Hotel Lakeside

Hotel Lakeside is one of the most prominent buildings in Lakeside, and has accommodated visitors to the Chautauqua resort community since 1875. Lakeside is located near the tip of the Marblehead Peninsula, just west of the village of Marblehead and the hotel sits at the northwest corner of the Lakeside property, on a hill overlooking Lake Erie across a wide lawn leading down to the dock and pavilion that originally greeted ferry travelers. The original 3-story, wood-frame building is attributed to Toledo builder William R. Tappan (1830–1905). Little is known of Tappan’s work, but he is listed as a carpenter and contractor in Toledo City Directories throughout the late nineteenth century. This central part of the hotel originally featured a bracketed Italianate cornice, a 2-story porch with delicate wood details, and a central octagonal cupola. A 2-story wing on the west end housed a large dining room and additional sleeping rooms. A long, narrow addition constructed in 1890 created the existing east wing, with similar but simpler detailing than that used on the original section. The original cupola was removed early on, and the first-floor porch was widened in 1914. The west end of the north porch was enclosed at the first floor in 1947, and the entire second-level porch was later removed from all elevations. In continuous use for over 140 years, Hotel Lakeside has experienced a number of minor changes to its interior plan and finishes, but its main public spaces and defining features are relatively unaltered, preserving its unique character and charm.