White Pines State Park Lodge and Cabins facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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White Pines State Park Lodge and Cabins
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The lodge at White Pines State Park was built during the Great Depression.
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 Location in Illinois
Location in the United States
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| Location | RR #1, Mount Morris, Illinois |
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| Built | 1933-1939 |
| Architect | Joseph F. Booton |
| Architectural style | Vernacular |
| MPS | MPL012 - Illinois State Park Lodges and Cabins Thematic Resources |
| NRHP reference No. | 85002404 |
| Added to NRHP | March 4, 1985 |
The White Pines State Park Lodge and Cabins are special buildings in Ogle County, Illinois. They are located near the village of Mount Morris. These buildings were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1985. This means they are important historical sites. The Lodge and Cabins are part of a larger group of state park lodges. All of these lodges were designed by the same architect, Joseph F. Booton.
Contents
History of the Lodge and Cabins
The Lodge and Cabins are managed by a private company. They are a "wilderness getaway" for visitors. This means they are owned and run by a private group, not the state park itself.
During the Great Depression, many Americans did not have jobs. The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was created to help. It gave work to unemployed people. The National Park Service worked with states to create projects. Many of these projects involved building things.
The project at White Pines was meant to build a lodge. About 200 men worked on this project at one time. They worked from 1933 to 1939. Many of these workers were veterans from World War I.
After the lodge was finished, a restaurant and a covered walkway were added. Most of the logs for the buildings came from far away. They were shipped by train from Oregon and Washington state. Horses then dragged the logs from the train station to the building site.
The CCC workers also built sixteen small log cabins. They also built three larger cabins with four bedrooms. They made picnic shelters, trail shelters, and footbridges too. Only the logs for the cabins came from a different source. They were bought from a company that had old utility poles.
Today, the site still has the sixteen one-room cabins and the lodge. The lodge has been updated. It now has modern features. It continues to operate as a private lodge for visitors.
About the Site
The area listed on the National Register of Historic Places is about 7 acres. A road goes around this area. This road marks the edge of the historic site. The area also includes 50 yards of woods beyond the road. This helps keep the "woodland retreat" feeling of the place.
Building Style and Design
The design of the lodge and cabins was influenced by the area itself. White Pines State Park has the southernmost group of native white pines in the United States. This area was already popular for recreation. Too much use could harm the delicate natural balance.
Because of this concern, the buildings were kept small. The White Pines State Park Lodge and Cabins is the smallest of five similar sites. These sites are all part of the same historic listing. Even though it is small, it still looks like a "fanciful forest retreat." This was the vision of the architect, Joseph F. Booton.
The Lodge Building
The lodge was the first building completed at the site.
Outside Look of the Lodge
The lodge building is actually two buildings. They are connected by a covered breezeway or walkway. The north building has a lounge area. The south building has a dining room and kitchen. Both buildings are made of rough pine logs. They sit on a base made of limestone.
The roofs are gable roofs and are covered with wood shakes. Inside, you can see the log rafters that support the roof. Both buildings have stone chimneys. These chimneys come from large stone fireplaces inside. Almost all parts of the lodge are made of wood. The only parts not made of wood are the stone fireplaces and chimneys.
The Cabins
The cabins were built after the lodge was finished. They are arranged in a circle north of the lodge. A blacktop road circles the cabin area. The cabins are set among white pine trees.
Outside Look of the Cabins
The three northern cabins are larger. They are family units with several rooms. The other thirteen cabins are single-room buildings. Like the lodge, they are mostly made of rough logs. They also have stone chimneys coming from their roofs.
