King County Landmarks: Lake Wilderness Lodge (1950), Maple Valley

  • By Heather MacIntosh
  • Posted 1/01/2000
  • HistoryLink.org Essay 2390
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Address: 22500 SE 248th Street, Maple Valley. Lake Wilderness Lodge, designed by the Seattle architectural firm Young & Richardson, opened in 1950. The building was developed by the Gaffney family, which had operated Gaffney's Lake Wilderness resort on the north end of Lake Wilderness in Maple Valley since the 1920s. The lodge provided overnight accommodations, a restaurant, and meeting spaces. In 1952, the innovative design, which integrated the building into its sloping site while offering views of the lake and Mount Rainier beyond, received a prestigious American Institute of Architect's National Honor Award. The resort became part of the King County Park system in 1964. Today (2000) the lodge is used as a recreation center.


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