The Story of Rivercrest Lodge

I'd love to take this moment to tell you a bit more about the story of Rivercrest Lodge, our beginnings, and why this place is so special to our family. Our little haven, nestled in the hills of historic Oregon City, has gone through many transformations over the 80 years it's been in the family, but one thing has remained consistent throughout that time - home. This place has been home to many people, within our family and beyond, and we are proud to continue that tradition today.

In the 1940s, my grandparents purchased a plot of land and moved across the country to start a new life and put down roots in a wonderful little town called Oregon City. It looked a lot different back then, it was much smaller, and there were mostly trees and meadows up and down our street. My grandfather was a carpenter and the first structure to go up was a little tar paper shack. As the family grew, he built the

Grandpa holding one of his first children in front of the tar paper shack. circa mid 1940s.

foundations of the house that would become a haven for so many, in the past and present.

My grandmother, always a caretaker at heart, eventually opened a foster day care for children and from then on the house was always filled with laughter and life. With the number of people in the house ever growing, the house itself needed to expand as well. Over the decades, my grandfather built multiple additions, and the house eventually came to the configuration that it is in today: a U-shaped, single story building with a central back porch that looks out over the back lawn. Back then, the lawn was a vegetable garden and orchard, and my grandpa was always outside, tending to the garden or working in the shop. Though the vegetable garden is gone now, you can still see signs of my grandpa's love of gardening around the property today, from the pear tree that grows hundreds of delicious Bartlett pears every year, to the green grape vine that sprawls across the western fence and is covered with sweet green grapes in late summers.

The lodge during construction.

The lodge shortly after construction.

In the mid 90s, my parents and grandparents were running a retirement community on the property and the idea of expanding the business by build a second building behind my grandparent's house, began to take form.

By the time I came around, the plans were in full swing. Some of my first memories are standing at the back of the property with my parents, looking at the hole in the ground where the plumbing was going in, and hoping it would be a big swimming pool!

In the early 2000s, the lodge was complete: a large, 8 unit, single story building with high vaulted ceilings, large windows, and a fountain at the entrance.

The lodge today.

After my grandparents retired, my parents continued to run the retirement community for the next 20 years while raising me and my sister. I feel very lucky to have grown up in such a tight knit family with my parents and grandparents all working and living together on a property with so much history. There was always something to do. I would craft and sew with my grandma and sister, and my grandpa would teach us gardening outside in the summers.

After the pandemic, we found ourselves at a crossroads and after some deliberation made the decision to transform the business from a retirement community to furnished mid to long term rentals. Making that decision wasn't easy, but we knew we wanted to preserve what my grandparents set out to do all those years ago - foster a feeling of home. There is something special about this place, and if you look close you can find signs of the years of joy and community built into the very walls. Today, my parents, my husband, and I are proud to continue that legacy and welcome you, whether your a family in between houses, a travelling professional on assignment, or someone just looking for something different, something special, there is a place for everyone at Rivercrest Lodge.

Victoria