(AMCCO) in October, 2013 (Restore Oregon photo)
One of Astoria’s most complex historic properties has found a spot on the National Register of Historic Places. The Astoria Marine Construction Company (AMMCO) is a 7-acre conglomerate of shipbuilding structures, objects, and relics largely dating to World War II and the Korean War. Although the complex is still in use as a commercial operation, it has been called an industrial history “time capsule” because of the site’s near-complete integrity from the war eras. Listed as an official Historic District in January, AMCCO joins 45 other Astoria properties that are listed on the National Register.
“AMCCO is one of Oregon’s Most Endangered Places so we’re very pleased that it is now permanently recorded on the National Register,” says Restore Oregon Executive Director Peggy Moretti. “The unique purpose for which it was constructed and a host of other factors have made it particularly challenging to identify a viable adaptive reuse for the property, but this listing is a great starting point.”
activity on the property has greatly declined since
the 1940s and ‘50s when war contracts kept the
business bustling. (Restore Oregon photo)
The National Register nomination was authored by former Restore Oregon Student Advisor Serena Orwick with the permission of the property’s owner, Don Fastabend. Don passed away in October and extensive environmental testing of site contamination is underway, leaving the future of this unique property in question. Restore Oregon is offering a $2,500 grant to kick-off additional documentation or visioning for the property, however, the scope of work is to be determined.
A full story about AMCCO can be found on the Daily Astorian webpage
