The Paradise Inn and Annex, Mount Rainier National Park / Rebecca Latson

Two summers ago, I spent the night in one of Paradise Inn’s Annex rooms at Mount Rainier National Park. The room was, well, historic, to put it truthfully, old to put it bluntly. The floor leaned to one side, the window trim was not in very good condition, and I could hear my next-door neighbors because there was no insulation.

My stay occurred prior to a major refurbishment project to rehabilitate and modernize the Annex, including such things as restoration of that window trim, improved insulation, seismic code upgrades, and installation of new fire suppression as well as fire alarm, electrical, and plumbing systems. It was quite the rehabilitative overhaul whose time had come, not only for the continued preservation of this historic building, but also for the comfort of the guests. The Paradise Inn Restoration Project is a perfect example of what the term “improved visitor experience” means.

Fast forward 19 months after the beginning of the Annex Restoration Project. On Friday, May 17, the National Park Service celebrated the grand reopening of the Paradise Inn and Annex. Yours truly was present to photograph the ceremonies, which included a welcome by Mount Rainier Superintendent Chip Jenkins, a blessing song (and later more singing and dancing) by the Nisqually Canoe Family, short speeches by such VIPs as Dr. Allyson Brooks (Washington State Historic Preservation Officer), Ray Todd (director of the National Park Service Denver Service Center), Jared Infanger (Mount Rainier National Park Historical Architect), John Korsmo (Owner of Korsmo Construction), Gerard T. Gabrys (CEO, Guest Services, Inc.), and a presentation of the Star Spangled Banner by the Columbia Crest A-STEM Academy students.

Gathered together for a grand celebration, Mount Rainier National Park / Rebecca Latson

Hanford McCloud of the Canoe Family, Mount Rainier National Park / Rebecca Latson

A Canoe Family performance, Mount Rainier National Park / Rebecca Latson

Dr. Allyson Brooks presenting the Preservation Hero Award to Superintendent Chip Jenkins, Mount Rainier National Park / Rebecca Latson

Columbia A-STEM Academy Students singing the "Star Spangled Banner," Mount Rainier National Park / Rebecca Latson

I was able to speak with personalities involved not only with the restoration project, such as Korsmo Construction, but with the National Park Service, the Pew Trust, the National Parks Conservation Association, Washington’s National Park Fund, and the Northwest Youth Corps. To put it mildly, this renovation celebration was a big deal.

Why was it such a big deal? I’m saving that for another article. Superintendent Jenkins told me to tell my editor that this event was worth “multiple stories.” I can’t argue with that, since I certainly have enough material to write more than one article.

For this part, I want to describe the amazing undertaking by Korsmo Construction to revamp the Annex, all while keeping its historic and environmental character intact.

The Paradise Inn is a National Historic Landmark. It’s right up there with the Rev. Martin Luther King’s birthplace, the Alamo, and Churchill Downs. This means it’s a part of our American history. In addition to being a part of our history, it’s a part of our guest experience while staying in this national park. How many of you have photographed the Paradise Inn’s warm rustic interior, complete with fireplaces at each end of the lobby and hand-painted lanterns hanging from the timbered ceiling? How many of you have eaten a meal in the open, brightly-lit dining room, or purchased something from the Inn’s gift shop? How many of you have mailed off a postcard using the whimsical bear mailbox across from the front desk? And, how many of you have spent a night or two in the Inn's main building or the Annex?

Historic architecture and hand-painted lanterns in the Paradise Inn, Mount Rainier National Park / Rebecca Latson

The Paradise Inn dining room, Mount Rainier National Park / Rebecca Latson

There’s something to be said about spending the night in a piece of history, replete with beautiful architecture (aka PARKitecture) created from elements including “use of natural materials, such as Alaskan yellow cedar,” to create “a hotel architecture that compliments and is appropriate within the natural beauty of the Paradise meadows and Mount Rainier National Park.”

The NPS infographic below details in a nutshell a number of facts, such as the length of time the Annex Restoration Project took (19 months, including working during the winter), how much it cost ($24.5 million), how many dump trucks worth of dirt (300) were used to build the new foundation and correct drainage issues, how many workers were involved (>500, many of them local), and a number of other interesting facts about both the Paradise Inn and the Annex.

Annex and Paradise Inn highlights, Mount Rainier National Park / NPS

Built in 1920, the Annex foundation was originally dirt and rock, or “rubble,” as Korsmo Senior Site Superintendent John O’Connor termed it. The lovely rocks grouted into place all around the bottom of the Annex building are an example of foundation that supported the Annex for almost a century. This rubble foundation was subject to the movements of snow meltwater and loss of soil over the course of time, which caused the ground to shift beneath the Annex building and tilt the floors. Korsmo replaced that rock and soil foundation with concrete and leveled the building. That grouted rock foundation surrounding the lower portion of the building was removed after each rock was catalogued and numbered. Those rocks were then sliced to about 8 inches thick and re-grouted onto the new concrete foundation as a veneer to maintain the building's original historic character.

A May day view of the renovated Annex, Mount Rainier National Park / Rebecca Latson

The Annex basement, before and after, Mount Rainier National Park / Rebecca Latson

Ranger Marc describing the renovated Annex exterior, Mount Rainier National Park / Rebecca Latson

Because of the Inn’s historic and cultural significance, archaeologists and geologists were on site every day of the job. During the removal of the original foundation, geologists were able to see thousands of years’-worth of ash layers indicating eruptions from Mount Rainier and even a layer of ash from a Mount Saint Helens eruption.

While archaeologists found some artifacts within the walls, such as a pair of lady’s gloves, they hit the motherlode of artifacts in the basement, including broken dinner china, a 1940s quality control tag from a baby crib, and the discovery of a shirt button from the 1920s, beneath one of the foundation stones when the Annex was first constructed. If you visit Paradise Inn, look for a couple of glass display cases in the lobby, near the coffee shop, to see examples of the items found during the renovation.

Bits and pieces of Annex history, Mount Rainier National Park / Rebecca Latson

Groups were led through three of the renovated Annex rooms to show the historic character was still in place, but upgraded with modern materials. This included the window trim, door trim, crown molding, energy-efficient lights, insulation, and even a restored ceiling height to make the rooms feel larger.

A historically new and improved Annex room, Mount Rainier National Park / Rebecca Latson

The next time you travel to Mount Rainier and stay in one of the Paradise Inn’s Annex rooms, take the time to see for yourself the results of this remarkable renovation project. This almost-$25 million effort removed $5 million from the park’s deferred maintenance to preserve history and improve guest comfort, about which I’ll write in my next article. 

The Paradise Inn in May, Mount Rainier National Park / Rebecca Latson