The basic design for the rubble masonry walls was decided on paper, but the boulders were selected in the field by the onsite landscape architect who chose them for color, texture, and weathered appearance. In this way the stone walls had a natural-looking, aged form that made the walls blend in with the weathered bedrock exposed around the site. This thoughtful approach to site design further enhanced the rustic feeling around the Chateau. Today's visitor to Oregon Caves is still enchanted by the rustic sense of place that the builder and the landscape architects created. Entering the area is very much like travelling back into the 1930s.
Trout still swim in the small pools.
The Chateau is more weathered, but the furnishings are entirely original. Even the smell of the aging fiberboard wall panels inside the Chateau contributes to that undeniably nostalgic feeling. More important than these subjective responses to the spaces is the strong architectural presence of the chateau with its steep roofs and shaggy exterior. The builder's intent to create a structure in harmony with the surrounding landscape, and the landscape architects' enhancement of the setting remain artistic pieces of the past. Oregon Caves National Monument Files including newspaper clipping file and oral history notes.