Maffet's Falls Villa
Route 2 / US 30 / Oregon 100
Maffett Home, LatourellClarence E. Mershon. The Columbia River Highway: From the Sea to the Wheat Fields of Eastern Oregon. Portland: Guardian Peaks Enterprises. 2006. 1st Edition. 117
Just a few months after Henderson's Falls Chalet burned...
Just a few months after Henderson's Falls Chalet burned...
Harold Maffett's Original Falls Villa ca 1919Clarence E. Mershon. The Columbia River Highway: From the Sea to the Wheat Fields of Eastern Oregon. Portland: Guardian Peaks Enterprises. 2006. 1st Edition. 119
"... By June, 1915, Maffett had rebuilt a 'summer resort' named Falls Villa on the north side of the highway, which, the Gresham Outlook (June 15, 1915) reported, 'Is now serving refreshments to tourists.' In the '40s, it was purchased by Benjamin and Alice Bennett, who operated it under the name, 'Latourell Falls Villa,' until its closure in the late '50s. In 1959, the State of Oregon razed the structure and added the land to Talbot State Park. At one time, a service station was located where the parking lot is now situated. Later a gift shop replaced the service station."
"... By June, 1915, Maffett had rebuilt a 'summer resort' named Falls Villa on the north side of the highway, which, the Gresham Outlook (June 15, 1915) reported, 'Is now serving refreshments to tourists.' In the '40s, it was purchased by Benjamin and Alice Bennett, who operated it under the name, 'Latourell Falls Villa,' until its closure in the late '50s. In 1959, the State of Oregon razed the structure and added the land to Talbot State Park. At one time, a service station was located where the parking lot is now situated. Later a gift shop replaced the service station."
Clarence E. Mershon, East of the Sandy: The Columbia River Highway
"Maffett's Falls Villa opened in June, 1915, only five months after fire destroyed the Chalet. Maffet remodeled and made extensive additions to the Villa in 1923. In the late '20s, Harold Maffett and George Joseph took a 'giant,' a gravity-fed water cannon, to blast away the hillside across the highway to give Villa patrons a better view of Latourell Falls. A subsequent owner added a gift shop on the south side of the highway. Another commercial development included a garage and service station built near the west entry to the town of Latourell."
"Maffett's Falls Villa opened in June, 1915, only five months after fire destroyed the Chalet. Maffet remodeled and made extensive additions to the Villa in 1923. In the late '20s, Harold Maffett and George Joseph took a 'giant,' a gravity-fed water cannon, to blast away the hillside across the highway to give Villa patrons a better view of Latourell Falls. A subsequent owner added a gift shop on the south side of the highway. Another commercial development included a garage and service station built near the west entry to the town of Latourell."
Clarence E. Mershon, The Columbia River Highway: From the Sea to the Wheat Fields of Eastern Oregon
Latourell Falls: Roadhouse Respite Interpretive Sign - Fire Hoses and ViewsGuy W. Talbot State Park. Columbia River Gorge National Recreation Area. Oregon. December 10, 2013.
Latourell VillaClarence E. Mershon. The Columbia River Highway: From the Sea to the Wheat Fields of Eastern Oregon. Portland: Guardian Peaks Enterprises. 2006. 1st Edition. 119
"After the State of Oregon purchased the Latourell Falls Villa in 1959, it razed the landmark and added the land to Talbot State park. Today the former vibrant community of Latourell is quiet, there are no business establishments and few residents compared to its earlier years."
"After the State of Oregon purchased the Latourell Falls Villa in 1959, it razed the landmark and added the land to Talbot State park. Today the former vibrant community of Latourell is quiet, there are no business establishments and few residents compared to its earlier years."
Clarence E. Mershon, The Columbia River Highway: From the Sea to the Wheat Fields of Eastern Oregon
#693 - Columbia River Highway showing Crown Point through trees from Latourell FallsOregon State Archives / Oregon Department of Transportationhttp://arcweb.sos.state.or.us/images/records/state/odot/highway/693.jpg
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CLICK HERE to continue exploring the highway