Belton Chalets
Encyclopedia
The Belton Chalets are a group of historic hotel
buildings in the village of West Glacier
, Montana
, near the western entrance to Glacier National Park. The chalet buildings were built in 1910-11 by the Great Northern Railway (GN) as the first component of the railroad's ambitious program of hotel, road, and trail construction in Glacier. The buildings featured a "Swiss Chalet" architectural style that set the style for much of the Great Northern's building program in Glacier. Ultimately, the site included five buildings, including a dining hall and a hotel facility.
During the 1910s and 1920s the Belton Chalet was operated by the Glacier Park Hotel Company
, the GN subsidiary responsible for the railroad's concession operations in Glacier. The property was less successful than the GN's other Glacier facilities, however, probably due to its remoteness from the park's other railway-operated hotels, and by the 1930s it saw only intermittent use. The railway sold the chalet buildings in 1946, and the main hotel building stood empty for most of the next five decades, while a cafe and bar intermittently operated in the old dining hall. In 1997 ,the property was acquired by new owners who undertook a $1 million restoration of the entire complex, and the hotel reopened beginning with the 1998 summer season. http://www.beltonchalet.com/ The chalet buildings, together with other sites were included in the National Historic Landmark
designation of Great Northern Railway Buildings
in 2000.
Hotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...
buildings in the village of West Glacier
West Glacier, Montana
West Glacier is a small unincorporated community in eastern Flathead County, Montana, United States. The town is at the west entrance to Glacier National Park and is located on U.S. Route 2 and a main line of the BNSF Railway. The headquarters complex for Glacier National Park is located nearby...
, Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
, near the western entrance to Glacier National Park. The chalet buildings were built in 1910-11 by the Great Northern Railway (GN) as the first component of the railroad's ambitious program of hotel, road, and trail construction in Glacier. The buildings featured a "Swiss Chalet" architectural style that set the style for much of the Great Northern's building program in Glacier. Ultimately, the site included five buildings, including a dining hall and a hotel facility.
During the 1910s and 1920s the Belton Chalet was operated by the Glacier Park Hotel Company
Glacier Park Company
The Glacier Park Company, a subsidiary of the Great Northern Railway , constructed and operated hotels, chalets, and other visitor facilities in Glacier National Park, Montana and Waterton Lakes National Park, Alberta from the 1910s through 1960...
, the GN subsidiary responsible for the railroad's concession operations in Glacier. The property was less successful than the GN's other Glacier facilities, however, probably due to its remoteness from the park's other railway-operated hotels, and by the 1930s it saw only intermittent use. The railway sold the chalet buildings in 1946, and the main hotel building stood empty for most of the next five decades, while a cafe and bar intermittently operated in the old dining hall. In 1997 ,the property was acquired by new owners who undertook a $1 million restoration of the entire complex, and the hotel reopened beginning with the 1998 summer season. http://www.beltonchalet.com/ The chalet buildings, together with other sites were included in the National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
designation of Great Northern Railway Buildings
Great Northern Railway Buildings
Great Northern Railway Buildings is a National Historic Landmark that now includes five complexes of buildings in Glacier National Park. The buildings were built by Great Northern Railway....
in 2000.