ASTORIA — In 1993, Larry Taylor was preparing to ride Cycle Oregon, a weeklong, cross-state bicycling event. He did a training ride from Portland to Astoria and stayed at Clementine’s B&B. “The next morning I walked out, looked up the hill at the houses and said, ‘this is the view I have been looking for,’” recalled Taylor. His search for the perfect place to retire ended at that moment.

Seven years later, the Dunbar residence went on the market. It was within Taylor’s price range and it didn’t need major repair. “When I looked through the front window of the house,” explained Taylor, “I could see the view through the back window.” He was sold.

One of Oregon’s most prominent architects, Emil Schacht, designed the house for Frank and Lillian Dunbar in 1911. Frank served two terms as Oregon’s secretary of state. Lillian was the daughter of Capt. Alfred Crosby, an early Columbia River bar pilot.

It was said Frank pocketed money while collecting licensing fees for Oregon’s first automobiles. He was convicted for embezzling $100,000 from the state, but was later acquitted on an appeal to the Supreme Court. Oral history says he used his ill begotten money to construct this house.

In 1950, Bill and Mary Jane Van Dusen purchased the house from Lillian. Larry Taylor is the home’s third owner.

Initially, Taylor’s renovation was modest. He removed a shower from what was originally a sewing room, then focused on replacing light fixtures. Taylor purchased historically appropriate lights from Rejuvination Light & Fixture in Portland. Something as simple as a light fixture can make all the difference in making a room feel right.

Taylor focused on the exterior later. He examined the paint layers on his house and determined — after four tries — the original color scheme. Scott Still of Astoria carefully repainted the house. He used Benjamin Moore Aura paint which is designed to both retain its color and withstand the harsh coastal climate.

Still also replaced the roof gutters and generally put the exterior “back in working order.”

Two months ago, Still removed a garage constructed in the 1950s. It not only obstructed the original Model T sized garage, but it blocked the opportunity for light through an adjacent bay window. Missing purlins on the old garage will be replicated as will its double doors.

At some point, a number of multi-paned, double-hung windows were replaced by single pieces of fixed glass. “The windows weren’t bad,” asserted Taylor, “but they didn’t look right.” He replaced them with custom made, wood Marvin Windows.

Taylor says the problem with restoration is, if done well, the work is not apparent. “The money (spent) disappears.” For instance, prior to restoration the dining room’s bay window had mirrors where clear glass is today. “Someone walked into the dining room and said, ‘I know there is something different in here, but I don’t know what it is,’” lamented Taylor.

Regardless, he sees a transformation in the house, particularly through the use of multi-paned windows. “It is really a different feel. … It didn’t diminish the view, it gives the house more detail.”

Taylor received a master’s degree in architecture and urban design from UCLA. There, he grew to love and appreciate the American Arts & Crafts Movement. Owning a house from that period is fitting.

As a founding member of Astoria’s Fiber Arts Academy, Taylor plans to weave the curtains for his dining room. He’s chosen a linen Huck Lace pattern used in Arts and Crafts style houses. This commitment to accuracy will be repeated throughout.

Taylor also recognizes the community benefit of restoration, “I want to restore the house as faithfully as possible. It is a positive way to show how it is done.”

(For more information about renovating on old homes or commercial buildings, contact the Lower Columbia Preservation Society in Astoria’s historic Francis Apartments at 1030 Franklin Ave