America’s First Scenic Road - the Historic Columbia River Highway Thursday, September 25, 2008 7 – 9 p.m. Members: $10 General Public: $15 Lecture at the Architectural Heritage Center See also, Driving Tour Saturday, September 27th 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.

The Columbia River Highway is an outstanding example of highway development in 20th-century America for its pioneering advances in road design.  It’s Samuel C. Lancaster’s single most important contribution to the fields of civil engineering and landscape architecture. It was also the first scenic highway in the United States.

The Columbia River Highway’s aesthetic and engineering achievements greatly influenced the design and construction of other scenic highways in the 1920s and 1930s,  combining advanced engineering with landscape architecture.

Robert W. Hadlow, Ph.D. and George Fekaris, P.E., will speak about the highway’s construction in the teens and 1920s in a presentation packed with historic photos.  They will also address the several restoration projects that have brought new life to the historic highway—both the parts that are drivable and those open for bike and pedestrian traffic.

Pre-registration is strongly suggested, either here at our website or using the form in the newsletter.

Return to Education Programs registration page.