Lake Crescent Lodge facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
|
|
Singer's Lake Crescent Tavern
|
|
 |
|
 Location in Washington (state)
|
|
| Location | South of Barnes Point, on south shore of Lake Crescent, about 17.4 miles (28.0 km) southwest of Port Angeles, in Olympic National Park |
|---|---|
| Area | 14 acres (5.7 ha) |
| Built | 1937 |
| Architectural style | Bungalow/craftsman |
| MPS | Olympic National Park MPS |
| NRHP reference No. | 07000724 |
| Added to NRHP | July 13, 2007 |
Lake Crescent Lodge is a cool old resort right on the edge of Lake Crescent in Washington state. It used to be called Singer's Lake Crescent Tavern. This lodge is inside Olympic National Park on the Olympic Peninsula. The National Park Service owns it, and a company called Aramark runs it.
The lodge is open for visitors for most of the year, from early May to late January. Some cabins are even open in the winter! People love to go hiking and boating here. You can easily reach mountains like Mount Storm King and Pyramid Mountain. Other fun trails include Marymere Falls, Spruce Railroad, and Barnes Creek Trails.
Contents
The Lodge's Story
Early Days and Design
In 1914, a couple named Avery and Julia Singer built a small hotel and cottages. They opened it in 1915 as Singer's Tavern. The main building had seven rooms, and five of them are still used today! They spent about $50,000 to build and furnish the place.
The main building had two floors and was made from local wood. Its design was like a "bungalow," which means it was cozy and fit well with nature. It also had a big stone fireplace in the living room. This room opened onto a porch with a great view of the lake. Guests stayed in rooms upstairs. The lodge offered modern comforts, a restaurant, and fun activities. There were also cottages and tent cabins for more guests. Julia Singer even planted a beautiful garden, which you can still see today.
Getting There: Ferries, Cars, and Trains
For the first six years, guests arrived at Singer's Tavern by ferry. Ferries were very popular in the 1920s. But in 1922, the Olympic Highway was finished. After that, most people started driving their cars to the lodge.
There was also a railroad built on the other side of the lake. It was meant to ship logs for making airplanes during World War I. But the war ended just weeks after the railroad opened, so it was never used for passengers. Today, the Spruce Railroad Trail is a popular hiking spot. You can still see parts of the old railroad tracks there!
A Presidential Visit and a New Park
In 1927, the Singers sold the property. Later, Walter and Bessie Bovee took over. The 1930s were a big time for the lodge and the area. People in Congress wanted to create a large national park on the Olympic Peninsula.
Because of this, the lodge had a very important guest: Franklin D. Roosevelt, who was the President of the United States. He visited the area in the fall of 1937. President Roosevelt stayed at the lodge on September 30. While he was there, he talked about the idea of Olympic National Park with his advisors and senators. After his trip, he signed the law to create Olympic National Park in 1938. The lodge property became part of the park. Later, some cabins built there were named the Roosevelt Cabins in his honor.
Changes Over Time
Walter and Bessie Bovee helped the lodge grow in the 1940s. They made it bigger and offered many fun activities, like renting boats and canoes. There's a shoreline area called Bovee's Meadow, which is still a popular place to visit.
In 1951, the National Park Service bought the lodge and its land. There was a plan to tear down the main lodge and build new, modern buildings. But luckily, the main lodge was saved! Some smaller buildings were removed, and new motel-style rooms were built nearby. Some old cabins were replaced with newer ones that looked similar. Today, Aramark still runs Lake Crescent Lodge.
What the Lodge Looks Like
Lake Crescent Lodge is located at Barnes Point on the south side of the lake. It's near Barnes Creek, which was named after the first home built there in the 1890s. This area is also home to the Olympic Park Institute. The lodge is surrounded by huge, old trees like cedars and firs, and lots of rainforest ferns.
The main lodge building is about 57 feet long and 36 feet wide. It has an enclosed porch on one side and an open porch on another. The main part of the lodge has 2 and a half stories, and the dining room has one story. The building is made of wood and covered with wood shingles. The windows on the porch have many small glass panes, which look very detailed.
The historic area includes 11 buildings along the lake. The main lodge, the pier foundations, and three cabins are original. Seven other cabins were rebuilt to match the older style. The entire area was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2007 because of its history and special design.
