Clatsop Community College alumnus Vance Lump has turned his passion for historic craftsmanship into a thriving local business. Vance, the owner of Astoria Wood Windows, has been restoring and creating custom wood windows for homes and businesses throughout the region since finishing his studies in the Historic Preservation and Restoration program at CCC in 2023.
After being furloughed from his job due to COVID shutdowns in 2020, Vance decided to pivot his career by enrolling in the college’s Historic Preservation program. His focus on workshops and hands-on training, particularly those centered on window restoration, ignited his enthusiasm for working with his hands and mastering the craft. “I went through the program to have a career. I was very intentional. I hung around after workshops and bugged the instructors to learn as much as I could,” Vance shared.
Today, Vance builds, paints, installs, and finishes windows entirely in-house, without subcontracting. His work, primarily residential with some commercial projects, preserves the region’s architectural heritage while meeting modern needs. With a growing reputation for craftsmanship, Vance has hired a part-time employee and hopes to expand his team with skilled graduates from CCC in the future.
While CCC’s Historic Preservation and Restoration program provided Vance with foundational restoration skills that got him ready for his career, he sees room for expansion in the curriculum to support the need of training construction specialists. “The college teaches great foundational craft skills, but I didn’t have much guidance on what to do with those skills after college or how to start my own trade business,” Vance explained. “I’d love to see the program expand to really focus on putting construction trades people to work by adding classes focused on business development for tradespeople and training students to become job-ready employees and successful entrepreneurs.”
The demand for specialty trades like window restoration, door repair, plastering, and woodworking is ever present in the community. “I’ll be out at a job working on windows, and the homeowner will ask if I know someone who can fix their rotting porch. We need more woodworkers who understand old buildings,” Vance noted. “Woodworking skills are critical to maintain what already exists. You can’t buy this stuff off the shelf.”
CCC President Jarrod Hogue has been exploring options to strengthen the unique programs at the college and sees potential in expanding the Historic Preservation and Restoration program to include more construction content. “There are immense opportunities in the construction industry, and in response, we are actively developing a comprehensive construction management program,” stated President Hogue. “For professionals involved in the renovation of historic homes, buildings, and other significant structures, understanding and respecting historic integrity is crucial. This involves honoring craftsmanship, preserving materials, all while ensuring compliance with the latest life, safety, and energy codes.”
CCC’s Historic Preservation and Restoration program continues to play a vital role in preserving the region’s historic structures while equipping students with valuable skills. By expanding its curriculum to include more construction-related content and business training, CCC has the potential to further enrich the local community and support the growth of businesses like Astoria Wood Windows.
