 37 no. 3.
- Young, F. G.. (September 1926). "The Columbia River Historical Expedition: The Achievement and Its Promise". [[Oregon Historical Society]].
- Corning, Howard M. ''Dictionary of Oregon History''. Binfords & Mort Publishing, 1956.
- (2007). "The Astoria Column". Friends of the Astoria Column, Inc..
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20010826114718/http://www.geocities.com/iconostar/history-public-access-TV.html The History Of Public Access Television]
- "The Cable Center".
- "Local News | KEZI".
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