By Justin Andress The Mountain Times
On May 5, Christian country rock outfit Mark209 visited the legendary 1937 Steiner Log Church to soak up some history and enjoy the incredible acoustics.
Few bands in the world of country music can claim the same level of success as Mark209. The group is a five-time Christian Country Group of the Year award winner consisting of five virtuoso musicians. They spend their days traveling the country playing shows and cultivating their inviting, genre-bending sound. The band has appeared in some of the United States’ most prominent venues, from Buck Owen’s Crystal Palace to Graceland.
In May, however, the renowned group took some time out of their busy tour schedule to visit one of the mountain’s most cherished institutions, the 1937 Steiner Log Church.
It’s difficult to imagine a moment in history when people weren’t flocking to Mt. Hood to ski, camp, or hike. In 1925, however, the mountain was still very much a hidden gem. The Forest Service was borderline desperate to have people visit the Hoodland area. Their goal was to see US citizens enjoy (and settle) the wilds of Oregon. To entice settlers, the government began selling cheap plots of land. While this plan did lure in settlers, there was still a need for builders.
Enter Henry Steiner and his family. Over 27 years, they would leave an irrevocable stamp on the history and culture of Mt. Hood by dotting the region with buildings unlike the world had ever seen.
According to local historian Mike Westby, “Between 1925 and 1952, Henry Steiner, his wife Millie, and their 13 kids built 100 log cabins and two log churches.”
Of the two churches Steiner built, only the 1937 Steiner Log Church remains. Built the same year as the famed Timberline Lodge, the cabin was designed with Steiner’s unique sensibilities.
“When they built the cabins, they’d settle on a specific site with the land’s owner,” says Westby, adding. “This was the 1920s and 1930s so there was no going down to Home Depot for a stack of 2x4s.”
By necessity, the Steiner family scoured their environment to build their hardscrabble log cabins. The goal wasn’t for these structures to last. Steiner didn’t use preservatives. He put the logs directly on the ground, where they’d get muddy. Still, dozens of these well-built mountain marvels survive to this day. Each is a testament to the unique environment of the Pacific Northwest.
“In picking materials from the forest, they ended up incorporating unique Steiner characteristics into each cabin,” explains Westby. Rather than cutting and planing wood, Steiner built stair railings from interesting branches. The stairs don’t use risers and planes like traditional homes; they are bisected logs called half-rounds.
“It was very economical when it came to the construction technique,” says Westby.
It was in this one-of-a-kind setting that Mark209 spent the day meeting fans and playing music. Band member Nathaniel Justice was enthusiastic about the group’s time at the church. “We got a call from a fan of ours in the area who said, ‘We found this really cool thing we think you’d enjoy.’ So, on our day off, we decided to come up here and see the Log Cabin Church. This place is super cool. We’re just thrilled to be able to come out.”
You can also explore history at the 1937 Steiner Log Church. The building is open on the first Saturday of every month from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. or by appointment. The church is also available for a wide variety of private events, from wedding receptions to birthdays to celebrations of life.
Visit steinerchurch.com for more information.