The Historic Lutsen Lodge

02/06/2025

It is certainly hard to believe it has been one year since the tragic loss of our beloved lodge due to a devastating fire. The last year has been a roller coast of emotions. It has also been a year of what feels like a “hurry up and wait” period. We are at the mercy of process and as much as we would love to put hammer to nail we have to be patient of timelines and processes.

While we wait for the opportunity to start the site remediation and more importantly the long awaited rebuild that will follow; we are not waiting idly by. Over the last year we have been specializing our efforts to take advantage of this period of waiting. The time has allowed us to ensure perfection will come when we move into a phase of preconstruction with architects and engineers. Our time and efforts has been focused on research of the original plans from Edwin Lundie, studying Mr. Lundie's other renowned work and projects and even researching original details that Mr. Lundie designed for Lutsen that never came to be and will add that extra special touch in the re-build.

The Lutsen Lodge was such a remarkable place and landmark that we are blessed with thousands and thousands of photos to sift through. Items from our own to photos on social media and sites such as Flikr. We have taken this abundant resource and cataloged all of the intricate details that made Lutsen so unique to ensure they are not lost. The original plans are certainly key. However, the carvings and intricate details took a life of their own by the woodworking artists commissioned to create them. Every carving, every highlight has been cataloged in order to be replicated exactly.

We are blessed to be able to work with our previous in-house company project manager who is a very talented drafter who has heavily researched Edwin Lundie’s work. Plans have been drafted for the re-build eagerly awaiting the engineering process. The new plans and elevations are designed to be built on the existing foundation that remains so we can hold true to our history as Minnesota’s oldest resort dating back to 1885.

The road ahead will surely be long, but in due time greatness will be restored and Lake Superior's North Shore will once again be graced with a Lodge true to grandeur and opulence of the ages.

12/25/2024

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas!
A special thank you to the Flry family for sharing pictures of their cherished Lutsen Holiday memories.

These are absolutely wonderful!

12/20/2024

❤️

December 20 update: Oops! We've discovered a printing error in our Cook County Historical Society Calendars. A reorder has been placed and will be on its way to us shortly - donors taking advantage of our Calendar promotion (details below) can expect their calendars to ship in early January. We apologize for the inconvenience.

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With a fresh coating of snow, we imagine many will be out and about enjoying winter activities over the next few days.

This photo is from 1951 taken at Lutsen Resort, and is just one of many found in our new 2025 Calendar, which celebrates the Historical Society's past 100 years.

Now through January 31, any donation $50 or more receives a free calendar. Learn more: https://www.cookcountyhistory.org/2025calendar

You can also order the calendar separately here: https://www.cookcountyhistory.org/shop/2025-historic-cook-county-calendar

Photo: Cook County Historical Society

11/28/2024

We are still thankful for this amazing view. We look forward to the day we can share it with you once again.

Wishing you all a Happy Thanksgiving!

06/21/2024

As we research the past for the future we came across the first rendering by Edwin Lundie of our beloved lodge and wanted to share it with all of you.

04/21/2024

We received this amazing original 1929 post card from a guest this week in the mail… an early generation had been Lutsen Resort Guests in 1929 and sent this post card to share memories… a cancelled postmarked Ben Franklin 1929 ONE cent stamp… mailed to us in an envelope with postage of current .68 cents… Thank you Ms Carol Alderman, WI.

