Clarence E. Mershon, The Columbia River Highway

In 1915, Clarence Jacobson, a well-to-do Portland clothier and his heiress wife, Dorothy, purchased fifteen acres along Coopey Creek near Bridal Veil. The Jacobsons hired Morris H. Whitehouse to design a mansion in the "Italian Villa" style. Italian stonemasons, recruited from among the highway workers, were engaged to construct fish ponds, walks, steps, brudges and other stone work on the grounds.

A carriage house near the gated entry provided living quarters for the Jacobsons' chauffeur and garage space for the couple's automobiles.

The plans included a swimming pool, a powerhouse utilizing Coopey Creek to generate electricity and formal gardens, among other amenities.

The mansion contained several guest rooms, a full basement, and an open, vaulted living room.

The former Jacobson mansion is now owned by the Franciscan Sisters of the Eucharist, who are engaged in restoring the building.

Morning Oregonian, August 12, 1916

PALATIAL HOME TO RISE: C.S. Jacobson Will Have Residence Along Columbia Highway

Clarence S. Jacobson, manager of Neustadter Bros., is planning the erection of an expensive country residence on a beautifully situated six-acre tract along the Columbia River Highway, which he has just purchased from Charles Coopey. The site is located between Shepperd's Dell and Benson Park and embraces what is known as Coopey Falls, as well as all land between the falls and the highway.

Mr. Jacobson has selected Whitehouse & Fouilhoux as architects for his proposed residence, but has not yet determined definitely upon the plans. It is known, however, that he is planning a large stucco residence of the Italian villa type, with open air swimming tank and many other features which may bring the cost to $40,000 or $50,000. The Jacobson villa will be the first palatial residence to be erected along the Columbia Highway.

I am not sure about the ownership of the estate between the Jacobsons and the Franciscan Sisters of the Eucharist, but I've heard an odd story from a fairly well trusted source that, when restoration of the mansion was beginning, a projection room containing a sizable collection of, ahem, adult material was found in the basement. Just an interesting side note, and I have no idea if it is true or not...

The Franciscan Sisters of the Eucharist Abbey

"Anyone who visits the Bridal Veil center becomes aware of the Franciscan mission of 'rebuilding.' The dilapidated condition of the buildings in the early 1970s did not dissuade the Sisters from seeing the beauty hidden within the property and from pursuing a vision of what the place could be. Untold hours of work by the Sisters and volunteers went into the restoration of the buildings and grounds. Today, the Bridal Veil center is a living, physical example of the greater Franciscan mission of rebuilding, a mission carried out in many ways through the center's dedication to life education of the whole person."

Wikipedia: Franciscan Sisters of the Eucharist

The Franciscan Sisters of the Eucharist (FSE) is a Roman Catholic religious congregation for women. The motherhouse is in Meriden, Connecticut, in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Hartford.

The Franciscan Sisters of the Eucharist were founded by Sister Rosemae Pender on December 2, 1973, as a result of a period of renewal within the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration of La Crosse, Wisconsin which led to a divergence of outlook within that Congregation.^[1] Mother Rosemae Pender and Mother Shaun Vergauwen served as Mother General and Vicar General, respectively, from the beginning until 2005. In 2002, the Franciscan Brothers of the Eucharist was founded in Meriden as a complement to the Franciscan Sisters of the Eucharist.

From 1976 to 2004, the religious sisters operated the ferry terminal and store on Shaw Island, part of the San Juan Islands in the state of Washington.^[2]

The Franciscan Sisters of the Eucharist share the original founders with the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration and the Sisters of St. Francis of Assisi of St. Francis, Wisconsin.

The community has thirteen different centers around the world, including the United States, Jerusalem, Rome and Assisi. The Sisters teach at universities, work in hospitals, operate a school in Bethlehem and work at the Vatican.^[5]

In Oregon, the Sisters operate the Franciscan Montessori Earth School [in Portland], founded in 1977.

"...a convent owned by the Franciscan Sisters of the Eucharist, which is private property. However, the book 'A waterfall lover's guide to the Pacific Northwest' states that the sisters openly invite visitors to visit [Coopey Falls] via a path leading from the parking lot in front of the convent. Please be sure to ask permission to view the falls before you head up to them. The entrance of the convent is located about 1 mile east of Bridal Veil Falls.

Links

CLICK HERE to continue exploring the highway