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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 15, 2020)
E AST O REGONIAN WEEKEND, FEBRUARY 15, 2020 Caution tape warns away tres- passers from the dangers of the stairs at the ag- ing Edelweiss Inn at the Wallowa Lake Village. EO Media Group Photo/ Bill Bradshaw A BLEAK FUTURE Prospects of restoration of Edelweiss Inn at Wallowa Lake dim By BILL BRADSHAW Wallowa County Chieftain WALLOWA LAKE — Residents in Wallowa County have long hoped that the iconic Edelweiss Inn at Wallowa Lake could be restored. But it’s look- ing less and less like such a miracle will occur. “The cost is what’s making that thing impossible to restore. It would be a virtual rebuild,” co-owner Mike Lockhart said. “It would be a fairly major job.” He said work is needed on the century-old building’s foundation, roof, fl ooring and nearly everything in between. Lockhart and co-owner Bill Whittemore even looked into grants offered by the Ore- gon State Historic Preserva- tion Offi ce for work on historic properties and archaeology projects. The annual Preserving Oregon grants provide up to $20,000 in matching funds. But they require that buildings be listed on the National Reg- ister of Historic Places. Such a listing would be too restrictive for the partners’ liking, Lock- hart said. Ten years ago, Lockhart and Whittemore had a construction company look at fully restor- ing the Edelweiss. The esti- mated cost was around $1.5 million. “There just isn’t enough business to fund that kind of development of the building,” Lockhart said. “We’d need a lump sum of $3 million to redo that building.” “I can’t say we would turn down a very large grant, but that’s what it would take,” he said. He and Whittemore have owned the Edelweiss and the adjacent Wallowa Lake Tram- way since 1984, along with the 14 acres they’re situated upon. Lockhart and Whittemore have considered other alter- natives that they can’t discuss right now, but will know more EO Media Group Photo/Bill Bradshaw The iconic, century-old Edelweiss Inn at Wallowa Lake Village is no longer able to be used for events, such as the Oregon Alpenfest. The building is in need of a major restoration that its owners believe would cost far too much money. EO Media Group fi le photo On the balcony of the Edelweiss Inn at Wallowa Lake, Swiss yo- deler Arthur Brogli serenades diners at the 2014 Alpenfest Breakfast. The Edelweiss host- ed the Oregon Alpenfest from its inception in 1975 until the building was deemed too un- safe to use after the 2018 event. EO Media Group Photo/Bill Bradshaw The weathered wood siding is another element of the century-old Edelweiss Inn that would need refi nishing or replacing if the build- ing was to be restored. EO Media Group Photo/Bill Bradshaw Moss grows under the shingles of the roof at the century-old Edelweiss Inn at Wallowa Lake Village. The leaky roof is one of the major repairs that would be needed to restore the iconic building. sometime next month. They’ve been working with possible partners in the project for a couple of years. One possibility is to dis- mantle the current Edelweiss and use its unique materials in something smaller. “We’d like to take a lot of the materials in that building to build something like a replica,” he said. Chuck Anderson, alpen- meister of the annual Oregon Alpenfest, looks favorably on the idea of a new venue that includes at least some historic vestiges of the old building. Until last fall the Alpenfest had taken place in the Edelweiss, and on its grounds. The Oregon State Parks Department has a revised com- prehensive plan that calls for a new event center to be built on part of the Wallowa Lake Marina parking lot, where the 2019 Alpenfest was held under rented tents. But it just won’t be the same, Anderson said. Anderson and Lockhart agreed there’s a need for an events center at the lake, such as the Edelweiss has been. In addition to the Alpenfest, it’s also served as a venue for wed- dings, meetings and a variety of gatherings. “The use of that building is something we really see the Wallowa Lake Tourist Asso- ciation wanting to see how we could” restore it, Lockhart said. However, there’s also a need for more parking in the Wal- lowa Lake Village, and partic- ularly at the tramway. “The tram business is grow- ing and it needs the parking,” Lockhart said. “Also, the vil- lage needs more parking in general.” Lockhart and Anderson lamented the end of an era during which the Edelweiss hosted the Alpenfest since 1975, as well as dances and rollerskating in its 1920s-1950s heyday. “It’d be beautiful if we could continue to use it but it’s just too old,” Anderson said. “I feel sad about that, but it’s just a fact of life.” “I hate to see it deteriorate,” Lockhart said. “Something’s got to be done. It’s just not a viable building.” “IT’D BE BEAUTIFUL IF WE COULD CONTINUE TO USE IT BUT IT’S JUST TOO OLD. I FEEL SAD ABOUT THAT, BUT IT’S JUST A FACT OF LIFE.” Chuck Anderson, alpenmeister of the annual Oregon Alpenfest
