Hot Lake Hotel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Hot Lake Hotel |
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Hot Lake Hotel and Sanitarium, circa 1920s; the wooden gabled structure on the right side would later burn down in a 1934 fire.
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| General information | |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival Shingle Style |
| Location | Hot Lake, Oregon, U.S. |
| Coordinates | 45°14′36″N 117°57′24″W / 45.24333°N 117.95667°W |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | John Virginius Bennes |
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Hot Lake Resort
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| Built | 1864 (first incarnation) 1907 (final construction) |
| Restored | 2003–2010 |
| NRHP reference No. | 79002148 |
| Added to NRHP | March 15, 1979 |
The Hot Lake Hotel (also known as Hot Lake Resort) is a historic building in Hot Lake, Union County, Oregon, United States. It was first built in 1864. The hotel gets its name from the warm thermal spring lakes nearby.
For many years, it was a fancy resort and a special hospital called a sanitorium. People came from all over the world. They believed the mineral water from the springs could help them feel better. The Hot Lake Hotel was also the first commercial building in the world to use geothermal energy for heating. This means it used heat from the Earth!
In 1934, a fire destroyed a large part of the hotel. The remaining building was then used for different things. It was a retirement home, a special hospital, and even a nurse's training school during World War II. After that, it was used on and off until it was left empty in 1991. The hotel and other buildings around it were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.
Today, the Hot Lake Hotel is open again. It works as a bed and breakfast, a museum, and a spa. Some famous people who owned it in the past include future governor Walter M. Pierce.
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The Amazing Hot Springs
The hot springs at Hot Lake are at the bottom of a big hill. Long ago, Native Americans used these springs. The Nez Perce people called the lake "Ea-Kesh-Pa." Historians think Hot Lake was one of the first thermal springs visited by European settlers.
An explorer named Robert Stuart saw the springs in 1812. His journey was written about by Washington Irving. Irving described a large pool of water fed by a "sulphur spring" that was "boiling up." He also noted that many elk visited the area.
After the Oregon Trail brought settlers, the land became a cattle ranch. A sailor named Tommy Atkins bought the land. There's a story that he got better from many illnesses after falling into the spring. This story was shared in The Oregonian newspaper in 1914. The lake's spring releases almost half a million gallons of water every day. The water in the lake is usually around 200°F (93°C).
Hotel History
Early Days: 1864–1906
In 1864, Samuel Fitzgerald Newhart came to the Grande Ronde Valley. He built the first wooden building at Hot Lake. It faced the hill, not the lake. This building was like a small shopping center. It had a post office, a blacksmith, a dance hall, a barber shop, and a bath house.
Later, in 1884, the Union Pacific Railroad built tracks near Hot Lake. In 1903, the first wooden building was taken down. Workers then started building a new hotel and several bath houses. Dr. Phy joined the project in 1904. Construction began on a brick building that would be a hospital.
The Golden Age: 1907–1933
A famous architect named John V. Bennes designed the new hotel. His design looked like buildings from the Colonial era. Bennes also designed many buildings at Oregon State University. In 1908, the main brick part of the hotel was finished. It was huge, about 65,000 square feet! The building had a U-shape with a solarium facing the hill. It was heated by the hot spring water. This made it the first commercial building in the world to use geothermal heating.
When it reopened, the hotel had 105 guest rooms. It also had a 60-bed hospital ward, a ballroom, a barber shop, a candy store, and a drug store. There were also laboratories and a place to buy supplies. The hospital had special soaking tubs filled with lake water. It even had an operating room with a viewing area for students. There was also a dance hall for 1,500 guests! Locals called the hotel "The Town Under One Roof." It grew its own vegetables, raised animals for dairy and meat, and produced its own eggs.
In 1910, the hotel made over $178,000 in one year. The geothermal heating system saved about $15,000 each year. In 1912, a train line was built directly to the hotel. This helped the hotel become very popular. In 1917, Dr. W.T. Phy bought the hotel. He renamed it "Hot Lake Sanitorium." It became known as a place for both rich guests and sick people. The mineral waters were used to help patients. This made the resort a leader in new medical treatments in the West.
By 1924, the hotel was a major tourist spot. People from all over the world visited. The Mayo brothers, who started the famous Mayo Clinic, often came to the hotel. The hotel had 15 nurses, four doctors, an X-ray technician, and a bacteriologist. It earned the nickname "The Mayo Clinic of the West."
Advertisements said the hotel had "the largest, hottest, and most curative springs known." They also talked about great bathing, medical care, and a "finest operating room in the west." Other ads claimed that drinking the water helped with many problems. They also said mud baths from the lake helped with pain like rheumatism.
Tough Times: 1934–1990
Dr. Phy, the owner, passed away in 1931. On May 7, 1934, a fire destroyed most of the hotel's west side. The wooden parts burned down, but the large brick section (65,000 square feet) survived. Before the fire, the hotel had almost 300 rooms and dining areas for over 1,000 guests. After the fire, business slowed down. Only the hospital area on the third floor kept operating.
During World War II, a flight school and a nurse's training center opened at the hotel in 1939. Later, U.S. Route 30 and Oregon Route 203 were built nearby. In 1941, A.J. Roth bought the property. It became a nursing home for older people in 1951. Later, it was used as a special hospital for people needing mental health care. This continued until 1974. A restaurant and night club opened then, but they closed after two years. Stories about the building being haunted started in the late 1970s.
In the mid-1980s, Dr. Lyle Griffith bought the property. He used one part of the hotel as a bath house. But by 1991, the bath house closed. The hotel was left empty. It was damaged by people breaking in and by the weather. However, an RV park built in 1989 continued to operate next to the hotel.
Left Alone: 1991–2002
The building was empty and falling apart for over 15 years. Even though a company from Seattle owned it, nothing was done. Many stories spread about ghosts in the hotel. People said it was haunted by visitors and patients who lived there. The hotel once had a piano that belonged to Robert E. Lee's wife. People claimed it would play by itself on the third floor.
Other owners and caretakers reported hearing screams and crying from the hospital's surgery room. They also saw rocking chairs move on their own. Local ghost stories about the hotel were very common. In 2001, the property was even shown on the TV show The Scariest Places on Earth.
New Life: 2003–Present
In 2003, David Manuel bought the building from Charles and Louise Rhea. It was in very bad shape. All 368 windows were broken or missing, and most of the roof was gone. Restoration work began soon after. After two years of repairs, the building opened for tours in 2005. Individual guest rooms were still being fixed up. In 2008, the west wing of the building collapsed.
As of 2010, the building is now a bed and breakfast. It has many restored rooms, a spa, a restaurant, and a museum. The hotel's original pool was covered up, but new mineral pools are being built.
The hotel is part of the Hot Lake Resort. This resort was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.
In Culture
Besides being on The Scariest Places on Earth, the hotel was also used for a music video. Musician Laura Gibson filmed part of her video there.
Images for kids
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Hot Lake Hotel after the 1934 fire.
