Timberline Lodge: Furniture and Fabrics – Mt. Hood OR

City:
Mt Hood, OR

Site Type:
Textiles, Parks and Recreation, Art Works, Lodges, Ranger Stations and Visitor Centers

New Deal Agencies:
Federal Arts Project (FAP), Arts Programs, Work Relief Programs, Works Progress Administration (WPA)

Started:
1936

Completed:
1938

Quality of Information:
Very Good

Marked:
Yes

Site Survival:
Extant

Description

Timberline Lodge was built in 1936-38 as a ski lodge 6,000 feet up on Mount Hood, and it still serves that purpose.  It was equally a showcase for the accomplishments of the Works Progress Administration (WPA).

The four-story structure was built in Northwestern rustic style using large timbers and local stone, with a striking central “headhouse” built in a hexagon around a 90-foot stone chimney with large fireplaces on all sides. The interior is a marvel of decorative elements designed to feature Northwestern native and pioneer styles in wood carving, furniture, textiles, metal work, light fixtures, stone work and paintings.

The interior decor was overseen by Margery Hoffman Smith, Oregon director of the Federal Art Project of the WPA.  She used local craftsmen and women, who were given a high degree of freedom in coming up with original designs.  The result is one of the most extraordinary and delightful creations of the entire New Deal.

The furnishings and rugs (now hung on walls) are part of the rich arts and crafts legacy of the Timberline Lodge.  Most of the furniture, textiles, lamps and other craft items have been repaired and restored over time, and in some case replaced, following the original designs. A comprehensive catalogue of all interior art is provided in Munro 2009.

Timberline Lodge was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.

 

Source notes

Munro, Sarah Baker, Timberline Lodge: The History, Art, and Craft of an American Icon. Portland: Timber Press, 2009.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timberline_Lodge

Kennedy, Roger and David Larkin, When Art Worked: The New Deal, Art, and Democracy. New York: Rizzoli International Publications, Inc. 2009.

Site originally submitted by Jonathan Bolnick, Kendrick Simila on January 2, 2022.
Additional contributions by Richard A Walker, Joan Greer and Charles Swaney.

Location Info


27500 E Timberline Rd
Mt Hood, OR 97028
Hood River County

Coordinates: 45.331226, -121.711203

Site Details

Federal CostTotal Cost
$695,730.00 $695,730.00

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