Preserving a Regional Jewel
Friends of the Oregon Caves & Chateau established to conserve vintage lodge
2009 will mark the 100th anniversary of Oregon Caves National Monument, and the 75th anniversary for the Chateau at Oregon Caves. Built in 1934, the Chateau at Oregon Caves was designed to take advantage of its unique location adjacent to Oregon’s only active limestone cave formation. The lodge is nestled within a wooded canyon straddling Caves Creek, which flows through the chateau’s dining room. The great structure was built using native materials, from timber cut on site and hewn at Grayback Mill, to the marble quarried nearby. Even the original shaggy Port Orford cedar siding remains intact after 75 years.
The lodge is built so stoutly and with such integrity that after a devastating flood in 1964, which poured water and debris through the lower floors, the building was pulled intact back onto its foundations, restored and reopened.
While the original dining room furnishings were lost downstream, the chateau still is home to an outstanding collection of Monterey furniture – perhaps the largest remaining collection in the United States. The lobby and many of the guest rooms contain these handmade pieces, dating from the California Spanish Revival period.
This splendid lodge was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987. The chateau sits within the 480-acre Oregon Caves National Monument, which has been among Oregon’s most popular attractions since the early days of its development. Thousands would visit yearly, even when the trip was made on horse back, and the accommodations were little more than cabins.
Preserving the historic building and its contents, as well as promoting the caves to visitors, is a priority for the Illinois Valley community. The district is a community asset and a regional jewel; a relic of the great lodge-building period of American history, the chateau is a never-to-be-recreated marvel of ingenuity in homage to its environment.
In early 2008, the nonprofit Friends of the Oregon Caves & Chateau came together with the mission of restoring the chateau’s interior, preserving the Monterey furniture and raising some $1 million toward the protection and conservation of this treasure. With a significant demonstration of community and regional support, several million dollars in National Park Service funding for restoration of the structure will be made available.
Located just 20 miles east of Cave Junction, the Oregon Caves & Chateau is the perfect place for a quiet getaway. Cave tours, hiking trails, fine dining and comfortable 1930s era accommodations await. Learn more about the Friends of Oregon Caves & Chateau or make reservations online at www.ivcdo.projecta.com.
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