Dec. 16, 2019

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Moody's Camp Lodge

Spider Lake, Wisconsin. — The Wisconsin Historical Society has announced the listing of the Moody’s Camp Lodge in Spider Lake, Sawyer County, in the National Register of Historic Places. National Register designation provides access to certain benefits, including qualification for grants and for rehabilitation income tax credits, while it does not restrict private property owners in the use of their property.

Moody’s Camp Lodge is an excellent example of early 20^th-century Rustic Style architecture.  Its use of natural, local materials and handcrafted finishes helps it blend wonderfully with the natural north woods environment by complementing the landscape instead of competing with it. Its notched log construction using large, peeled pine logs, chimney of stone and brick, exposed log interior where coats of shellac and the patina of age have given the logs a warm glow, and grand scale all make this a great example of the style; it is a rare survivor from the era of north woods lodge construction when charming lodges and cabins were constructed for the emerging northern Wisconsin tourism industry.

Instead of the “roughing it” fish camp experience found at most north woods resorts, the Moodys offered their guests a charming and gracious lakeside experience. The resort operated under the American Plan; men and the women guests dressed for dinner. The dining tables were covered with white starched linens. Meals were served on china and vases of wildflowers graced the center of the tables. Guests were served three decadent meals a day. Menus consisted of prime rib, T-bone steaks on Wednesday, lobster and a Swedish Smorgasbord on Sunday with traditional Swedish foods. The table fare also included homemade pies and homemade maple syrup. On Saturday afternoons a cookout was held for the guests with checkered tablecloths covered with grilled hamburgers, potato salad, deviled eggs, baked beans, and chocolate cake.

Moody’s Camp Lodge embodies the Rustic Style so closely associated with north woods vacation lodges. The picturesque, rustic, yet sophisticated atmosphere at the lodge was just what the large city dweller envisioned for his fishing trip or family vacation. The lodge retains excellent integrity both on the interior and exterior and remains in its historic setting in the woods and up the hill from Spider Lake.

The register is the official national list of historic properties in America deemed worthy of preservation and is maintained by the National Park Service in the U.S. Department of the Interior. The Wisconsin Historical Society administers the program within Wisconsin. It includes sites, buildings, structures, objects and districts that are significant in national, state or local history, architecture, archaeology, engineering or culture.

To learn more about the State and National Register programs in Wisconsin, visit wisconsinhistory.org.

About the Wisconsin Historical Society
The Wisconsin Historical Society, founded in 1846, ranks as one of the largest, most active and most diversified state historical societies in the nation. As both a state agency and a private membership organization, its mission is to help people connect to the past by collecting, preserving and sharing stories. The Wisconsin Historical Society serves millions of people every year through a wide range of sites, programs, and services. For more information, visit wisconsinhistory.org.