Imagine restoring a lake cabin that's been closed up for at least 20 years. That was the assignment Coeur d'Alene's Verdis, a civil engineering and construction firm, was given at Idaho's Heyburn State Park.
The Civilian Conservation Corps built Rocky Point Lodge in 1941 on the shore of the southern tip of Lake Coeur d'Alene. The design of the rustic structure had a lot going for it. "I was so impressed with the logs, and the rocks are just beautiful," says Verdis owner Sandy Young.
But sitting unused had taken a toll. The team had to deal with "20 years of guano and bat urine and literally hundreds of bats" in the building, says Young. After Coeur d'Alene's Critter Gitter firm rid the building of bats (and sealed it up so they wouldn't return), the building's electrical, plumbing and mechanical systems were updated, and the historic finishes were preserved. The lodge was also made ADA accessible.
For their efforts in the restoration, in July the firm took home one of just 10 Orchid Awards recognizing positive contributions to historic preservation given by the Idaho Historic Preservation Council. (And a much better award than an Onion, given to projects that exhibit insensitivity to the state's cultural history.)
Though the firm, which was named Idaho's Woman-Owned Business of the Year in 2022, handles about 70 projects a month — including work for the National Park Service, the City of Seattle and Seattle's Pike Place Market — the Rocky Point Lodge project had a certain sweetness. "To think that gem sat there for 20 years untouched makes it even more special," says Young.
Though Heyburn State Park officials say they don't have a firm date at this time, the lodge, which features a kitchen and living room downstairs and bedrooms upstairs, will most likely be rentable in spring 2024.
