Vista House

Vista House (HM1MHQ)

Location: Corbett, OR 97019 Multnomah County
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Country: United States of America
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N 45° 32.319', W 122° 14.666'

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Inscription

JEWEL

Classic symbol of the Columbia River Gorge, Vista House beckons travelers to Crown Point to revel in an extravaganza of water, cliff, and sky. Samuel C. Lancaster, design engineer of the Historic Columbia River Highway, envisioned this outcropping as the ideal site for a rest stop and observatory where the Gorge "could be viewed in silent communion with the infinite."

Portland architect Edgar Lazarus designed Vista House to "recall the ancient and mystic Thor's crown." Braced against the famous Gorge winds, this small building embodies strength. The structure is faced with ashlar-cut sandstone; the interior walls are Alaska Tokeen Marble and Kasota Limestone.

Vista House was dedicated on May 5, 1918, to the memory of Oregon's pioneers.

(photo captions)
Ground-breaking for the Vista House coincided with dedication of the Historic Columbia River Highway on June 7, 1916. President Woodrow Wilson touched a button in the White House to unfurl the flag atop Crown Point. Cannons roared while rose petals fluttered and onlookers toasted the occasion with Oregon's "temperance" beverage—loganberry juice.

Believing that each component of the highway should harmonize with the natural beauty of the Gorge, Samuel Lancaster faced some his greatest construction challenges here. The 560-foot reinforced concrete viaduct that circles Crown Point is one of his innovations and the first highway structure built under his supervision in Multnomah County.

Despite careful quarrying and manufacturing techniques, at least half the total output of marble is waste.
Details
HM NumberHM1MHQ
Tags
Placed ByColumbia River Gorge National Scenic Area
Marker ConditionNo reports yet
Date Added Monday, August 3rd, 2015 at 6:01pm PDT -07:00
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Locationbig map
UTM (WGS84 Datum)10T E 558989 N 5043068
Decimal Degrees45.53865000, -122.24443333
Degrees and Decimal MinutesN 45° 32.319', W 122° 14.666'
Degrees, Minutes and Seconds45° 32' 19.14" N, 122° 14' 39.96" W
Driving DirectionsGoogle Maps
Area Code(s)503
Which side of the road?Marker is on the right when traveling East
Closest Postal AddressAt or near 40782-40802 Historic Columbia River Hwy, Corbett OR 97019, US
Alternative Maps Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSR Maps, OpenCycleMap, MyTopo Maps, OpenStreetMap

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