The Crown Point Vista House. When the Columbia River Highway was completed in 1913, engineer Samuel Lancaster proposed the construction of a “comfort station” atop Crown Point, a stunning basalt promontory 733 feet above the Columbia River. Offering breathtaking, unobstructed views of the gorge, Lancaster declared it a place for weary travelers to rest — “an Isle of Safety to all the visitors who wish to look on that matchless scene.”

The house was designed by architect Edgar Lazarus in the style of German Art Nouveau. The octagonal building stands 55 feet high with tall, opalized glass windows offering 360-degree views of the gorge. The interior floors and hand-carved water fountains are constructed from Tokeen Alaskan marble, which extends into the stairwells and bathrooms on the lower level.

The building’s peachy-hued walls are pink limestone, which arch fluidly upwards toward a domed ceiling whose supporting ribs are each adorned with a bust of unidentified Native Americans. The sandstone exterior creates the illusion that the observatory was carved out of the mountain itself — a steadfast symbol of Oregon’s connection to the state’s stunning natural beauty.

After its completion in 1918, Lancaster named it the “Vista House” and declared it a memorial to “the trials and hardships of those who had come into the Oregon country.” Ironically, many Oregonians at the time chided it for being an overpriced outhouse. Its opulent $100,000 price tag was considered steep during the end of World War I, when materials and manpower were scarce. Over time, however, Vista House’s ethereal charm, historical significance and practicality won out, landing it on National Register of Historic Places in 1974. It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 2000.

Unfortunately, due to covid, the Vista House is not open to the public, but the stunning architecture and even more stunning views are available to visitors.