By October 1932, the parapet was completed to the foot of the Garfield Peak Trail, north of the lodge, and west as far as the intersection of the road to Diamond Lake and Rim Village Road.
| Observation Bays | Three primary observation bays and several secondary bays were built at the rim between 1930 and 1932. All were proposed and developed in conjunction with the promenade and parapet wall following the edge of the caldera. Several of these bays were simple extensions, located in places where the natural edge of the caldera extended out over the rim, providing good lake views and gathering areas. These bays were typically separated from the main promenade by a planting area. The primary bays were also constructed to take advantage of a view or prominence, but were major structural undertakings, pulling away from the promenade, with a stairway or walk, requiring a considerable amount of design and engineering work. Plantings were integral to the design of the three primary bays, which are described below. |
| Sinnott Memorial Bay | This bay was constructed in 1931 to provide access to the Sinnott Memorial, located on a cliff in the caldera north of the Kiser Studio. The bay is comprised of two runs of stairs, masonry retaining walls, and a walkway that is 6 feet wide and 220 feet long. The elevation change from the rim and promenade to the Sinnott Memorial is approximately 50 feet. Two stairways take-up the grade along the walkway; the one at the top, has twenty risers and the stairs at the bottom of the walk have nineteen risers. There is a flagstone terrace at the base of the second stairway (not original), leading to the entry doors of the building. Additional changes in grade for the bay itself are taken-up by 18-inch wide masonry walls which vary in height between 3 and 15 feet along the length, and on both sides of the walk. The entire slope between the walkway leading to the building, as well as the area around the building itself, was heavily planted as part of the naturalization program. |
| Mather Bay | The construction date for this bay is unknown. It does not appear on either the 1931 or 1932 Master Plan for Rim Village, but it is on the 1933 plan. The bay is located approximately mid-way between the Kiser Studio and the Crater Lake Lodge. Structurally, it consists of a small, irregularly-shaped “plaza” — roughly 24 feet x 32 feet — enclosed by a low, 18-inch wide masonry wall that extends down to act as a retaining wall on the outside edge of the bay. The bay itself is at the same elevation as the promenade, and vegetation on the west and east sides of the bay provide a sense of enclosure. Historically, a large hemlock tree in the center of the bay (no longer extant) provided a focal point, drawing pedestrians into the bay and framing views to the lake, Wizard Island and Garfield Peak. The second Mather tree (unconfirmed), and the Mather plaque are sited nearby. |
| Lodge Bay | This bay was built in 1932 and like the other two bays, it is set off of the promenade. In many ways, this bay is designed spatially and functionally as part of the outdoor space associated with the lodge. The bay is sited near the northwest corner of the lodge, where the parapet wall extends out to form an approach to the first of two sets of stairs. These steps lead to a landing and a narrow walkway that routes visitors down the slope of the caldera. The walk switches back and loops around to a second set of stairs, which lead back to the landing. Stone benches, built into the retaining walls, provided stopping points along the walk with sweeping views of the lake and surrounding environs. |
ANALYSIS AND EVALUATION
Historically, virtually all of the structural components constructed at Rim Village were designed and installed as good examples of the Rustic style. For example, all of the primary and secondary buildings constructed at Rim Village reflected, to different degrees, basic design principles of this style. The use of native materials such as stone and wood, and the stylistic motifs of steeply-pitched roofs, exposed rafter ends, and multi-paned windows, all added to the picturesque and “naturalistic” appearance of individual buildings.
From a landscape point of view, the Sinnott Memorial is a particularly good example of the Rustic style. Comprised of oversized native stone, the structure literally appears to grow out of the landscape, rather than merely sit upon it. In a similar fashion, the Plaza Comfort Station was designed with large stones around the base of the building, decreasing in size toward the top of the building making it appear physically rooted to the ground plane. Of the six primary buildings at Rim Village, four of them — Crater Lake Lodge, the Kiser Studio, the Sinnott Memorial and the Plaza Comfort Station — retain architectural integrity and contribute to the historic landscape. In addition, although the Cafeteria and the Community House no longer retain architectural integrity, they continue to function as they did historically and also are valuable structures in the context of the historic landscape.
Rock walls throughout Rim Village were remarkably uniform when first installed, and although based on standard plans, they took on unique expression at the site. Great care went into assuring proper drainage, structural stability, and the desired visual and material qualities of the walls. Although segments of the parapet wall have been altered or modified over the years, large portions of the original wall are intact and retain integrity.
All three primary observation bays remain at the site although a portion of the Lodge Bay has collapsed. Several secondary bays also remain. Designed to provide visitors with the opportunity to view the lake from a prominence, these features were important influences on the design of the promenade and parapet wall, and are significant features in the historic landscape.
Collectively and individually, these structural features are representative of the Rustic style, and retain a high degree of integrity in the historic landscape.
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