Vista House

Vista House. JEWEL on the Crown. , 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.