If weekend getaways draw you toward the cool coastal forests and mighty waves of the Pacific, you are part of a long tradition of visitors ditching the city life for crisp air, tall trees and ocean cacophony.

During the turn of the 20th century, beach cottages, which were mostly built by professionals as family vacation homes, began cropping up all along the Washington and Oregon coasts.

Former Oregon Gov. Oswald West, who was best known for his dedication to ensuring the protection and accessibility of the state’s beaches, constructed his beach cottage in 1913 atop an 80-foot bluff overlooking the monolithic Haystack Rock emerging from the sandy shoreline.

The Oswald West coastal retreat was built in the Adirondack style, which dresses up the rustic log cabin with English Arts and Crafts features and decoration. This style utilizes site materials, such as timber and boulders, and emphasizes the artistry of craft and elegance.

In 1991, the cabin was destroyed in a fire. The Bouvy family, who had owned and cared for it for over 50 years, immediately resolved to build a dignified reconstruction of the original home on its exact site.

Extensive field documentation of dimensions, details and materials was conducted by Portland-based architectural firm FFA Architecture and Interiors. Similar materials were used, including Sitka spruce logs that were sourced locally from Tillamook, then hand peeled, saddle notched on the corners and finished to the original quality.

When the project was completed, the reconstructed cabin was placed in the National Register of Historic Places, using the description: “The cabin speaks in the same voice as before the fire. It appears to belong to its site and to have been there for many years.”

The retreat remains a private residence but was recently featured as a stop on the 20th anniversary of the Cannon Beach History Center and Museum’s annual Cannon Beach Cottage and Garden Tour.