Glacier Park Lodge
Encyclopedia
Glacier Park Lodge is located just outside the boundaries of Glacier National Park in the village of East Glacier Park, Montana
, United States
. The lodge was built in 1913 by the Glacier Park Company
, a subsidiary of the Great Northern Railway. Glacier Park Lodge has 60 Douglas Fir columns 40 feet (12 m) tall and between 36 and 42 inches (91 to 106 cm) in diameter, many of which frame the central atrium. Each column was brought in by rail from the Pacific Northwest because trees in Montana rarely grow as big as this. The lodge was styled as a Swiss
chalet akin to other lodges built by the Great Northern between 1913 and 1917. A nine hole golf course
is a part of the lodge complex and was added in 1927, becoming the first golf course in the state of Montana. The lodge is only open during the summer months between late May and the latter half of September.
Louis Hill, President of the Great Northern Railway and son of James J. Hill
developed the Glacier Park lodges as part of his plan to upgrade Great Northern passenger services and compete more effectively with the rival Northern Pacific and Union Pacific Railroads, whose proximity to Yellowstone National Park provided a major attraction for tourists along those routes.
Hill lobbied Congress for the designation of national park status for Glacier Park, and got it in 1910. The Railroad then began building Glacier Park Lodge, the first of several Great Northern lodges in the Park. Hill marketed the Park as an "American Alps," and many of the facilities were developed like Swiss alpine hotels.
The Great Northern commissioned Samuel L. Bartlett of St. Paul, Minnesota as the architect for the Glacier Park Lodge, but Hill controlled every major aspect of the design.
The Lodge was based on the Forestry Building at the 1905 Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition
in Portland, Oregon. The floor plan is patterned after early Christian basilicas. As a result, the lobby provides a mood of calm sanctuary. The spiritual tone is reinforced by St. Andrew crosses in the balcony railings. Originally opened with only 61 guest rooms and was soon expanded with the 111 room annex.
Amtrak
still markets the park as a tourist destination for its Empire Builder
passenger train, and many of Glacier National Park visitors still arrive by train. Once common among many National Park railroad tour destinations, the Glacier Park lodges are among the last with a real railroad tie.
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,...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The lodge was built in 1913 by the Glacier Park 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...
, a subsidiary of the Great Northern Railway. Glacier Park Lodge has 60 Douglas Fir columns 40 feet (12 m) tall and between 36 and 42 inches (91 to 106 cm) in diameter, many of which frame the central atrium. Each column was brought in by rail from the Pacific Northwest because trees in Montana rarely grow as big as this. The lodge was styled as a Swiss
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
chalet akin to other lodges built by the Great Northern between 1913 and 1917. A nine hole golf course
Golf course
A golf course comprises a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing ground, fairway, rough and other hazards, and a green with a flagstick and cup, all designed for the game of golf. A standard round of golf consists of playing 18 holes, thus most golf courses have this number of holes...
is a part of the lodge complex and was added in 1927, becoming the first golf course in the state of Montana. The lodge is only open during the summer months between late May and the latter half of September.
Louis Hill, President of the Great Northern Railway and son of James J. Hill
James J. Hill
James Jerome Hill , was a Canadian-American railroad executive. He was the chief executive officer of a family of lines headed by the Great Northern Railway, which served a substantial area of the Upper Midwest, the northern Great Plains, and Pacific Northwest...
developed the Glacier Park lodges as part of his plan to upgrade Great Northern passenger services and compete more effectively with the rival Northern Pacific and Union Pacific Railroads, whose proximity to Yellowstone National Park provided a major attraction for tourists along those routes.
Hill lobbied Congress for the designation of national park status for Glacier Park, and got it in 1910. The Railroad then began building Glacier Park Lodge, the first of several Great Northern lodges in the Park. Hill marketed the Park as an "American Alps," and many of the facilities were developed like Swiss alpine hotels.
The Great Northern commissioned Samuel L. Bartlett of St. Paul, Minnesota as the architect for the Glacier Park Lodge, but Hill controlled every major aspect of the design.
The Lodge was based on the Forestry Building at the 1905 Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition
Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition
The Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition, commonly also known as the Lewis and Clark Exposition, and officially known as the Lewis and Clark Centennial American Pacific Exposition and Oriental Fair, was a worldwide exposition held in Portland, Oregon, United States in 1905 to celebrate the...
in Portland, Oregon. The floor plan is patterned after early Christian basilicas. As a result, the lobby provides a mood of calm sanctuary. The spiritual tone is reinforced by St. Andrew crosses in the balcony railings. Originally opened with only 61 guest rooms and was soon expanded with the 111 room annex.
Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
still markets the park as a tourist destination for its Empire Builder
Empire Builder
The Empire Builder is a passenger train route operated by Amtrak in the Midwestern and Northwestern United States. It is Amtrak's busiest long-distance route and busiest daily train, carrying more than 500,000 travelers annually since 2007. Overall, it is the railroad's 10th-busiest line. Before...
passenger train, and many of Glacier National Park visitors still arrive by train. Once common among many National Park railroad tour destinations, the Glacier Park lodges are among the last with a real railroad tie.
External links
- Dutiful Son: Louis W. Hill Sr. Book, Book about Louis W. Hill Sr., son and successor of empire builder James J. Hill and major force behind the establishment and development of Glacier National Park.