Last updated: January 29, 2019
Article
Astoria Column
![816a tall tower with clouds in the sky](/articles/images/816a.jpg?maxwidth=650&autorotate=false)
Dedicated in 1926, the Column features a hand-painted spiral frieze that celebrates three historic events: the discovery of the Columbia River by Captain Robert Gray, the end of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, and the arrival of the ship Tonquin. The artwork was created by immigrant artist Attilio Pusterla – who, with a team of workers, completed the work in approximately 120 days.
![816b upclose photograph of tower with artwork](/articles/images/816b.jpg?maxwidth=650&autorotate=false)
The Column was restored in 2015, which included cleaning the exterior surface, stabilizing cracks, delamination, architectural repairs, and structural evaluations and inspections. The spiral artwork was most recently restored in 1995, and the Columns spiral staircase to the top viewing platform was replaced in 2008.
![816c view looking down over a harbor](/articles/images/816c.jpg?maxwidth=650&autorotate=false)
Photos: Friends of Astoria Column and NPS
For more details about the Astoria Column, visit: www.astoriacolumn.org.