Many relics of Astoria’s fishing and canning past have seen transformations over the years, into riverfront hotels and breweries, museum displays and coffeehouses.

But “Big Red,” a 128-year-old net loft suspended on pilings over the Columbia River, stands alone, like a ghost in the fog. Uninhabited and scarred by long, harsh winters, its most frequent visitors now are cormorants and herons.

And yet, the structure off 31st Street in Uppertown continues to attract and inspire artists.

Earlier this month, The Astorian reported that the building had been sold to new owners, who intend to restore it for use as a creative space.

Previously, it had been the studio of the late painter, printmaker and art educator Royal Nebeker, who, together with his wife, Sarah Nebeker, a former Clatsop County Commissioner, bought the landmark in the 1990s in order to save it from demolition.

In 2007, the artist and a friend narrowly escaped after a series of early December storms tore away the upper floor of the two-story building, taking with it a year’s worth of artwork.

A less determined artist might have seen it as a sign to come ashore. Instead, Royal Nebeker, who later died in 2014, continued to make repairs, hoping to transform the space into an arts and cultural center.

The story of “Big Red” began in 1897, when it was built by the Union Fishermen’s Cooperative Packing Co. as a fish transfer station and warehouse for drying nets. Its next chapter is yet to be written.