When it opened in 1893, the first structures of Sturtevant Camp were canvas tents erected for the summer camping season. Wilbur’s mountain business venture was successful enough that he soon saw the need for a permanent structure for cooking and serving meals. The “Swiss Dining Pavilion” was designed to make the most of the cool mountain air of the summer, with no walls but a good maple floor also suitable for dancing.
- Originally, the kitchen was below the dining floor; later as the Camp grew, the kitchen was moved up to the same level as the dining hall, and what is now the Adams’ Fireplace Room was added. The old ‘downstairs’ kitchen served as a distillery during prohibition, and later had a few slot machines hauled in place for guests.
- By the time the Methodist Church took responsibility for the Camp, the Lodge was pretty much as we see it today; the lower levels have variously been storage and sleeping quarters for a cook, and continue so now.
- In the late 1990’s, Manager Chris Kasten supervised two extraordinary projects; one was to remove and completely rebuild the kitchen floor (which had been sagging under the weight of the big Wolf cooking range and termite damage.) The second was to disassemble the east exterior corner of the stone foundation, which was also sinking on the soft edge of the canyon; carefully marking all the stones, the corner pillar was rebuilt to last another 100 years.
Inside, the Lodge remains the same: same wooden floor, worn smooth by more than a hundred year’s of hikers boots and dancers shoes; the wall posts and beams are original, most of the roof beams too, the roof itself entirely so. During the 1960’s and 70’s, groups usually marked their stay by crafting a small decorated plaque using a cast-off mule or horse shoe, which is now displayed on the crossbeams. Step gently when you come into the Lodge, for you are stepping into a rich and wonderful history.
