Astoria library remodel honors legendary female architect Ebba Wicks Brown

The Astoria library reopened in the fall of 2025 after a major renovation. When discussions about remodeling the library surfaced, it begged the question: What exactly does a community need from a public space? The same kinds of questions were posed when the original library was designed.

Trailblazing Astorian architect Ebba Wicks Brown, the first woman in Oregon to receive an architectural license, designed the original Brutalist-style building in 1967. Rachel Jensen, the executive director of the Lower Columbia Preservation Society, joins us to discuss Brown’s legacy and the ways the library’s remodel honors the original vision while serving the new needs of its coastal community.

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