A historic resort was burned to the ground after a fire spread from the lobby and engulfed the entire structure.
The Lutsen Lodge in the North Shore was the oldest operating resort in Minnesota and beloved by tourists and locals.
A fire alarm was reported at the lodge just before 12.30am on Tuesday, according to Cook County officials. Staff said they saw smoke seeping from the floor from the lobby.
No guests were inside the hotel at the time and no one was hurt, CBS News reported.
In a Facebook post on Tuesday morning, the Lutsen Lodge shared that the hotel had survived a couple other blazes over the years and thanked patrons for their support.
‘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 post stated. ‘The amazing memories made here are in our hearts as we begin the heavy weighted process to rebuilt back better.’
In less than 24 hours, the post had received about 3,400 shares and more than 950 comments.
‘This is heartbreaking! I worked here 20 years ago- best time of my life! Always planned on bringing my kids back to see it from NZ,’ wrote a Facebook user. ‘My heart is breaking. I hope what rises from the ashes is better than before.’
Another user wrote: ‘Thank you for all the beautiful memories. Your lodge and an employee named Darrel will always have a place in our heart. Can’t wait to visit again when rebuilt.’
Many users shared their memories that spanned generations at the lodge.
‘We had wonderful Memories there with my kids and grandparents,’ wrote one user. ‘Such a Beautiful Historic Place.’
An investigation into the cause of the blaze is being led by the state fire marshall.
The land where the lodge was built was purchased by a Swedish immigrant 139 years ago. The family of Charles Nelson would offer shelter to travelers in their house near the Poplar River and eventually replaced it with a hotel, according to the Society of Architectural Historians Archipedia.
They named the hotel after the battle of Lützen between Sweden and Austria in 1632. The hotel expanded in the 1920s to include a lobby, dining room and more rooms. It was destroyed by a blaze in 1948 and rebuilt the following year, but burned down again two years later. A replica was erected in 1952, and that is the version that was recently destroyed.
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