Glen Elder Castle Lodge -- Glen Elder KS - Chalet, Cottage, and Cabin Style Lodging on Waymarking.com

The cte cute cute E. W. Norris service station was built in 1926 to serve the needs of motorists along the then-busy US 24 transcontinental highway.

By 1976, when the property was listed on the US National Register of Historic Places, the US 24 highway had been routed around the town and the service station was vacant.

In 2011 it was bought by the Winkel family who renovated it into a single-cabin-style accomodation for up to 4-6 travelers.

From the Glen Elder Castle Lodge website: (visit link)

Glen Elder Castle Lodge, located in Glen Elder, Kansas, near the shores of Waconda Lake, offers luxury, overnight lodging unlike any other.

The Castle Lodge provides the perfect setting whether for single nights or extended stays and can be appreciated by:

Hunters & fishermen after a long day of sport.

Family and friends returning to their home town.

Travelers passing though after a long day’s drive.

Couples or families just wanting to escape.

Visitors enjoying a stay at Waconda Lake.

Sleeps up to 4-6

Built in 1926, the old E.W. Norris Castle Service Station is built entirely of native limestone rock. It is listed in the US National Register of Historical Places. The station was renovated with guesthouse amenities in 2012 by owners Dan & Linda Winkel.

Flat Screen TV

Central Heating & Air

Top Grade Mattresses

Solid Wood Beds

Quality Linens & Towels

Leather Couch

Gas Fireplace

Oak Table & Floors

Mini Refrigerator

Microwave

Coffeemaker & Popcorn

Outdoor Gas Grill

Housekeeping


Some history of the building, aslo from the hotel website:

The son of Lylburn and Carrie Norris, Ernest (best known as "Ernie") was born July 17, 1888, in Cawker City, Kansas. Coming from a family with interests in equipment business, Ernie continued this tradition in 1916 by constructing, then operating a garage and service station which was located just south of the current Wayne's Sporting Goods store, approximately 300 feet north of the bridge spanning the Solomon River. The building was special for it's time as it was built with a heating system in it's shop which allowed for year-round comfort for employees.

Several years after, Ernie acted on a dream that he had had since being in the military during World War I -- constructing a service station that resembled a castle he'd observed in Luxemburg. The project was started and completed in 1926.

Well built, the structure's pilings are sunk 15 feet into the earth, and it is said that each stone was cut to fit. The building still stands today as a reminder of a man who served his country during the First World War and returned to his hometown for the betterment of the community.

News Paper Articles

Glen Elder Sentinel--Wednesday, April 21, 1926

E. W. Norris New Service Station

The new service station being erected where the old Pound building stood, by E. W. Norris, will be of native stone. The building was designed by Architect Frank A. Slack, of Beloit and when completed will be, without a doubt, the prettiest building of its kind between Kansas City and Denver., The building will be 30 x 50 feet with a basement underneath the south portion. The large archway will extend toward the north, the driveway being east and west. A large and commodious ladies rest room will be at the south end of the structure with walks leading in from the sidewalk on the west. Three stone masons and assistants are busy working on the building and work will be pushed steadily until the station is completed. Mr. Norris expects to have the station ready for opening by June 10." [end]

Daily, weekly, or monthly rates: daily rate: $75 for 2 people, extra people are $25 per person (not including kids -- they'll work with you to charge a fair price for kids) Discounts available?: Military Kitchens or kitchenettes in the rooms?: kitchenette Refrigerator?: in the kitchenette Fireplaces in the rooms?: in the living area Handicap accessible rooms?: Yes Restaurant on premises and type of restaurant?: no Childcare provisions?: no Swimming pool?: within walking distance in the city park Meeting or convention room(s) available?: no Office hours and any seasonal operating times or closed periods?: office hours are 8am-10pm The Castle Lodge is open all year It is non-smoking and does not allow pets (or hunting dogs) in the rooms Describe ease of accessibility to the location using a vehicle, hiking, etc.: The lodge is located on Main Street on the square in downtown Glen Elder. Office phone number: 785-545-4424 Office address: Main and Market St Glen Elder KS Website of facility: [Web Link] Types of recreation, activities, and attractions nearby: hunting fishing boating Glen Elder State Park

Visit Instructions:

Please submit a photo(s) taken by you of your visit to the location (non-copyrighted photos only). GPS photos are also accepted with the location in the background, and old vacation photos are accepted. Additional pictures are appreciated of the area and facility to help others identify if this is the kind of place they want to stay. If you are not able to provide a photo, then please describe your visit or give a story about the visit

Notify the waymark owner of any changes in the status of the facility to ensure the waymark description is kept current. This may include changes in rates, area attractions, renovations, additions to facilities, increased lodging restrictions, etc.

If you visit and find the facility is closed permanently, notify both the group officers and waymark owner of the change. We will then update the waymark description and name to include the words "Closed permanently", and may consider the waymark to be archived.

Recent Visits/Logs:

Date Logged Log User Rating   03/15/2013 Benchmark Blasterz visited it