LA PINE, OR -- A group of historic cabins in south county is getting a face-lift. The four cabins were built on the south shore of Paulina Lake by the Independent Order of Odd Fellows in the early 1900s; made primarily of native lava rock and pine.
The Deschutes National Forest's Scott McBride tells KBND News, "They are a unique example of depression-era folk architecture, in part. They're on the National Register of Historic Places. And, really [they're] an example of a time when the Forest Service was formally encouraging recreation; even in the early 1900s on National Forest systems lands, which is how these came to pass."
McBride says the cabins have sat empty for years and fell into disrepair. However, he believes they deserve to be saved. "We're looking to tell the story of these unique structures with a goal to provide a community benefit as recreation rentals in the future. There needs to be quite a bit of financial investment and labor investment to get to that point, but what we've got going on this fall is the start of that process. And, it's exciting to see the beginnings of that after all this time of these cabins sitting vacant."