Oregon Caves Chateau
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Oregon Caves Chateau
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The Chateau at Oregon Caves
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| Location | Oregon Caves National Monument, Oregon |
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| Coordinates | 42°5′54.28″N 123°24′27.26″W / 42.0984111°N 123.4075722°WCoordinates: 42°5′54.28″N 123°24′27.26″W / 42.0984111°N 123.4075722°W |
| Built | 1934 |
| Architect | Gust Lium |
| NRHP Reference # | 87001346 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | May 28, 1987 |
| Designated NHL | May 28, 1987 |
The Oregon Caves Chateau is an historic American hotel that opened in 1934. It is located in Oregon Caves National Monument in southern Oregon, near Cave Junction. The Chateau was designed and built by Gust Lium, a local contractor. Declared a National Historic Landmark in 1987, the Chateau building is architecturally significant because of its construction and design.
The Chateau is six stories high and is built across a steep ravine. All floor levels except the top two have ground level entrances because of the steep slope. From the main front entrance the building appears to be only three stories high, but from the creek bed below the hotel, all six floors can be seen. The lowest two floors house storage and building systems. The third floor contains the dining room, coffee shop and kitchen. The fourth floor, at the level of the driveway, houses the lobby and some guest rooms, while the fifth and sixth floors have guest rooms and the manager's quarters.
The architecture of the Chateau building, as well as several other buildings nearby of the same age, is rustic. The building exterior is sheathed with cedar bark, giving it a shaggy appearance. Both shed and dormer style roofs mimic the surrounding mountains. Extensive rock work was constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps under the direction of the Plans and Design branch of the Park Service, headed by Thomas Chalmers Vint, creating a bond between the building and the landscape. A small pond with a waterfall is in the courtyard.
Inside the Chateau the rustic architecture continues. Thirty-inch-diameter (760 mm) log posts support the open beam ceilings. A large, rustic-marble double-sided fireplace dominates the lobby. Dark paneled walls create a cavelike feel and allow one's attention to be drawn to the view outside the large picture windows. Since the lobby is four floors above the creek bed, the lobby windows look out into the trees of the surrounding forest. A grand staircase made of pine log stringers, maple steps, and balustrades of madrone, continue the rustic style. The gray wood in the lobby is tinted by cement, which came from the cement bags that the workers beat against the wood to loosen the contents.
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