Lakeside in Ottawa County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Wesley Lodge

Lakeside Heritage Trail

— Lakeside Chautauqua 150 Years 1873 - 2023 —

Wesley Lodge Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Craig Doda, July 24, 2025

1. Wesley Lodge Marker

Inscription. Wesley Lodge was built in 1960 as the centerpiece of the Lakeside Youth Campus.

Erected 2023 by Lakeside Heritage Society. (Marker Number 24.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Fraternal or Sororal Organizations. A significant historical year for this entry is 1960.

Location. 41° 32.514′ N, 82° 44.969′ W. Marker is in Lakeside, Ohio, in Ottawa County. It is at the intersection of Central Avenue and West 5th Street, on the right when traveling south on Central Avenue. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 540 Central Ave, Lakeside Marblehead OH 43440, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is on the Lake Erie Shore

and in the Toledo Metropolitan Area.

It is also in the American Midwest,

on the Great Lakes,

and in the Corn Belt.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Viceroyalty of New France,

the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

and the Northwest Territory.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: South Auditorium (within shouting distance of this marker); Wo-Ho-Mis (within shouting distance of this marker); United Methodist Church (within shouting distance of this marker); German Auditorium (within shouting distance of this marker); The Fire of October 20, 1929 / The Lakeside Volunteer Fire Protective Association (within shouting distance of this marker); Epworth Lodge (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Linga Longa (about 400 feet away); Hoover Potato Digger & Lakeside (about 500 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Lakeside.

Also see . . .

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1. Welcome to the Lakeside Heritage Trail. One hundred and fifty years ago, the founders of Lakeside stood on the shores of Lake Erie envisioning a place for the faithful to gather in community. Since then, millions of people have been beckoned to this beautiful, peaceful sanctuary to deepen their connection to Lakeside’s timeless mission…

To enrich the quality of life for all people, to foster traditional Christian values, and to nurture relationships through opportunities for renewal and growth – spiritually, intellectually, culturally and physically – while preserving Lakeside’s heritage.

With the new year, we welcome Lakeside’s 150th Anniversary – a time to honor the past, celebrate the present and look to the future. This exciting Sesquicentennial Celebration connects us to the mission through enriching religious life programs, educational lectures, cultural arts performances and recreational activities. (Submitted on August 11, 2025, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio.)

2. 24. Wesley Lodge. Then
Construction of Wesley Lodge was approved by the Lakeside Association Board of Trustees in fall 1960 to replace Epworth Lodge, which was built in 1919 as the headquarters and dining hall for Epworth League events.

By 1959, the Ottawa County Health Department was pressuring Lakeside to do something urgently as the Epworth Lodge kitchen

Photographed by Craig Doda, July 24, 2025

2. Wesley Lodge Marker

had fallen below the county’s health standards. Lakeside was granted permission for one more year of food service at the old Lodge. The original 1960 plan was to demolish Epworth Lodge, now home of the Rhein Center for the Living Arts one block south, and build a new youth dining facility on the Epworth site.

Fortunately, the architects recommended leaving Epworth Lodge in place for other uses and relocating construction of the new dining hall, to be called Wesley Lodge, to a vacant site northwest of South Auditorium. Wesley Lodge was to become the focal point of an area called the “Youth Campus” which would include Wo-Ho-Mis, South Auditorium and the renovated Epworth Lodge.

Funds were available from the Lakeside Crusade, a fundraising campaign among churches of the Ohio Conferences of the Methodist Church for the benefit of Lakeside. The crusade enabled the Lakeside Association to build Wesley Lodge debt-free and in time for the 1961 Methodist Youth Fellowship Institutes that attracted hundreds of senior high school students throughout the summer. The total project budget was $111,415. The new 9,000 square foot building design had concrete block walls with native stone facing, large glass panel windows, and a stone fireplace. The Lodge would seat 500 for meals in two dining rooms with a modern kitchen. Construction was completed on budget as reported at the

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dedication on June 25, 1961.

Jane Knight, who managed and cooked food for decades in the small Epworth Lodge kitchen, continued her role as dining room manager for the first summer in Wesley Lodge. With a staff of 11 people, she prepared food in the new kitchen to serve three meals each day for 500 to 600 teenagers.

Now
Renovated in 2005, today’s Wesley Lodge still plays an important role in summer youth programming as the dining hall where teens share conversation during daily meals. The Lodge also hosts receptions, dinners, meetings and special events like the Labor Day spaghetti dinner, Mother’s Day brunch, Christmas parties, antique and craft shows, and Red Cross blood drives for Lakeside and the larger Ottawa County community. (Submitted on August 11, 2025, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio.)

Credits. This page was last revised on August 26, 2025. It was originally submitted on August 11, 2025, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. This page has been viewed 72 times since then and 22 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on August 11, 2025, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.