As I stated in yesterday’s post, my last day at the Columbia Gorge was rain-filled. When dodging raindrops and waterfall spray, a photographer always looks for places to keep dry and hopefully get a good photo. Such was the case with the Vista House located on a rock promontory about 750 feet above the Columbia River. Vista House is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and offers a great view of the river looking east. Built from 1916 – 1918 on what is know as Crown Point, it has provided millions of visitors with the perfect view of the Columbia Gorge. The house itself is also a frequently photographed subject from the Portland Women's Forum State Scenic Viewpoint, from adjacent Chanticleer.
As can be seen in this photo, the inside is almost as impressive as the outside. Alaskan Marble was used for the floors and stairs in the rotunda and as wainscoting on the basement walls. The inside of the dome and its supporting ribs were painted to simulate the marble and bronze. Attached to the wall just below the dome, eight busts of four unidentified Native Americans are aligned so that each mirrors its own likeness. I really loved the stonework and the lighting that accentuated the colors.