Bear sculpture newel post, Timberline Lodge - Mt Hood OR
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.
A key element of the interior decorations are the wooden sculptures that grace stairway balustrades, fireplaces and walls. There are also animal head sculptures on the outside of the lodge and a bas-relief on the stone chimney in the head house.
Most of the sculptures and 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.
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Pelican sculpture newel post, Timberline Lodge - Mt Hood OR
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Racoon (? sculpture newel post, Timberline Lodge - Mt Hood OR
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Owl sculpture newel post, Timberline Lodge - Mt Hood OR
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Fawn newel post, Timberline Lodge - Mt Hood OR
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Eagle newel post, Timberline Lodge - Mt Hood OR
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Beaver (?) newel post, Timberline Lodge - Mt Hood OR
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Native head ress, wood marquetry, Timberline Lodge - Mt Hood OR
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Erich Lamade, "Resting cougar," Timberline Lodge - Mt Hood OR
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Erich Lamade, "Resting Cougar" label, Timberline Lodge - Mt Hood OR
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Aimee Gorman, "Mountain Lions", Timberline Lodge - Mt Hood OR
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Aimee Gorman, "Mountain Lions" label, Timberline Lodge - Mt Hood OR
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Keegan and Weiss, "Pioneer Scene," wood bas-relief, Timberline Lodge - Mt Hood OR
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Keegen and Weiss "Pioneer Scene" label, Timberline Lodge - Mt Hood OR
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Wood bas-relief over fireplace in diningroom, Timberline Lodge - Mt Hood OR
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Wooden mailbox, Timberline Lodge - Mt Hood OR
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Mountain goat stone sculpture on Roosevelt porch, Timberline Lodge - Mt Hood OR
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Bear's head sculpture, Timberline Lodge - Mt Hood OR
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"Hands working together," relief on chimney in head house, Timberline Lodge - Mt Hood OR
Project Details
| Federal Cost | Local Cost | Total Cost | Project #'s |
|---|---|---|---|
| 695730 | 695730 |
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.
Project originally submitted by Jonathan Bolnick, Kendrick Simila on January 2, 2022.
Additional contributions by Richard A Walker, Joan Greer and Charles Swaney.
We welcome contributions of additional information on any New Deal project site.
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