Deschutes landmarks panel reviews Paulina Lake cabins project

The Deschutes County Historic Landmarks Commission, meeting in Sisters Monday night, heard about Forest Service efforts to restore four Paulina Lake cabins built in the 1930s.

They were originally built as forest recreational cabins by the Independent Order of the Odd Fellows. In 1983, the cabins were added to the National Register of Historic Places.

Now the Forest Service is working to restore the cabins so people are able to once again use them in a recreational capacity.

Penni Borghi, the heritage program director with the Deschutes National Forest, said the project is something the Forest Service hopes will be able to add to the recreational value of the Paulina Lake area.

“We don’t have a time frame on when we will be finishing this project,” Borghi said. “We expect that the costs could go up to $250,000 to try to get these in shape and safe for the public to use, so we’re hoping that there is some room for them in the recreational rental program.”

The landmarks commission is helping guide the Forest Service as they work to restore the historic cabins. The agency is working on another agreement to continue the restoration project.

Also discussed Monday night was the future of historical sites in Sisters.

The commission took a look at the Sisters “reconnaissance-level survey,” which provides the city with a list of properties potentially eligible for historic landmark recognition.

There are a few challenges making it tough to designate a historical site in Sisters — despite the city’s Old West theme, there are a small number of historic buildings, and the city code as it stands in Sisters does not lend itself to aiding in historic preservation.

That said, the report will be brought to the Sisters City Council, to see how history can be preserved in the city.

One example of a location in Sisters that could be up for consideration for the National Historic Register is the Sisters Hotel, which is already listed on the local registry.

The idea behind adding historic sites is to contribute to the richness of the city, and, for Sisters, they can build on its history and legacy.

There’s no firm date on when the list will be brought to the City Council, but it should come before them some time this winter.