02/11/2024

A statement from Bryce Campbell:
STOP. Shame on so many of you. The damage that has been done is going beyond a building. This tragedy should only be about the loss of such an important icon and the people affected by it including so much of our team. Instead the site has become a spectacle in the likes of a roadside attraction for photos and the tragic loss has become a source of enjoyment for gossipers and headlines to sell news subscriptions.
I don’t think any of you know what it’s like to be in hurt and pain with a loss like this to begin with, but then to have it become so much more, it’s almost impossible to describe the feeling. Myself aside, going after our hardworking management team, posts discrediting the amazing work some of them have done just because you can’t handle change; that’s just sad. So many of us were proud of what we had been accomplishing. You might not have liked that we changed to fine dining, you may not have liked that we were positioning to a boutique luxury property, but that doesn’t give you the right to troll on social media the way you have been, that doesn’t give you the right to go after the reputation of not just myself but our very talented management team that was working so hard to achieve this vision.
What was lost this week was so much more than just a building. We lost our identity. I’ve told so many that one of the saddest things to this beyond the obvious is that I’ll never get that bronze “Historic Hotels of America” plaque I’ve longed for to have proudly displayed next to the entry door. My love for Lutsen is the same as many who value history. It’s always been a joke amongst our organization how it’s my favorite, but of course it is. Those who frequented the Lodge know that there is simply a feeling when you pull up, when you walk up those steps and open the door to the lobby and are greeted by an old warmth.
I ask all of you contributing to the unnecessary negativity to stop. We will be re-building this lodge as close as possible to the original, we will be doing everything we can to make sure that the re-build is done in a way that makes the building seem as though it’s always been there. We are doing everything we can to hang onto the existing fireplace stone to re-use for the re-build knowing that was the buildings heart. The last thing we want is for the greatness and 140 year history of Lutsen to be tarnished. We want to proudly re-build tied to that history, let’s not forget that.
We’re not going anywhere and our immense appreciation for Edwin Lundie will ensure that if anyone is going to make sure the lodge is rebuilt with honor, it’s us. Greatness will be restored beginning with the original stones so that fond fireplace is still our heart and our history will remain as Minnesota’s first and oldest resort.
“A house with no fireplace is a house without a heart”
- Gladys Taber

Fact Statement
The following is facts that we believe need to be stated based on the recent mis spread of information on various media platforms:
- Zero guests. This is not “suspicious”. This winter has been extremely slow without the snow. We likely have had a dozen zero occupancy days this winter. It’s not the norm for most winters, but a norm for this winter unfortunately.
- The apparent “Failed Fire Inspection”. Every property receives a fire inspection. On it “violations” might sound extreme, but it’s no different than a Health Inspection either. The inspections are done to find issues that need resolved so the property can do just that, resolve them to ensure it’s safe for everyone. Which is what we do with every inspection. What made this different was the documentation for the panel inspection, what isn’t noted is that it was also because we just put in a brand new fire alarm panel. That’s right folks, you can’t have an annual inspection on something that isn’t even annual in age yet. The piece about the sprinkler system, once again, an important part of this was the fact that we were tying in the all new portion of the system leading to the third floor. The system was not only functioning, we actually were making it better.
- The “apparent” lawsuits from cabin owners. Fact, we have not been served any lawsuits from any of these individuals. Not to say that they don’t intend to or that they most likely are now, but I can tell you even as of today I have not been served any claims. I’m disappointed in some of the owners actions for the sake of a story, but I understand they are concerned about receiving their final payments after we ended the contract with them. I’m dismayed at a few, but also know that some of the other owners are great people and I hope they trust us to still do the final reconciliation they are owed when we can after this.
- Regarding unpaid sales tax, our sales tax is in fact paid to date.
- Regarding property taxes. Out of all our parcels, two small parcels seem to get missed from the escrow payment every year. This is pretty minor, the main portion was in fact paid, and not only that we were anticipating a refund from overpayment of $53,000.
- No we were not filing for bankruptcy. I’ve never engaged with a bankruptcy lawyer in my 22 years of business, that’s not how I work. A slow winter doesn’t equate to bankruptcy, you just focus on the busy summer ahead.

02/09/2024

Notice: while many of you have always known the resort to be a public place, we ask at this time to please respect the traffic cones blocking off the driveway and do not pass them as a pedestrian either. Please be respectful of officials doing their jobs and also respectful of serious safety issues with the site.

02/09/2024

Many of us here found our hearts to be broken, but the absolutely overwhelming amount of supportful comments from so many of you have started to help make our hearts full again. Your thoughts will most certainly give us the strength to power through to get this icon rebuilt again in a way that makes it seem as it's always been here, that day will come!
At this time we'd like to also thank all the organizations and emergency responders that night, to which there was many. We value your service greatly and will be reaching out to all of you soon, thank you for what you do!

02/06/2024

The Historic Lutsen Lodge has been taken by a devastating fire this evening…. A total loss to the lodge building…. Fires in 1949, 1951 and 2024. The amazing memories made here are in our hearts as we begin the heavy weighted process to rebuilt back better.