Sunset Beach Hotel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Sunset Beach Hotel
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Sunset Beach Hotel's main lodge, built in 1915
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 Location in Minnesota
Location in the United States
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| Location | 20000 South Lakeshore Drive, Glenwood Township, Minnesota |
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| Nearest city | Glenwood, Minnesota |
| Area | 2 acres (0.81 ha) |
| Built | 1915 (Main Lodge), 1927 (Annex Building), 1930 (Court Building) |
| Built by | Larson Bros. |
| NRHP reference No. | 82002998 |
| Added to NRHP | February 11, 1982 |
The Sunset Beach Hotel, also known as Peters' Sunset Beach Resort, is a historic hotel in Glenwood Township, Pope County, Minnesota. It's about 5 miles southwest of Glenwood. This special hotel sits on the southern shore of Lake Minnewaska. Three of its main buildings were added to the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) on February 11, 1982. The resort is important because it's one of the best-preserved old resorts in west central Minnesota. It has been a popular spot for fun and relaxation on the lake since the early 1900s.
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A Look Back in Time
By the late 1800s, the area along Lake Minnewaska was a favorite spot for people from North Dakota. They built summer homes there. This area was even called "Camp Dakota" in 1905.
Henry P. Peters, who lived in Enderlin, North Dakota, was a train conductor. He worked for the Soo Line railroad, which passed through nearby Glenwood. In 1908, Henry bought a small cottage in the area.
In 1912, Henry left the railroad and moved to Estevan, Saskatchewan, Canada. He became very successful in the construction business there. After saving money, he decided to move to Glenwood permanently in 1914.
Henry and his wife started a company to build the "Glenwood Summer Hotel." This building, now called the Main Lodge, opened on June 1, 1915. By 1918, Henry bought out the other owners. He then changed the resort's name to Sunset Beach Hotel. Soon, "Sunset Beach" became the name for the whole area around the hotel.
Even though Henry didn't have much formal education, he made sure his children went to good schools. The Peters family has continued to run the resort ever since. They have added more buildings and fun things to do over the years.
During the Great Depression, Henry and his wife worked hard to keep the hotel open. There was a bad drought, and the lake water level dropped very low. They even had to build a road from the hotel to the lake! Henry joked that "the walleyes didn't know there was a depression going on," focusing on the lake's good fishing.
The Main Lodge, Annex, and Court Building are great examples of early lake resorts. They have a simple, useful style. This is different from the fancier log resorts built in northern Minnesota in the 1920s. The resort is historically important because it shows how Pope County's seasonal vacation population grew.
Over the years, more small cottages and other buildings were added. However, these newer buildings have changed a lot since they were built. So, they were not included in the National Register of Historic Places. In 1962, the owners decided to add a golf course. It's now called the Pezhekee National Golf Course. It opened with four holes in 1965 and became a nine-hole course by 1967.
Important Buildings
The three main resort buildings listed on the NRHP are set around an open area facing the lake. These buildings are the Main Lodge, the Annex, and the Court Building. They are built in a simple American Craftsman style. They still look very much like they did when they were first built.
The Main Lodge
The Main Lodge was built in 1915. It is a two-story building with a gable roof. It has simple Midwest bungalow details. These include craftsman-style brackets in the gables and exposed rafter ends. The windows are both single and paired rectangular double-hung windows. The building is covered with clapboard siding.
The front porch was originally screened in, but it has been enclosed. A covered entrance for cars, called a porte-cochère, was also added. These changes were thought to fit well with the original design. Other changes include a one-story sun room added to the north side. Also, shed dormers were added to the roof, and additions were made to the back of the building.
Inside the Main Lodge, the first floor has a lobby, sun room, dining room, kitchen, and office. Guest rooms are on the second floor. Some parts of the inside have been updated. However, the main floor still has its original room layout and some old features. This includes a stone fireplace in the lobby.
The dining room has special paintings that show local Native American stories. These were painted by Gustav Krollman (1888–1962). Krollman was born in Vienna and studied painting there. He later traveled the world and settled in Minneapolis, Minnesota by 1923. He became famous for his paintings that promoted tourist spots for the Northern Pacific Railway. He also taught at what is now the Minneapolis College of Art and Design.
The Annex Building
The Annex Building was built in 1927. It is located at the southwest end of the central area. It looks similar to the Main Lodge. This rectangular building has two stories. It has a two-story screened porch that sticks out at the front. It also has a hip roof with gambrel dormers, clapboard siding, brackets, and exposed rafter ends. Each of its two floors has four guest rooms that open onto a central hallway.
The Court Building
The Court Building was built in 1930. It is at the northwest end of the central area. This building has three rectangular parts arranged around a central court. Like the other buildings, it has clapboard siding, exposed rafter ends, and craftsman-style brackets. Each section has a hip roof with gabled vents at the top. It also has windows that are spaced unevenly. The court area has a second-story balcony on three sides. The original wooden railing has been replaced with a metal one. Inside, each section has two apartments on each floor.
