Gorge pub receives national grant to restore historic building

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – Over the course of a century, it's been worker housing, a saloon, a hotel, and at one point housed a brothel. Now home to Cascade Locks Ale House, the building's history will be preserved with help from a national grant.

“I am over the moon and so grateful to have received this funding to be able to show this building the love it deserves,” said Cascade Locks Ale House Owner Shelley Olvera.

On July 31, the ale house announced it will receive $50,000 from the Backing Historic Small Restaurants Grant Program, which is presented by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and American Express.

The grant will help restore cedar shakes on the building and replace the windows on the WaNaPa and Regulator Street facades, along with some interior projects to bring the building back to full use.

“This building occupies an important place in the city’s history, and a really important, visible corner downtown. I am so grateful to the Trust and American Express for recognizing that and offering this support," Olvera said.

The historic building was originally constructed at the turn of the last century for worker housing during construction of the Cascade Locks and canal.

The tavern, then called Fort Badder Saloon -- served timber workers in the early 1900s and “has always been home to the rougher side of life in the west,” according to the ale house, noting, at one point, the two upper floors of the tavern housed a brothel.

"In better times," the building was a popular destination as the Lakeside Tavern & Hotel and later Suzie's Suds Locker.

Now, the Cascade Locks Ale House serves traditional pub fare -- including a "much coveted secret recipe horseradish sauce" to Pacific Crest Trail hikers, road workers, wildland firefighters, and visitors from around the world.

“This funding will polish the gem that is the Cascade Locks Ale House and help our whole downtown area shine,” said Jeremiah Blue, Port of Cascade Locks executive director. “It’s so exciting to see Shelley’s vision of restoring the historic building while maintaining its special vibe.”

Cascade Locks Ale House is one of 50 historic small restaurants in the United States to receive the grant – totaling $2.5 million.

“Small restaurants are vital to our communities, and their impact perseveres, as they continue to innovate and make their neighborhoods more vibrant and connected,” said Madge Thomas, head of corporate sustainability at American Express. “This year’s grantees represent the rich traditions and iconic stories of communities across the U.S. I’m so proud that we’re able to help them grow and continue to build their legacy.”

“Over the course of four years, our partnership with American Express has supported more than one hundred small, independent restaurants across the country, each with a distinctive history, representing a wide array of cuisines,” said National Trust CEO Carol Quillen. “Equally important is what these restaurants share. They are beloved gathering places in their neighborhoods. In many cases, they have been run for generations by the same family. Empowering small businesses that hold decades of stories is one powerful way that preservation strengthens local economies as it serves local communities.”