Watres Lodge / The Boat House

Watres Lodge, also, The Boat House. . , Watres Lodge , The grand old lodge, built in the “Adirondack Great Camp” style of architecture, was erected in 1903, by local farmers and craftsmen hired by then congressman and coal mine operator William Connell. It was constructed of local oak wood which was used for trim and architectural features. For the interior walls, floors and ceilings, as well as the exterior shingles, Connell had Tennessee yellow pine shipped north by railroad. And, the interior work is all “virgin” pine, which means it is entirely knot free! The support structure and foundation is all native stone – some of it glacial deposited. , The Lodge features such classis historic architecture as 13 gables, a separation of maids quarters from the main rooms, a kitchen cooling breezeway, large wooden pantry with oak china closets, and an exterior dining porch. The house also boasted such rare luxuries as gas lighting throughout, steam heat, a walk-in cooling box made of American Chestnut wood, and gravity fed water serving the 3 bath rooms and kitchen. The lodge has two fireplaces, a main parlor, huge dining room, 9 bedrooms, dual stairways and maintains its original natural paneling today, throughout. Visitors will find the only missing features are the original coal cooking stoves, the 3 large stone washing sinks, and the rustic “branch” railings the front of the house and porches (the latter Lacawac plans to restore when funding becomes available). , Connell Park and the lodge were sold to Col. Louis Watres in 1912, as the first of the properties he obtained in assembling the land he would require to build Lake Wallenpaupack. The lodge is used today for conferences, environmental classes and lectures, and houses visiting scientists and researchers. In 1986 it was renamed “Watres Lodge” in honor of Arthur Watres, grandson of the Colonel and benefactor of Lacawac Sanctuary Foundation. The lodge and all surrounding property was gifted by the family to Lacawac Sanctuary Foundation – a non profit volunteer organization, in 1966., The Boat House , The Boat House used to sit down next to the small filled in land areas that protrudes into Lake Lacawac (current dry dock). It housed the family’s row boats and fishing gear and for a while housed a small wooden steam boat that was enjoyed by the Congressman himself while on the lake. The boat house came down prior to 1948, after being neglected during the war years. Lacawac Sanctuary Foundation does not plan to replace the structure as our preservation priorities call for keeping Lake Lacawac in a totally pristine state.