Property Watch: A Fixer-Upper Steiner Cabin on 10 Acres for $599K

There are log cabins, and then there are Steiner log cabins. According to the experts, a few things always give a Steiner away, such as the sunray design in the gable, the “character” logs used as porch posts, and a basalt rock fireplace. This one, built in 1941, has a few key markers, like the stone fireplace, peeled log walls, and a half-log staircase with a bent branch for a handrail. It’s billed as a fixer-upper in need of some elbow grease and repair—buyers to do their own due diligence, of course—but for resourceful restoration nerds, it might be just the ticket.

Henry Steiner was born in Germany in 1877 and emigrated to the United States as a child; his family settled in Oregon City. By 1920, the Mount Hood area was undergoing great change, and the outdoor enthusiasts flocking the region needed places to sleep. The US Forest Service opened leased lots for the construction of summer cabins, kicking off a cabin building boom in the Mount Hood corridor, many in the Oregon Rustic style of which Steiner is considered a master. During the construction of Timberline Lodge in the 1930s, Steiner was hired to hand-hew the six massive, hexagonal ponderosa pine columns in the main lobby.

By the time Steiner built his first log cabin in 1924 in Brightwood, logs had largely gone out of fashion, thanks to the availability of sawn lumber. But that didn’t deter Steiner, who only built log cabins for the rest of his life (also joined by his two sons, John and Fred). It’s estimated that the Steiner family constructed approximately 100 log cabins between 1925 and 1952, most in the Mount Hood area, and occasionally as far away as Rockaway Beach and Roseburg.

Every cabin is unique, but Steiner had particular design principles for each one: to maximize views and the lay of the land; to use logs less than 12 inches in diameter and materials found on site; and to only purchase what you could not make. Thus, windows and bathtubs were bought, but many Steiners have handmade cabinetry, furniture, and doors.

One of Steiner’s sons claimed that Henry didn’t actually build much of the cabin structure, instead spending his days roaming the forest picking up potential materials for its architectural features, such as gnarled branches for handrails or spiky roots for door pulls. These days, Steiner cabins are typically prized possessions, passed down in families between generations, and can be hard to find on the market. When they do, it’s become popular to fix them up and restore them.

Steiner cabins are anywhere from 400 to 3,500 square feet, and this one is right in the middle of the range at 1,474 square feet, with three bedrooms, all in the upper story, and one bathroom on the main floor. In the open-plan main room, the original features—beefy log walls, exposed ceiling, fireplace, wood floors—still shine through amid carpet and linoleum. The staircase railing is a bent tree branch arcing over the thick tread, looking both whimsical and practical in the best Steiner fashion. The listing also includes more than 10 acres, which may be divided into two lots.

While the overall condition is up for buyer’s evaluation, the listing agent notes that the home has been confirmed to be a Steiner by Lloyd Musser, formerly of the Mt. Hood Cultural Center and Museum, and Ian McCluskey, of the Steiner Society. The latter is a group dedicated to preserving and celebrating Steiner cabins, and hosts an annual Steiner Cabins Tour. McCluskey’s own Steiner restoration, which is now a popular Airbnb rental, would prove an ideal resource for the person who takes on this project.

• Address: 58847 E Highway 26, Sandy, OR 97055
• Size: 1,474 square feet/3 bedroom/1 bath
• List Date:  11/18/2024
• List Price: $599,950  
• Listing Agent: Liz Warren, Keller Williams PDX Central

Melissa Dalton is a freelance writer who has focused on Pacific Northwest design and lifestyle since 2008. She is based in Portland, Oregon. Contact Dalton here. 

Editor’s Note: Portland Monthly’s “Property Watch” column takes a weekly look at an interesting home in Portland’s real estate market (with periodic ventures to the burbs and points beyond, for good measure). Got a home you think would work for this column? Get in touch at [email protected].