Grand attraction

Ten years in, McMenamins Grand Lodge in Forest Grove is a hub for memories of the musical kind

By A.p. Kryza

The Forest Grove News-Times, Jul 21, 2010, Updated Aug 1, 2010

Chase Allgood / News-Times

The Freak Mountain Ramblers, a local favorite, return to the Grand Lodge this Friday for the Great Northwest Music Tour.

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Ten years ago, if somebody said an old rest home would become one of Forest Grove’s best-loved attractions, they might have been immediately suspected of insanity.

But that’s exactly what happened when the Masonic & Eastern Star home became McMenamins Grand Lodge. The company renovated the building, constructed in 1922, into a monolithic attraction, complete with 77 hotel rooms, a soaking pool, four eateries, a disc golf course, live music and movies a decade ago. The conveniences have been modernized, but the Grand Lodge is still rich in history, with artwork and photographs from its heyday dotting the walls. “There has been a lot of history over the years,” said Portland-based McMenamins historian Tim Hills. Hills, who has worked with McMenamins for more than a decade, said the acquiring Masonic & Eastern Star home was a breath of fresh air for the company, which is known for renovating historic — often dilapidated — properties such as Troutdale’s Edgefield, a former poor farm, and Portland’s White Eagle Saloon, which was once a brothel. “The original building was falling out of date. They wanted more modern conveniences for the rest home,” said Hills, who spent time exploring the property and interviewing residents before remodeling began. “That’s what was so striking about the Grand Lodge. It was occupied until the time we took it over, and they had kept it in excellent condition. It was completely new for these McMenamins big renovation projects.” Since 2000, the Grand Lodge has drawn people in to Forest Grove with its outdoor beauty, history and ample activities. It’s also helped the city to become a more vibrant music scene. Forest Grove educator Gayle Hayden, who heads the vaudevillian band Big Mama Gayle and her Sugar Daddies and resides near the property, ranks the Grand Lodge as her favorite place to play.

“It’s wonderful. I get to sing to my friends and the students I work with,” said Hayden. “It’s nice that we can play at a place where my 90-year-old stepmom can come, and also the little kids in kindergarten I work with.”

Music tour

Grand Lodge is also a stop on McMenamins’ Great Northwest Music Tour, which takes bands with larger followings to venues throughout the state. Last month saw Portland Indie rockers Weinland take the stage, and next month features gallows Americana favorites The Builders and the Butchers.

Portland bluegrass rock band Freak Mountain Ramblers have spent six years on the tour and return to the Grand Lodge on Friday, July 23. Freak Mountain drummer and vocalist Roger North said the lodge’s laid-back vibe is perfect for the band’s country-tinged combination of old-time Americana and more modern rock.

“It’s kind of like a family picnic more than a rock festival. People come out, bring their kids, sit around on the lawn and dance,” said North.

Asked whether playing at a former retirement home was contradictory to life as a traveling rock musician, North let out a laugh.

“Well, I’m retired. It’s not that far off. It’s an interesting glimpse into the future,” North said.

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