SE of Lewis of WI 35 | National or State Registers Record | Wisconsin Historical Society

National or State Registers Record

SE of Lewis of WI 35

National or State Register of Historic Places
SE of Lewis of WI 35 | National or State Registers Record | Wisconsin Historical Society
NAMES
Historic Name:Seven Pines Lodge
Reference Number:78000125
PROPERTY LOCATION
Location (Address):SE of Lewis of WI 35
County:Polk
City/Village:
Township:Clam Falls
SUMMARY
Seven Pines Lodge
Town of Clam Falls, Polk County
Builder: John "Ole" Mangseth
Dates of construction: 1903 to 1910

The broad axes, hatchets, and shaving knives that Norwegian builder John "Ole" Mangseth used to construct the Seven Pines Lodge still hang on the walls of the nearly unaltered interior of the Seven Pines Lodge. The resort is even more impressive because all the buildings that encompass the property have remained virtually untouched, including the original furnishings and wall decorations adorning the lodge.

The Seven Pines Lodge encompasses 66 acres and includes a main lodge, caretaker's house, gatehouse, stream house, water tower, and pool, most built from white pine logs harvested at the site.

Surrounded by towering pine trees, the lodge reflects a rustic lifestyle that came into vogue for wealthy Americans in the early 1900s. With encouragement from outdoorsman President Theodore Roosevelt, American interest in conservation and wilderness preservation blossomed at the beginning of the twentieth century, leading many to escape the cities to reinvigorate themselves among beautiful natural settings. Charles E. Lewis, a Minnesota wheat broker, was one of the wealthy who adopted this pastime. In 1900, he bought a tract of land in rural Clam Falls, Wisconsin (later Lewis) that he hoped to utilize as a conservation project, investment, and personal estate. Soon after, he hired a builder to construct the main lodge and, later (around 1910), the additional buildings. Lewis established a fish hatchery and farm at the estate and, in 1910, he founded the village of Lewis. Prominent visitors, including Calvin Coolidge, visited the Seven Pines Lodge to enjoy superb fishing and hospitality. In the 1920s, Lewis tried to sell the estate to the state in order to turn it into a park so that it would be preserved after his death. Even though Lewis's repeated attempts to turn Seven Pines Lodge into a park failed, the complex has been maintained as a private resort complex.

The Seven Pines Lodge is a privately owned. Please respect the rights of the owner and guests.

PROPERTY FEATURES
Period of Significance:1900-1924
Period of Significance:1925-1949
Area of Significance:Architecture
Area of Significance:Conservation
Applicable Criteria:Architecture/Engineering
Applicable Criteria:Person
Historic Use:Domestic: Single Dwelling
Historic Use:Landscape: Conservation Area
Architectural Style:No Style Listed
Resource Type:Building
Architect:Mangseth,John
DESIGNATIONS
Historic Status:Listed in the National Register
Historic Status:Listed in the State Register
National Register Listing Date:12/08/1978
State Register Listing Date:01/01/1989
NUMBER OF RESOURCES WITHIN PROPERTY
Number of Contributing Buildings:5
Number of Contributing Sites:0
Number of Contributing Structures:2
Number of Contributing Objects:0
Number of Non-Contributing Sites:0
Number of Non-Contributing Structures:2
Number of Non-Contributing Objects:0
RECORD LOCATION
National Register and State Register of Historic Places, State Historic Preservation Office, Wisconsin Historical Society, Madison, Wisconsin

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National Register of Historic Places Citation
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