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Historic Rogue River Lodge restored Mail Tribune / Andrew Kemp Wait staff Paula Scherling and John Deshields show off desserts at the Rogue River Lodge in Trail. The restaurant has been restored to its 1934 charm by owners Sharon and Ken Brown. By Melissa Martin TRAIL � One of the first things customers see when they walk in the door of the region�s oldest restaurant is a lava rock wall made from pieces of the ancient volcano Mount Mazama. Old-timers might remember the brown paneling that used to hide the historical wall at the Rogue River Lodge. But new owners Sharon and Ken Brown wanted to restore the restaurant to its 1934 charm. "It�s like finding a pot of gold," said Sharon Brown, also the owner of Brownies Restaurant in Shady Cove. "We found an old blueprint that shows this whole wall is made of lava rock." Last November, the Browns paid $286,000 for the restaurant known in the 1930s as "The Rock House." They remodeled everything, from laying new carpets to lightening up the once-dark rooms with new paint to rebuilding the kitchen. They even discovered a collapsed tunnel diners had formerly used to get from what used to be a parking lot on one side of the highway to the dinner house. "We�re going to turn this into a wine cellar," said Sharon Brown, standing in the cold, rock room. Upstairs in the lodge, the Browns removed dark blinds from the windows in the bar and washed the dining room glass that offers a view of the lodge�s namesake, the Rogue River. "To do everything they�ve done in such a short period of time is amazing," said Paula Scherling, part of the Rogue River Lodge�s wait staff. The Browns hired former Silicon Valley caterer David Marion to plan the menu and train the staff. They also hired pastry chef Bethany Veil, a recent graduate of Portland�s Western Culinary Institute. Ken Brown has a history in the beef business, retiring from Ken Brown Meats in Central Point. Sharon Brown ran restaurants in Santa Barbara, Calif., hobnobbing with celebrities who included former President Ronald Reagan. The Browns also run a catering business called Sunshine Events Inc., and cook for fire camps during wildfire season. They opened the Rogue River Lodge around Valentine�s Day. "I waited on a couple the other night that have lived here since the 1940s and they were so happy this has re-opened," said Scherling, who has worked for other longtime Jackson County restaurants that include Jacksonville Inn, Mon Desir Dining Inn and Bel Di�s on the Rogue. Built sometime around 1934 using volcanic rock hauled by horse and wagon from the Diamond Lake area, the Rogue River Lodge�s first owner was Monte "Montana" Gilhausen. The lodge has had several owners since, including 22-year veterans Ken and Dory Meirstin, who retired to Chapala, Mexico. Situated on 1.5 acres about two miles beyond Shady Cove, the lodge had seven cabins in earlier days, but the 1964 flood washed out five and a sixth burned. An old rock fireplace still stands as a landmark for rafters and anglers who reach the restaurant via river, Ken Brown said. The Browns have remodeled the lone cabin and rent it out for $150 a night. They will continue the tradition of serving dinner nightly from 4 p.m. and hosting weddings and parties on the spacious green lawn that leads to the water. They still have the same phone number, 878-2555. Reach reporter Melissa Martin at 776-4497, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.