the sinnott memorial was funded by a $10,000 appropriation from the united states congress. it was intended to honor nicholas j. sinnott who represented eastern oregon in the united states house of representatives from 1913 to 1928. as chairman of the house public lands committee, sinnott had actively supported crater lake national park. he died in 1929 shortly after retiring from congress. while the sinnott memorial was to serve as an observation point, congress also intended the building to be a museum. in fact, it was the first museum building constructed in a national park at the specific direction of congress.