Lake McDonald Lodge
Encyclopedia
Lake McDonald Lodge is a historic lodge located within Glacier National Park, on the southeast shore of Lake McDonald
. The lodge is a -story structure built in a Swiss chalet
style based on Kirtland Cutter's
design. The foundation and first floor walls are built of stone, with a wood-frame superstructure. The lobby is a large, open space that extends to the third story. It has a massive fireplace and a concrete floor scored in a flagstone pattern, with messages in several Indian languages inscribed into it.
The lodge was built in 1913 by John Lewis, a land speculator from Columbia Falls, Montana
. He bought the land in 1906 and had the hotel built during a period when the Great Northern Railway was building other hotels and backcountry chalets, including Many Glacier Hotel
, Granite Park Chalet
, Sperry Chalet
, and Two Medicine Store
. This movement was part of a trend by railroads during that time to build destination resorts in areas of exceptional scenic value. Railroads wanted to attract tourists and create resorts that were equal to the scenery, and private operators like John Lewis had to build equally impressive facilities in order to keep up. Lewis' hotel, known at the time as the Lewis Glacier Hotel, was the second hotel on the site. The Glacier Hotel was built by George Snyder in 1895. The Lewis hotel, designed by the Spokane
firm of Kirtland, Cutter and Malmbren, was a much more ambitious undertaking. The hotel was built in 1913-14, working through the winter months, and opened in June 1914.
In 1930, the Great Northern Railway acquired the hotel through its subsidiary, the Glacier Park Hotel Company
. The hotel's name was changed to Lake McDonald Lodge in 1957. Today, the lodge maintains its historic character. The hotel also includes a number of small cottages located nearby, as well as a motor inn. The main lodge was declared a National Historic Landmark
in 1987.
Lake McDonald
Lake McDonald is the largest lake in Glacier National Park. It is located at in Flathead County in the U.S. state of Montana. Lake McDonald is approximately 10 miles long, and over a mile wide and 472 feet deep, filling a valley formed by a combination of erosion and glacial activity...
. The lodge is a -story structure built in a Swiss chalet
Chalet
A chalet , also called Swiss chalet, is a type of building or house, native to the Alpine region, made of wood, with a heavy, gently sloping roof with wide, well-supported eaves set at right angles to the front of the house.-Definition and origin:...
style based on Kirtland Cutter's
Kirtland Cutter
Kirtland Kelsey Cutter was a 20th century architect in the Pacific Northwest and California. He was born in East Rockport, Ohio, as the great-grandson of Jared Potter Kirtland. He studied painting and illustration at the Art Students League of New York. At the age of 26 he moved to Spokane,...
design. The foundation and first floor walls are built of stone, with a wood-frame superstructure. The lobby is a large, open space that extends to the third story. It has a massive fireplace and a concrete floor scored in a flagstone pattern, with messages in several Indian languages inscribed into it.
The lodge was built in 1913 by John Lewis, a land speculator from Columbia Falls, Montana
Columbia Falls, Montana
Columbia Falls is a city in Flathead County, Montana, United States. The population was 3,645 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Columbia Falls is located at ....
. He bought the land in 1906 and had the hotel built during a period when the Great Northern Railway was building other hotels and backcountry chalets, including Many Glacier Hotel
Many Glacier Hotel
Many Glacier Hotel is a historic hotel located within Glacier National Park, on the east shore of Swiftcurrent Lake. The building is designed as a series of chalets, up to four stories tall, and stretches for a substantial distance along the lakeshore. The building has a Swiss alpine theme both...
, Granite Park Chalet
Granite Park Chalet
Granite Park Chalet is located in the heart of Glacier National Park in the U.S. state of Montana. The chalet was built in 1914 by the Great Northern Railway and is a National Historic Landmark contributing property, being one of five structures in the...
, Sperry Chalet
Sperry Chalet
Sperry Chalet is located about seven miles east of Lake McDonald in Glacier National Park in the U.S. state of Montana. The chalet was built in 1914 by the Great Northern Railway and is a National Historic Landmark contributing property, being one of five structures in the Great Northern Railway...
, and Two Medicine Store
Two Medicine Store
Two Medicine Store, formerly part of Two Medicine Chalet, is a historic building in Glacier National Park in the U.S. state of Montana. The chalet was originally built in 1914 by the Glacier Park Company, a subsidiary of the Great Northern Railway, as part of the railway's extensive program of...
. This movement was part of a trend by railroads during that time to build destination resorts in areas of exceptional scenic value. Railroads wanted to attract tourists and create resorts that were equal to the scenery, and private operators like John Lewis had to build equally impressive facilities in order to keep up. Lewis' hotel, known at the time as the Lewis Glacier Hotel, was the second hotel on the site. The Glacier Hotel was built by George Snyder in 1895. The Lewis hotel, designed by the Spokane
Spokane, Washington
Spokane is a city located in the Northwestern United States in the state of Washington. It is the largest city of Spokane County of which it is also the county seat, and the metropolitan center of the Inland Northwest region...
firm of Kirtland, Cutter and Malmbren, was a much more ambitious undertaking. The hotel was built in 1913-14, working through the winter months, and opened in June 1914.
In 1930, the Great Northern Railway acquired the hotel through its subsidiary, the Glacier Park Hotel Company
Glacier Park Company
The Glacier Park Company, a subsidiary of the Great Northern Railway , constructed and operated hotels, chalets, and other visitor facilities in Glacier National Park, Montana and Waterton Lakes National Park, Alberta from the 1910s through 1960...
. The hotel's name was changed to Lake McDonald Lodge in 1957. Today, the lodge maintains its historic character. The hotel also includes a number of small cottages located nearby, as well as a motor inn. The main lodge was declared a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
in 1987.
See also
- Many Glacier HotelMany Glacier HotelMany Glacier Hotel is a historic hotel located within Glacier National Park, on the east shore of Swiftcurrent Lake. The building is designed as a series of chalets, up to four stories tall, and stretches for a substantial distance along the lakeshore. The building has a Swiss alpine theme both...
at Babb, MontanaBabb, MontanaBabb is a small unincorporated community in Glacier County, Montana, United States, on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation. It has one school , a K-6 elementary school which had 36 students as of 2005 ....
within Glacier National Park - Prince of Wales HotelPrince of Wales HotelThe Prince of Wales Hotel is located in Waterton Lakes National Park in Alberta, Canada, overlooking Upper Waterton Lake, near the Canada-United States border. Constructed between 1926 and 1927, the hotel was built by the American Great Northern Railway to lure American tourists during the...
within Waterton Lakes National ParkWaterton Lakes National ParkWaterton Lakes National Park is a national park located in the southwest corner of Alberta, Canada, and borders Glacier National Park in Montana, USA. Waterton was Canada's fourth national park, formed in 1895 and named after Waterton Lake, in turn after the Victorian naturalist and conservationist...