A Confluence of Old and New
As we rebuild the tattered and worn sections of the old View Point Inn, destroyed by fire or water damage over the years, we are also working to preserve some of the original features and fixtures of the building.
During the last year, the building has been lifted, the land excavated, and new foundation poured, then lowered and reattached — and finally the surrounding earth was filled in.
The Living Organism
After years of neglect, the Viewpoint Inn is finally awakening from a long and much deserved rest.
The footings have been poured and the stem walls of the main structure have been rebuilt. This subterranean space below the main building is the future home of the European-style naturecure spa facilities, by far the largest investment in the space thus far.
The industrious team at White Dog Construction and Square Nail Carpentry is beginning to replace and rehabilitate her old bones, which have weakened and disintegrated over time. They are replacing the joists and wall mounts, roof supports and other critical boney structures.
Foundation: A High Altitude View Point
The prolonged spring rains put a six week halt to work on the foundation but also provided a relatively cool entry into summer. The construction team is making great progress now!
The tireless crew at White Dog Construction and Square Nail Carpentry finally finished pouring the footings and rebuilding the stem walls of the main structure. This space below the main floor is the future home of the European-style naturecure spa facilities. The team also recently met to discuss lowering the house onto its new foundation. They’re still a few weeks out from that but are framing in anticipation of removing the supports and setting the building in place.
The Lift, Part 2. Onward!
Who Oregon’s wettest spring on record would coincide with the buildout?
In April, our tireless (and fearless!) crew Square Nail Carpentry and White Dog Construction successfully lifted the old Viewpoint Inn several meters above the ground to make way for the excavation and new foundation.
The Oregon rains in April and May have been heavy and unabating, and the construction timeline was set back by 4 weeks as a result. We also discovered that the long ago defunct underground septic tank required an additional permit to remove.
The Lift, Part 1
The historic View Point Inn needs to be raised so the earth can be excavated and a solid foundation poured for the below ground spa facilities. It will also serve to strengthen the integrity of the building as a whole. The current basement is only six feet high in places and the current foundation consists of a mix of unstable concrete, stones, and hardened earth — more like an old cake!
The Journey of the Viewpoint Inn
Overlooking the Columbia River Gorge from a beautiful plateau just east of Portland, Oregon, the storied View Point Inn is entering its next incarnation as a world-class place of healing and wellness. As we look forward to its future, we wish to acknowledge the many stories and people who have shared in making it one of Oregon’s most beautiful and historic sites.
A Letter from Heiner Fruehauf
Dear Friends of the Hai Shan Clinic,
This is the first letter I have written to you during the 17 years that we have operated the clinic on our farmstead in Corbett.
Many of you have taken an active interest in our vision to create an expanded version of our small healing center. I wanted you to be the first to know that the View Point Inn, the landmark hotel overlooking the Columbia River Gorge from its unique vantage point right behind the Vista House, is now officially under construction since November 10.
Breaking Ground!
It’s true! Four years after purchasing the historic View Point Inn property and collaborating with a stellar team of architects, engineers, and construction companies to design our dream wellness and healing center, we officially broke ground!