Most of the Lodges built in the Oregon Rustic or National Park Style are built in a forested setting and are meant to harmonize with their surroundings. Many of the buildings that resemble this style are found in national parks around the country and are crafted after the pioneer or folk architecture, resembling early log buildings. "The stylistic roots of these lodges are credited to the English Arts and Crafts Movement, first seen in the U.S. in the great camps of Adirondacks" (Barnes, 9) "…a style used in resorts built for very wealthy American families between the 1880s and the 1920s" (Clark, 189). "Those who designed the Great Lodges drew from the Shingle, Prairie and Mission styles, often with a heavy dose of European alpine chalet design. What evolved over three decades [is] an all American interpretation. The overriding premise [is] that the buildings must blend with the landscape, be part of the environment" (Barnes, 9). The result: buildings that are very big and rustic in design.

The United States Forest Service used this style of architecture quite often in their ranger stations, shelters, and lookouts during the time the style was popular. "During the Great Depression, the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) adopted the style in the many structures it built in recreation areas across the country" (Clark, 189).

In Oregon, what could be more reflective of the Cascadian style than Timberline Lodge? Timberline was a Works Progress Administration project that was managed directly by the United States Forest Service. Building the Lodge put men to work who where out of work during the Great Depression. Many of the men who worked on the Timberline Lodge were not skilled in the jobs they were assigned to do. One such job was masonry work. Many men slowly learned how to choose the right rock by its color, texture and shape under the instruction of just one learned mason. The stone work that these men did happened to be new in masonry and was originated and perfected in the Cascade area (Writer’s Project, 8). Many of the Timberline workers developed into accomplished workers.

This lodge stands as a great example of the Cascadian style. The Timberline Lodge was built to express natural beauty and provide accommodation for all the arts, whether music, theatre, or artistry seen in the building materials and structure itself. The construction of the building did not incorporate the mechanized market but instead was brought about by the skillful hands of artisans, artists, and technicians.

The Lodge expresses nature with its rudely carved Ponderosa pine beams, its sturdy, massive basaltic foundation, and its robust battens and shakes. The building’s structure is asymmetrical with one central section and one wing on either side. The wings of the building are hip-roofed. The entryways are sheltered from severe weather on Mount Hood. Its walls, arches, and massive chimney are all built of large stones. The ceiling is open, exposing the giant rafters made of old-growth pine. Many of the arches are post-and-lintel. In the dining room the posts are curved and the ceiling is low beamed. The guestrooms are paneled with knotty pine and decorated in different native wild flower motifs. Carvings decorate the archways, newel posts, walls, and other structural elements. The finish work involves forged steel to make door latches, knockers, lighting fixtures, andirons, grills, pokers, drapery rods and more. The decoration of the Lodge displays strength rather than grace. This style looks native and is identified by mass and substance.

The furnishings were designed to be sturdy, suitable for the use and design of the Lodge, and simplistic. Many of the interior furnishings are woven, applique, and hooked rugs. Other furnishings, such as furniture, are crafted wood, metal and leather. All of the art work, whether in the form of paintings, carvings, metal work, masonry, weaving, glass or tile mosaics, are meant to reflect the natural life of the region and its Indian and pioneer heritage. The building as a whole is designed to reflect its surroundings and the Northwest; this style is known as the Cascadian style.

Some other examples of the Cascadian style are these famous lodges:

• Old Faithful Inn, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming: http://www.yellowstone.net/lodging.htm#Faithful
• El Tovar, Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona: http://www.heard.org/exhibits/inventingsw/gc/index.html
• Glacier Park Lodge, East Glacier, Montana: http://www.gorp.com/glacierlodges/
• Lake McDonald Lodge, Glacier National Park, Montana: http://www.gorp.com/glacierlodges/
• Many Glacier Hotel, Glacier National Park, Montana: http://www.gorp.com/glacierlodges/
• Crater Lake Lodge, Crater Lake National Park, Oregon: http://www.crater.lake.national-park.com/lodge.htm
• Paradise Inn, Mount Rainier National Park, Washington: http://www.tpctourism.org/mtrainr.htm
• Bryce Canyon Lodge, Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah
• The Ahwahnee, Yosemite National Park, California: http://www.yosemitepark.com/lodging/ahwahnee.html
• Prince of Wales Hotel, Waterton Lakes National Park, Alberta, Canada: http://www.gorp.com/glacierlodges/
• Oregon Caves Chateau, Oregon Caves National Monument, Oregon: http://www.oregoncaves.com/oclodge.htm
• Timberline Lodge, Mt. Hood National Forest, Oregon (talked about above): http://www.timberlinelodge.com
• Cloud Cap Inn, northeast slope of Mt. Hood, Oregon
• Multnomah Falls Lodge, Columbia River Hwy, Oregon: http://www.odot.state.or.us/eshtm/mflodge.htm
• Wallowa Lake Lodge, Joseph vicinity, Wallowa County, Oregon: http://www.wallowalakelodge.com/historywll.htm
• Saint John the Evangelist Roman Catholic Church, near Zig Zag and Sandy Rivers, Oregon
• State Forester’s Office, Salem, Oregon
• Silver Falls Lodge, Silver Falls State Park, Oregon: http://www.open.org/~slvrfall/Lodge/index.htm

    Barnes, Christine. (1997). Great Lodges of the West. Hong Kong: C&C Offset Printing Co., LTD.

    Cartoun, Emilie, Timberline Lodge, and Friends of Timberline. [information@timberlinelodge.com]. "Timberline Ski Area." [http://www.timberlinelodge.com]. 1995.

    Clackamas County Department of Transportation and Development. [stefanies@co.clackamas.or.us ]. "Government Camp Village Revitalization Project/Cascadian Style Architecture." [ http://ncprd.co.clackamas.or.us/dtd/lngplan/htmls/govcamp.html] 1996-97.

    Clark, Rosalind. (1983). Architecture Oregon Style. Portland, Oregon: Professional Book Center, Inc.

    Timberline Lodge; A Love Story. (1986). Ed. Judith Rose. Portland, OR: Graphic Arts Center Publishing Company.