Sunriver Resort’s Historic Great Hall has a fascinating history and an enchanting story. A little-known fact about the Great Hall is that it was never officially authorized to be built. How could that have happened? First, a little background. During World War II, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers determined it was woefully short of soldiers who were trained to build and destroy bridges. On Dec. 4, 1942, Camp Abbot was established on a 5,550-acres along the Deschutes River. It was named in honor of Brigadier General Henry Larcom Abbot, who had led a survey party through the area in 1855. More than 500 soldiers worked to have the self-contained city ready by the spring of 1943, complete with a water and sewer system and barracks accommodating 10,000 new soldiers every 17 weeks. More than 90,000 soldiers were trained at Camp Abbot from Mach of 1943 to June of 1944. However, it was determined one thing was missing at Camp Abbot. An Officers’ Club. Col. Frank Beeson assumed command at Camp Abbot on May 13, 1943. He decided to build an Officers’ Club to increase morale and build teamwork. He ordered the building to be completed by New Year’s Eve to host a party for the camp’s officers and their wives. Challenged by temperatures dropping to 20 degrees below zero and working around the clock, the officers completed the task on Dec. 30, 1943, just in time for the celebration. The logs and rocks used to construct the building were sourced from the Deschutes National Forest. Crafted from a single 500-yearold pine log, the iconic spiral staircase boasts dimensions of five feet in diameter. The two fireplaces were built using tens tons of volcanic rock and took three months to complete. A total of 63,000 manual hours were used in the construction of the Great Hall. The only out-of-pocket costs were for the windowpanes, cement, plumbing fixtures, and paint, things they couldn’t find locally. The total out-of-pocket cost to build the Great Hall was $4,796. The officers held their party, and as it turned out, it was the only event ever held in the Great Hall during Camp Abbot’s existence. The building was formally dedicated on April 29, 1944, and the war ended on the European front that summer. The Corps sent orders to remove everything from the Camp Abbot’s property and restore it to its former condition. Following orders, every building was either demolished or hauled away. That is everything but the Great Hall. Why wasn’t it torn down? Because it had never been approved to be built the first place. The Army Corps of Engineers had no record of it being built so it didn’t send orders to demolish it. One of Sunriver’s historic gems was spared destruction, and locals and visitors alike are the beneficiaries of having soldiers who followed strict orders. Since the training camp closed, the Great Hall served several other purposes including as a barn for cattle. Today, the Great Hall is used for weddings, conferences, parties, fundraisers and other events. Sunriver Music Festival hosts several events at the Great Hall. If you haven’t had an opportunity to tour the Great Hall, you should definitely do so. The Legacy of Sunriver Resort’s Historic Great Hall by John Salzer (Above) Photo courtesy of Sunriver Owners Association (Left) Photo courtesy of Sunriver Music Festival 2024-25 | SUNRIVER MAGAZINE 14
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