Lake McDonald Lodge: A National Historic Landmark of Swiss chalet architecture

The Lake McDonald Lodge stands on the southeast shore of Lake McDonald, within Glacier National Park. Built in 1913, the structure features a foundation and first-floor walls made of stone with a wood-frame superstructure. The lobby is a large, open space that extends to the third story, featuring a massive fireplace and a concrete floor scored in a flagstone pattern. The rustic lodge was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1987 as one of the nation's finest examples of large-scale Swiss chalet architecture.

The lodge was the second hotel on the site, following the Snyder Hotel built by George Snyder in 1895. Land speculator John Lewis bought about 285 acres of land in 1904-5 and had the hotel built during a period when the Great Northern Railway was building other resorts. Designed by the Spokane firm of Kirtland, Cutter and Malmbren, the building was a much more ambitious undertaking than previous structures. It was built through the winter months and opened in June 1914 to continue the Swiss cottage theme developed by the Great Northern railway hotels.

In 1930, the Great Northern Railway acquired the hotel, and it was renamed Lake McDonald Lodge in 1957. After being damaged by a flash flood in 1964, the lodge underwent extensive renovations from 1988–89 to restore details damaged by the water. The main building remains 3 1/2 stories high with exposed timber framing in the lobby area. The lodge maintains its historic character today, featuring a dining room facing the lake and guest rooms on the two upper levels.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons