Crown Point (also known historically as Thor's Heights or Thor's Crown) is a basalt
promontory
A promontory is a raised mass of land that projects into a lowland or a body of water (in which case it is a peninsula). Most promontories either are formed from a hard ridge of rock that has resisted the erosive forces that have removed the soft ...
on the
Columbia River Gorge
The Columbia River Gorge is a canyon of the Columbia River in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. Up to deep, the canyon stretches for over as the river winds westward through the Cascade Range, forming the boundary between the sta ...
and an associated
state park in the
U.S. state
In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...
of
Oregon
Oregon () is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of its eastern boundary with Idah ...
. It is located in eastern
Multnomah County
Multnomah County is one of the 36 counties in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2020 census, the county's population was 815,428. Multnomah County is part of the Portland–Vancouver– Hillsboro, OR–WA Metropolitan Statistical Area. Tho ...
, approximately east of
Portland
Portland most commonly refers to:
* Portland, Oregon, the largest city in the state of Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States
* Portland, Maine, the largest city in the state of Maine, in the New England region of the northeas ...
. Crown Point is one of the scenic lookouts along the
Historic Columbia River Highway
The Historic Columbia River Highway is an approximately scenic highway in the U.S. state of Oregon between Troutdale and The Dalles, built through the Columbia River Gorge between 1913 and 1922. As the first planned scenic roadway in the Unite ...
, providing a panoramic view of part of the
Columbia River. It stands above the river and is the
remains of a lava flow that filled the ancestral channel of the Columbia River 14 to 17 million years ago.
The Point was designated a
National Natural Landmark
The National Natural Landmarks (NNL) Program recognizes and encourages the conservation of outstanding examples of the natural history of the United States. It is the only national natural areas program that identifies and recognizes the best ...
in 1971.
Vista House
The 1918 Art Nouveau style Vista House is an
observatory
An observatory is a location used for observing terrestrial, marine, or celestial events. Astronomy, climatology/meteorology, geophysical, oceanography and volcanology are examples of disciplines for which observatories have been constructed. H ...
at Crown Point that also serves as a memorial to
Oregon pioneers
Oregon () is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of its eastern boundary with Idaho. ...
and as a
comfort station for travelers on the
Historic Columbia River Highway
The Historic Columbia River Highway is an approximately scenic highway in the U.S. state of Oregon between Troutdale and The Dalles, built through the Columbia River Gorge between 1913 and 1922. As the first planned scenic roadway in the Unite ...
. The site, on a rocky promontory, is above the
Columbia River on the south side of the
Columbia River Gorge
The Columbia River Gorge is a canyon of the Columbia River in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. Up to deep, the canyon stretches for over as the river winds westward through the Cascade Range, forming the boundary between the sta ...
. The building shows great sensitivity to its site in the Columbia River Gorge near
Corbett Corbett may refer to:
* List of Corbetts (mountains), 222 mountains in Scotland between , with prominence over
* Corbett, Oregon, a community in the United States
* Corbett Award, US award for athletics administrators
* Corbett (surname), people ...
,
and is listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artist ...
.
File:Crown Point, OR.jpg, View from Crown Point looking over the Columbia River Gorge
The Columbia River Gorge is a canyon of the Columbia River in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. Up to deep, the canyon stretches for over as the river winds westward through the Cascade Range, forming the boundary between the sta ...
File:VistaHouse.jpg, Vista House
File:Crown Point and Vista House, Columbia River Highway, Oregon (69070).jpg, A postcard of Crown Point from circa 1930–1945
File:THE COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE - NARA - 548010.jpg, Crown Point in 1973
Crown Point Viaduct
The Crown Point Viaduct, built in 1914, is a
viaduct
A viaduct is a specific type of bridge that consists of a series of arches, piers or columns supporting a long elevated railway or road. Typically a viaduct connects two points of roughly equal elevation, allowing direct overpass across a wide va ...
consisting of an elevated sidewalk supported by columns and a retaining wall which encircle the tight loop of roadway around
Vista House
Vista House is a museum at Crown Point (Oregon), Crown Point in Multnomah County, Oregon, that also serves as a memorial to Oregon Trail, Oregon pioneers and as a Comfort station (rest), comfort station for travelers on the Historic Columbia Rive ...
(1918). The viaduct is a
contributing structure
In the law regulating historic districts in the United States, a contributing property or contributing resource is any building, object, or structure which adds to the historical integrity or architectural qualities that make the historic distric ...
in the
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places listed ...
ed and
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artist ...
-listed
Historic Columbia River Highway
The Historic Columbia River Highway is an approximately scenic highway in the U.S. state of Oregon between Troutdale and The Dalles, built through the Columbia River Gorge between 1913 and 1922. As the first planned scenic roadway in the Unite ...
.
[ Per the 2000 NHL nomination of the highway:]This spiral viaduct was constructed of reinforced concrete and runs for 225 degrees of a circle around Crown Point. It functions as a sidewalk and curb with a parapet wall on the outside of a roadway cut into the rock formation. A dry masonry retaining wall stabilizes the hillside above and below the viaduct and masonry parapet walls that ring Vista House
Vista House is a museum at Crown Point (Oregon), Crown Point in Multnomah County, Oregon, that also serves as a memorial to Oregon Trail, Oregon pioneers and as a Comfort station (rest), comfort station for travelers on the Historic Columbia Rive ...
.[ With ]
See also
*Interstate 84 in Oregon
Interstate 84 (I-84) in the U.S. state of Oregon is a major Interstate Highway that traverses the state from west to east. It is concurrent with U.S. Route 30 (US 30) for most of its length and runs from an interchange with I-5 in Portl ...
*
*
*US Route 30 in Oregon
In the U.S. state of Oregon, U.S. Route 30, a major east–west U.S. Highway, runs from its western terminus in Astoria to the Idaho border east of Ontario. West of Portland, US 30 generally follows the southern shore of the Columbia Riv ...
References
External links
Historic Columbia River Highway
Crown Point State Scenic Corridor
Oregon Parks and Recreation Department
*Historic American Engineering Record
Heritage Documentation Programs (HDP) is a division of the U.S. National Park Service (NPS) responsible for administering the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS), Historic American Engineering Record (HAER), and Historic American Landscapes ...
(HAER) documentation, filed under Troutdale, Multnomah County, OR:
**
**
{{Authority control
1938 establishments in Oregon
Columbia River Gorge
Historic Columbia River Highway
Landforms of Multnomah County, Oregon
National Natural Landmarks in Oregon
National Register of Historic Places in Multnomah County, Oregon
Parks in Multnomah County, Oregon
Rock formations of Oregon
State parks of Oregon