The building of Timberline Lodge in 1936–37 was a huge project for the Works Progress Administration (WPA), which employed up to 500 workers to construct the 43,700-sq-ft, log-and-stone lodge by hand, using local stone and timber. To emphasize the area's natural beauty, architects designed the six-sided central tower to echo the faceted peak of Mt Hood.
The steeply slanted wings leading away from the common rooms are intended to shed the heavy snowfalls and resemble mountain ridges.
The interior of the lodge is where the workmanship is most evident. The central fireplace rises 92ft through three floors of open lobby. All the furniture was handmade in WPA carpentry halls, and murals and paintings of stocky, stylized workers – in the style of Socialist Realist art – adorn the walls.
Timberline Lodge is a hotel, ski resort, restaurant and National Historic Landmark. Anyone can stop by for refreshment and a look around – this building belongs to the wider community more than anything. And yes, some exterior shots of The Shining really were filmed here.
