Elk-Rogers/Park Hotel Listed on National Register of Historic Places, 1982 (with the help of Beth Ann Schumacher, whose husband, Mark, took these photos): Park Hotel of Clear Lake is a classic piece of late Victorian architecture often found in the trans-Mississippi West. The three story structure is made of soft brick native to the area. Distinguishing features of the building include the fan windows and large porch with Doric columns supporting the roof above the porch. The hotel is the last of its type in the state as most resort hotels of this period have been razed.Historical significance is associated with the building since its foundation was built by James Dickerson, one of the founders of Clear Lake. In 1857, Dickerson built a wood boarding house hotel called the Lake House on this site. Town Lot Deed Transfer Records of Cerro Gordo County indicate that Adeline and E.C. Schader purchased Lot 1 of Block 12, Clear Lake Addition to the City of Clear Lake in April of 1900; at that time they moved the Lake House to the back of the lot. Discovering the original 1857 foundation to be sound, it was reinforced where needed and the Park Hotel building was constructed during the winter of 1901 on the old Lake House site. Initially, the hotel was known as the Elks. In 1916, it was changed to the Rogers as the First National Bank of Clear Lake, incorporated by the Rogers family, owned the hotel. The current name of Park Hotel was given to the building in 1944. In addition to the importance linked with the building since its foundation was built by one of Clear Lakes founders; additional historical significance is associated with F.M. Rogers of the First National Bank of Clear Lake, which owned the hotel for a time, who was Clerk of Circuit Court for Cerro Gordo County and the State of Iowa from his election in November of 1868 through 1874.
Posted on: Thu, 21 Aug 2014 13:29:05 +0000
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