The Chateau at the Oregon Caves in southwest Oregon has been closed since 2018. Now, a group of preservation and tourism agencies is trying to rally support to fund structural improvements and reopen the historic lodge. The six-story chateau, completed in 1934, is in the base of Cave Creek Canyon near the entrance to the Oregon Caves. The lodge has 23 overnight rooms, a 1930′s era diner, gift store and formal dining room. It was designed by architect Gust Lium with mostly local building materials, including the lobby’s stone fireplace and the exterior siding of Port Orford cedar. Part of nearby Cave Creek actually diverts into the chateau and flows through the dining room. But over the years, the chateau struggled to meet modern hotel needs. Sue Densmore, executive director of the Friends of the Oregon Caves and Chateau, said too many cell phones plugged in at the same time would knock out electricity to the whole building. The six-story lodge had no elevator to assist guests with m...