Norse Hall

The Sons of Norway celebrated their 75th Anniversary at the Puget Island Norse Hall on Sunday. About 150 people came from as far as Virginia to help usher in a new era of Scandinavian pride.

The celebration included music, dance, food, and the installation and dedication of a new art glass window installed above Norse Hall’s front door.

“Allyce and Charlie Miller had the art glass window designed and made in Astoria,” said Sons of Norway President Jan Silvestri.

“That window space above the door was just being wasted,” Miller said. “It was filled with a painted piece of plywood and we wanted to do something special for the Hall so we had the window made by Melanie Lessard of Hearts of Glass in Astoria.”

The 75th Anniversary celebration was about heritage.

“We want to bring new people into Norse Hall,” said Silvestri. “We want younger people to learn about their heritage and where they came from, and be proud of it.”

Silvestri said the Sons of Norway lodge (No. 3, Dist.2) has started a recruitment drive to add new members to its roster.

“We want people to come and learn about their Scandinavian nationality and the community that helped build Puget Island,” she said.

Miller said his great-grandfather was one of Puget Island’s first settlers. “His name was Johannes Ostervold," he said. "Our family records show he started homesteading on the island in 1886.”

Miller feels it’s important for people to know about their past, and that the steps the lodge is taking to build membership seem to be working.

“Our membership has grown,” said Silvestri, “Today we have about 30 fulltime members and that’s up from three years ago when we only had 12."

Seventy-five years of Northwest weather can be hard on a wooden structure, and Silvestri said Norse Hall is finally getting a face lift.

Norse Hall’s original construction began in 1937, and it was dedicated in 1941. Today it is being remodeled to make way for a new museum installation in the front of the building. The museum will display Puget Island’s Scandinavian past.

“We have an entire closet full of artifacts and mementos our member has donated to the museum," Silvestri said. "We’ve also remodeled the bathrooms and painted and plumbed the kitchen and downstairs.

“This year our Lodge had booths at both Bald Eagle Days and the fair. We had a lot of people stop by and check out our programs, and I think six people signed up to become new members.”

The lodge also throws a Christmas party for the community every year and its members celebrate Norwegian independence on May 17.

Silvestri said that in 2009 the Lodge also restored its scholarship program for high school students. “We’re just trying to inspire our young people and do little things for the community,” she said.