Relocation and Fate
Origin and Relocation to Yachats
Sherwood Lodge started as a massive log building known as Fort Remote, originally located near the Coquille River in southwestern Oregon.
In May 1946, entrepreneur H.M. “Hugh” Sherwood Jr. bought land just south of the Yachats River and began the ambitious project of moving the lodge to the coast. Workers dismantled 14,089 logs, numbered each one, and transported them about 120 miles to Yachats, where they rebuilt the structure.
By spring 1949, the reassembly was complete. The grand new “Sherwood Lodge,” named after its owner, opened to the public on May 27, 1949. A dining room was added by August. (A double room with private bath cost $6.00 per night in 1949; $5.00 without a bath.) At the time, it was the largest hotel Yachats had ever seen.
Note: Some sources mistakenly claim the lodge originated in the McKenzie River area. However, local historical records confirm it came from near Remote, Oregon, along the Coquille River.
Early Years and Significance in Yachats
Once reassembled in Yachats, Sherwood Lodge quickly became a focal point of the community. The huge log-built hotel, boasting modern amenities for its era, was a luxury lodge and a popular destination on the central coast. During the 1950s it was Yachats’ largest and most prominent lodging, standing on the south side of the Yachats River (where the KOHO condominiums exist today).
Its rustic grandeur, complete with a four-sided stone Fireplace and timbered lobby (as described in local recollections), made it an attractive getaway. In 1953, seeing continued popularity, the owners added six small cabins called the Shamrock Lodgettes adjacent to the main lodge, built in a similar log-cabin style to expand accommodations.
These “lodgettes” provided extra rooms and mirrored the lodge’s aesthetic, indicating how successful the Sherwood Lodge was in drawing guests during its heyday. Local newspaper reports from the time lauded the lodge’s opening and amenities, underscoring its status as a state-of-the-art resort for visitors.
Decline by the Late 1950s
Despite its initial success, Sherwood Lodge struggled against the forces of nature on the rugged Oregon coast. By the late 1950s, the harsh, wet coastal climate and wood-boring insects had begun to exact a toll on the all-log building. The untreated logs deteriorated faster than expected in Yachats’ salt air and relentless winter rains.
Maintenance became difficult, and parts of the structure were reportedly in disrepair. Local historians note that “the log buildings couldn’t survive” the environment. Around 1960, after barely a decade of operation in Yachats, Sherwood Lodge was deemed un-salvageable – time and the elements had done their damage, and the huge log hotel was taken down for safety and practicality.
At that point the newer Shamrock Lodgettes (which were smaller and easier to maintain) continued serving guests on the property, even as the main lodge was being dismantled.
Destruction in 1963: Fire Drill or Accident?
One lingering question has been whether Sherwood Lodge met its end through an accidental blaze or a planned burn. According to records preserved by the Yachats Little Log Church and Museum, the lodge’s demise was intentional.
After the decision was made to dismantle the rotting structure, the unusable portions of the building were burned in 1963 as a firefighter training exercise, not by an uncontrolled accident.
In other words, the local fire department used the derelict lodge to conduct a controlled burn drill. This clarifies that the structure did not unexpectedly catch fire on its own. By 1963, whatever remained of Sherwood Lodge had been torn down and deliberately set ablaze under supervision, effectively removing the once-grand lodge in a safe manner.
Contemporary accounts and oral histories do not indicate any accidental fire; rather, they emphasize the planned nature of the burn. Thus, the Sherwood Lodge’s fate was a conscious effort to clean up the site and perhaps even to give the volunteer fire crew some hands-on practice, rather than a tragic surprise.
Aftermath and Legacy
Although the main lodge was gone after 1963, the site did not go quiet. The Shamrock Lodgettes – the half-dozen cabin units built in 1953 – survived the lodge and continued operating as a motel-style accommodation for many years.
A seventh cabin was later added (serving as an office for the Lodgettes), and even a few more units were built in the 1980s to modernize the facility. The Lodgettes became a beloved fixture in their own right, carrying on the hospitality legacy of that riverside property on a smaller scale. However, they too eventually showed their age.
By the 2000s, time and coastal weather caught up with the cabins. The Shamrock Lodgettes finally closed at the end of 2009, after which the aging cabins were removed to make way for a new development. Today, the spot where Sherwood Lodge once stood is occupied by the KOHO Condominiums.
The KOHO development’s name nods to local heritage. “KOHO” refers to a traditional game of the area’s indigenous people, keeping a connection to Yachats history even as the site has transformed. In sum, the Sherwood Lodge’s story, though relatively brief, left a mark on Yachats: from its extraordinary relocation in the 1940s, to its stature as the town’s largest hotel in the 1950s, to its engineered demise in the early 1960s.
Local archives and newspaper clippings, preserved by institutions like the Little Log Church Museum, ensure that this unique chapter – including when and how the lodge was moved, and how it ultimately burned in a planned fire – is not forgotten
Sources
Little Log Church & Museum archives, Yachats Gazette (June 2010)
Mary Crook, “Changes and Then Some…” (historical column on Sherwood Lodge and Shamrock Lodgettes).
Bill Hall, Yachats History Since 1875 (presentation text, 2015) – Section on Sherwood Lodge/Shamrock Lodgettes.
Yachats Historical Society / Little Log Church Museum – photographs, brochures, and oral histories of Sherwood Lodge (1950s), including images of the lodge’s lobby, fireplace, and brochure, confirming its features and eventual destruction (training burn in 1963).
Sherwood Lodge Historical Archive