Black and white photo of a single-story log cabin with plants hanging from the eaves. There is a small porch with two children sitting on a bench near the entrance. A path runs in front of the cabin, and there are trees in the background.

A RARE OREGON COAST PROPERTY

HISTORY

HISTORIC INN AT ARCH CAPE, A COASTAL RETREAT WITH COMMUNITY ROOTS

HISTORY

A black and white photograph of a rustic, single-story log building with a sign reading "Arch Cape Grocery" and "Mission Orange Drink." The building is surrounded by a fenced yard and trees in the background. Several signs and a bench are visible by the entrance.

The three-room building was known simply as “The Beach House” in the early years, and later as the “Old Post Office.” The original rooms served as guest cabins, the Arch Cape Post Office and a general store for the community (see photo below). Mrs. Ross White, Ernest White’s mother, ran the post office, a place where the locals would sit by the fireplace (which is still in Room #4) and visit over a cup of coffee, chatting with neighbors as they stopped in to mail a letter or pick up a loaf of bread. It was the soul of the small community five miles south of Cannon Beach, Oregon. In the 1960s, the name was changed to The Inn at Arch Cape.

Its history is intertwined with mail delivery, groceries, a general store, and lodging on the Old Oregon Coast, just south of Cannon Beach.

The original structure was built in 1939 by Ernest White, who constructed his beach house north of the newly excavated Arch Cape tunnel, which completed the final stretch of the Pacific Coast Highway.

A black-and-white photo of a log cabin with a shingled roof. The front entrance has a screened door and is flanked by hanging flower baskets. There are signs and potted plants on either side. A wooden bench is situated to the left of the entrance.

In 1946, the building was enlarged, adding two ocean-side apartments, which were available as nightly rentals. The building changed hands and over the next decade was owned by several families, including Blanche Peckover, and the Hurds, Smiths, and LeGault families. In most cases, the women in the families served as postmistresses for the locals’ mailboxes.

A sepia-toned photograph of a smiling woman with curled short hair, wearing glasses and a hat. She is looking at the camera. Only her upper torso and face are visible.
A black-and-white photo of the Arch Cape Post Office and Store located along a tree-lined road in Cannon Beach, Oregon. There is a small building on the right side of the road and an old car is visible driving away in the background.

In 1960, Ethel (Beeman) LeGault, a widow who owned the property in the early 1950s, built a larger general store and deli on the property adjacent to the Inn. The deli became the daily stop for local Arch Cape news and gossip. Ethel was a beloved neighbor who successfully managed both the general store and lodging properties until she died in 1972 at the age of 64.

The top floor layout of the Inn has been remodeled over the decades. The original Arch Cape Post Office was situated between what are now Rooms 3 and 4. This space served as the Post Office for the town until 1960, when it was moved to the general store, south of the Inn. New guest rooms, garages, porches, and a fire pit were added over the years, but the Inn has maintained its intimate and cozy appeal.

The Inn at Arch Cape changed hands a few more times, with Bob Turk and Jerry Railton owning the property for a time before Tracy and Henry Hooper bought the property in 2004. The Hoopers worked hard to make the Inn consistent with the style and manner of the north Oregon Coast while adding several modern amenities.

In 2017, the Hoopers sold the Inn to Heather Newman and Chris Anderson, who carried on the property’s proud Oregon Coast tradition until October 2021 when they handed the keys to the current owners, Tiffany and Brady Turner who have reopened and reimagined the Inn as a full property vacation rental.

A wooden sign in front of a green garden area reads "Welcome to The Inn at Arch Cape." Behind the sign, a building with shingle siding and multiple windows is partially visible, surrounded by various trees and shrubs.