The Flippin House National Historic Site, locally and affectionately known as The Castle, has been owned by the Clatskanie Senior Citizens, Inc. since 1979.

The original owners of the Castle were Thomas and Florence (Elliott) Flippin. They began construction in 1898 using lumber logged and cut by their West Oregon logging and lumber company crews. The building, designed by Markwell & Sons, has been described as an unusual blend of the Queen Anne and Colonial Revival architectural styles. Tom’s brother, Will Flippin, made the handhewn shingles for the roof and siding. On the south side the shingle work depicts a man walking on the moon, a star, and a comet. On the other side are shingles placed in rows of diamond-shaped polygons. The family moved into the Castle in 1900 with finish work continuing until 1902. The Flippins only lived in The Castle for a few years before divorcing.

Later owners of The Castle included the Hempel and Holman families. For many years in the middle part of the 20th century, the Castle was used as a rooming house.

The Castle was purchased by George and Anne Salmi in the 1960s. They moved in and began the restoration, filled the Castle with antiques, and opened it for tours in 1975. In 1979, they sold it to the Clatskanie Senior Citizens, who have owned and operated it since. The basement senior center includes a commercial kitchen and dining room for congregate meals.

In 2017, the Clatskanie Historical Society moved its museum into the top floor of the Castle, and joined the senior citizens in launching an approximately $550,000 restoration of the building, inside and out, addressing all maintenance issues, and restoring the top two floors to 1900-era splendor.