History of Lake Qunault Lodge
In the 1890’s Jack Ewell and James Ingram built a log hotel to accommodate those who were coming to Quinault. It was a welcoming
haven for many a rain-sodden traveler, until it burned in 1923. In 1924, the Lakeside Inn was constructed to temporarily accommodate travelers. The Lakeside Inn eventually was named “The Annex” and contained a kitchen, dining room and coffee shop besides several sleeping rooms on the upper floor. Today, the Annex consists of eight sleeping rooms.
In 1925 Frank McNeil acquired a special permit from the U.S. Forest Service to build and operate a lodge. Searching in Grays Harbor for people interested in financing such a project, McNeil met Ralph Emerson, Hoquiam lumberman and mill operator whose father had settled in that town in 1880. Responding to the idea of a lodge at Lake Quinault, Emerson having the money said, “Let’s go ahead and build it!” And they did.
In a natural clearing, the site selected for the lodge provided a vantage view of the lake and from the first turning of a shovel full of earth to opening night took ten weeks. That this building was completed for occupancy in such a short span of time is a wonder in itself, since this was accomplished long before the days of prefabricated and precut materials. Hauling the lumber, bricks, glass, plumbing fixtures, and furniture over fifty miles of dirt road was a 24-hour a day job. Even more astonishing was the cost of the building ………$90,000!
McNeil and Emerson spared no effort. Artisans and craftsmen from all over the northwest were employed and countless numbers shared the pride of having helped in the assembling and finishing of the building. Great care was taken to have the furnishings and décor chosen in the best of taste. Guests can still see the careful touch of the artist in the beautifully stenciled designs on the beamed ceiling of the lobby; still admire the expert workmanship and magnificence of the stone fireplace which is the heart of the lodge.
The Fireplace Rooms were added in 1972, and the Lakeside Rooms were completed in 1990 to accommodate the travelers who continue to discover the beauty and solitude of Lake Quinault.
Guests have come from many walks of life. One of the most famous was Franklin Delano Roosevelt. He visited in 1937, which inspired the creation of Olympic National Park in 1938. Both the great and the ordinary have enjoyed the hospitality and the graciousness of the lodge, have studied the inspiring beauty of the building and have viewed the ever-changing sun-and-rain landscape through the many-paned windows.
haven for many a rain-sodden traveler, until it burned in 1923. In 1924, the Lakeside Inn was constructed to temporarily accommodate travelers. The Lakeside Inn eventually was named “The Annex” and contained a kitchen, dining room and coffee shop besides several sleeping rooms on the upper floor. Today, the Annex consists of eight sleeping rooms.
In 1925 Frank McNeil acquired a special permit from the U.S. Forest Service to build and operate a lodge. Searching in Grays Harbor for people interested in financing such a project, McNeil met Ralph Emerson, Hoquiam lumberman and mill operator whose father had settled in that town in 1880. Responding to the idea of a lodge at Lake Quinault, Emerson having the money said, “Let’s go ahead and build it!” And they did.
In a natural clearing, the site selected for the lodge provided a vantage view of the lake and from the first turning of a shovel full of earth to opening night took ten weeks. That this building was completed for occupancy in such a short span of time is a wonder in itself, since this was accomplished long before the days of prefabricated and precut materials. Hauling the lumber, bricks, glass, plumbing fixtures, and furniture over fifty miles of dirt road was a 24-hour a day job. Even more astonishing was the cost of the building ………$90,000!
McNeil and Emerson spared no effort. Artisans and craftsmen from all over the northwest were employed and countless numbers shared the pride of having helped in the assembling and finishing of the building. Great care was taken to have the furnishings and décor chosen in the best of taste. Guests can still see the careful touch of the artist in the beautifully stenciled designs on the beamed ceiling of the lobby; still admire the expert workmanship and magnificence of the stone fireplace which is the heart of the lodge.
The Fireplace Rooms were added in 1972, and the Lakeside Rooms were completed in 1990 to accommodate the travelers who continue to discover the beauty and solitude of Lake Quinault.
Guests have come from many walks of life. One of the most famous was Franklin Delano Roosevelt. He visited in 1937, which inspired the creation of Olympic National Park in 1938. Both the great and the ordinary have enjoyed the hospitality and the graciousness of the lodge, have studied the inspiring beauty of the building and have viewed the ever-changing sun-and-rain landscape through the many-paned windows.
