It’s A Nice Place By A Dam Site Coulee Dam B&B; Has Some Powerful History Lurking In Its Walls
Dick and Fe Taylor can never boast, as some innkeepers do, that the president slept in their Four Winds Guest House.
Visited, yes. But slept? Not unless Franklin Roosevelt nodded off during a meeting in what was then a dormitory for bachelor engineers working on Grand Coulee Dam.
Legend has it that in 1937, Roosevelt met with dam builders in the dormitory’s lobby.
FDR’s trip to the dam site his second - was a media event. But the private meeting was not publicized, a retired dam engineer told the Taylors. They haven’t confirmed that it happened, but don’t doubt that it did.
That alone may be reason enough for history buffs to visit the Four Winds.
They can walk to the dam’s visitor center for more information about the president’s visits and a look at the wheelchair he used.
(An identical wicker wheelchair sits in the Four Winds lobby. As far as the Taylors know, it was never used by FDR but was kept as a spare in case he needed it.)
They can visit the Colville Tribal Museum, for a glimpse of life before Europeans arrived.
The Four Winds is one of several buildings built by the federal government to support dam construction. The former dam headquarters is town hall. A dorm for unmarried women workers is a retirement home. The old schoolhouse is a credit union.
The buildings are a mix of federal and Cape Cod architecture, and were put together as if the government feared the dam might someday burst.
Other B&Bs may be quaint. The Four Winds is comfortable, but has an institutional feel.
The ash doors to the 11 guest rooms open onto a single long hallway. Each room has a free-standing sink, and every two rooms share a bathroom.
Typical of Depression-era government construction, everything is overbuilt: The industrial strength toilets sound like 747s taking off. The toilet-paper holders are sturdy enough to support a dam worker.
Even the original four-poster beds are stout. Rooms have twin or double beds, or a combination of both.
The Taylors came to Coulee Dam to take over a convenience store in 1985. But when they spotted the neglected dormitory, the mini-market was forgotten.
The building’s beveled siding was splintered in places and the paint was peeling. The yard was so overgrown with trees, Dick Taylor removed about 25 cords of firewood.
Inside, the carpet was patched with duct tape. Hot plates and refrigerators in each room were leftovers from the 1970s, when the building was a boarding house.
It was 1990 before the Taylors hosted their first paying guests. The yard work still isn’t done, and the roof was finally replaced last year.
Rooms are $62 to $79, with discounts in winter. Visitors are served a light breakfast of crepes, pastries and fresh fruit.
The inn has a strict no-smoking policy, and has no air-conditioning. Pets and children younger than nine are not allowed.
For reservations, call 1-800-786-3146.
While the four towns surrounding Grand Coulee Dam are working to promote winter tourism, there is little to see in the winter that isn’t better enjoyed during warmer months.
Laser-light shows are displayed on summer nights on the dam face.
Candy Point Trail, which was built in the basalt canyon walls by the Civilian Conservation Corps, starts a short distance from the Four Winds. It rises 700 feet to Crown Point, an overlook that provides the best view of the dam.
Crown Point can also be reached by car, for those who would rather not make the strenuous hike.
, DataTimes