Gazette photo by Andrew Wallmeyer The St. Croix Scenic Overlook (not pictured) and the log cabin that now houses Phil's Tara Hideaway were added to the National Register of Historic Places in December. Ironically, the roadside landmarks were nominated for the designation because they are threatened by the Minnesota Department of Transportation's plans for a new highway bridge across the St. Croix River.

OAK PARK HEIGHTS - Over the last seven decades, the St. Croix Scenic Overlook and the restaurant currently known as Phil's Tara Hideaway have enticed passing motorists to pull over and spend some time in what is now Oak Park Heights.

Ironically, the roadside landmarks were recently added to the National Register of Historic Places because they are threatened by the Minnesota Department of Transportation's plans for a new highway bridge across the St. Croix River. State and local officials hope the designation will help preserve them.

Susan Roth, who oversees the National Register program for the Minnesota Historical Society, said the properties were identified by a historian hired from the Minnesota Department of Transportation to assess the potential impact of the proposed bridge on the area's cultural landmarks.

"National Register designation doesn't necessarily guarantee a property will be preserved, but it draws attention to their historic and architectural significance and adds another level of governmental review," she said. "There are going to be changes to the setting of both of these properties, but because they have been identified as historic properties, the Historic Preservation Office will be working in conjunction with MnDOT to mitigate, or lessen, the effects of the construction that might occur with a new bridge."

Roth said the building that now houses Phil's Tara Hideway, constructed in 1932, is culturally significant because it represents "the iconic log cabin" to the motoring American public.

"The log cabin in American culture is a very important physical representation of past times, so you combine that with the idea of it being a roadside tavern and you have a very unique spot," Roth explained. "Think about how it was perceived in the 1930s, when it was built. It's the Depression, and things aren't going well. What better building to use to hearken back to that earlier period when people were hearty, they were living in log cabins, and hospitality was an important component of American social life?"

Phil Barbatsis, who bought the restaurant in 1997, said its fundamental layout and function hasn't changed from the day it opened.

"This place is set up exactly the same as it was back then," he said. "We've done a lot of restoration since I bought the place about 10 years ago, but the basic setup hasn't changed a bit. And it's not going to, either. It just wouldn't be right."

One thing that has changed, Barbatsis said, is the clientele. Rumor has it the roadhouse was once frequented by the Chicago gangsters who would vacation and lay low in St. Paul and White Bear Lake.

"I hear the Dillingers hung out in the early 1930s, as did the Barkers. And supposedly someone kidnapped some wealthy guy and locked him in the basement for a few days," Barbatsis said. "But we haven't had anything like that in recent history - not that I'm aware of, anyway."

About a mile to the northeast, on what was once the highway to Stillwater, the St. Croix Scenic Overlook recalls a quieter history.

Oak Park Heights Mayor David Beaudet, whose family has lived across from the overlook since it was built in 1938, said the site has long been a favorite spot for visitors - especially young couples - to enjoy the river view.

"It just has an outstanding view of the river. It's a great place to get married. And on the weekends, in the fall in particular, there will be 200 to 300 cars a day that stop to look at the site," he said. "This historic designation is a nice recognition of this little historic, quiet and enchanting place along the busy highway."

But even the peaceful overlook has its mysteries.

Beaudet recalled the theft of its historic marker in the mid-1970s. The metal plaque wasn't recovered until a few years ago, when it was found hidden behind a refrigerator during a drug raid in southern Hennepin County.

To Roth, the site is noteworthy as an example of the state highway department's public works projects during the Franklin Roosevelt administration.

"It is one of the more sophisticated and well-preserved examples of an overlook built by the Minnesota Department of Highways in a rustic style that was developed by the National Park Service ... and it was built by the National Youth Administration, which was a federal relief program conceived to employ unemployed younger men," she said.

Though locals have long enjoyed both sites, Barbatsis said he hopes their historic designation will encourage people to take a second look.

"This is just a great old place," he said, seated at the bar of his log-cabin roadhouse. "And it's a precious piece of history - in this town, anyway."