National Register of Historic Places

Hot Lake Resort

La Grande, Union County, Oregon
Listed
March 15, 1979
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
79002148

About this property

Hot Lake Hotel (also known as Hot Lake Sanatorium and Hot Lake Resort) is a historic Colonial Revival hotel originally built in 1864 in Hot Lake, Union County, Oregon, United States. The hotel received its namesake from the thermal spring on the property, and operated as a luxury resort and sanitorium during the turn of the century, advertising the medicinal attributes of the mineral water and drawing visitors worldwide. It is also the first known commercial building in the world to utilize geothermal energy as its primary heat source. After a fire burned down over half of the hotel in 1934, the remaining building was used for various purposes, including a retirement home, and a nurse's training school during World War II. After that, operations were intermittent under various owners before the building's abandonment in 1991. The hotel and surrounding structures were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. Today, it is operated as a hot springs resort with lodging, pub/eatery, movie theater, and hot springs soaking. Previous restoration done by the Manuels from 2005 to 2013 has been continued and expanded by new ownership as of 2020. Prior owners included future governor Walter M. Pierce and former state senator Parish L. Willis.

Location

La Grande, Union County, Oregon
45.24342, -117.95802

Categories

COMMERCETRANSPORTATIONENTERTAINMENT/RECREATIONARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Hot Lake Resort

This page lists Hot Lake Resort. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
First month just $5.99, then $11.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your Hot Lake Resort report
Or see a real report first

Nearby Historic Sites

Townley, W. J., House
Industrial
4.7 mi
Eaton, Abel E., House
Industrial
5 mi
Union Main Street Historic District
Civil War
5 mi
Ascension Episcopal Church and Rectory
Industrial
8 mi
Administration Building
Industrial
8.4 mi

Questions about this property

When was Hot Lake Resort listed on the National Register?

Hot Lake Resort was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on March 15, 1979.

What type of historic resource is Hot Lake Resort?

Hot Lake Resort is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Hot Lake Resort?

The period of significance for Hot Lake Resort is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Hot Lake Resort?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Hot Lake Resort will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

More in Union County

Historic places, battles, and census history across Union County.

Explore UnionCounty ›

More historic places in Oregon

Browse all historic places in Oregon.

View Oregonhistoric sites ›

Conflict records

Explore 19,000+ military engagements across American history.

Browse US conflicts ›

Oregon history

Colonial settlement, territorial period, and statehood narrative.

Oregonhistory ›

Research the history near this site

An Aubrey US report for an address near Hot Lake Resort will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.

Research your locationView a free sample report