Chateau Friends inaugural meeting June 9
Friends of the Chateau at Oregon Caves will hold its first meeting Saturday, June 9 at 3 p.m. to convene the new preservation organization at Oregon Caves National Monument.
The group, under auspices of Illinois Valley Community Development Organization (IVCDO), will work to raise approximately $1 million to secure funding for conservation work at the historic lodge in preparation for its 75th anniversary in 2009.
Sue Densmore, who is spearheading the effort for IVCDO, described how
the fund-raising effort, if successful, could release a $12 million grant of federal funds to conserve and restore the historic lodge.
“We have an appropriation from the federal government to restore the Chateau,” Densmore told members of the Illinois Valley and Grants Pass chambers of commerce during a recent combined gathering at the historic site.
“Money raised locally and throughout Oregon will demonstrate our desire to see the work done,” she said.
Friends of the Chateau has begun a fund with Oregon Community Foundation.
During an August kick-off celebration the group will host the Oregon congressional delegation and a number of foundations, according to Densmore.
One of three federally owned historic lodges in Oregon, The Chateau at Oregon Caves was built in 1934. It is furnished with a large collection of Monterey furniture -- rustic, hand-painted pieces handcrafted in California in
the early 1930s. The collection needs restoration.
The Chateau concession is operated by IVCDO’s Oregon Caves Outfitters. For more information, phone 592-4440 or visit www.ivcdo.org
