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Lake McDonald Lodge Historic District
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A look at the outside of Lake McDonald Lodge
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| Location: | West Glacier, Montana |
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| Area: | Glacier National Park |
| Built: | 1913 |
| Architect: | Cutter & Malmgram |
| Governing body: | National Park Service |
| MPS: | Glacier National Park MRA (AD) |
| NRHP Reference#: | 87001447 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP: | May 28, 1987[1] |
| Designated NHL: | May 28, 1987[2] |
Lake McDonald Lodge is a historic lodge located within Glacier National Park, on the southeast shore of Lake McDonald. The lodge is a 3 1⁄2-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.[3]
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.[3]
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