I am sorry to say Oakwood Lodge is having an auction this Saturday morning at 10 AM. It is part of the orginal Oakwood and has been a B&B since before I was born. When I was a kid the Roth family owned it. I always had a great time there. Mary Ellen made great breakfasts and Patty was always working around the place somewhere. I wonder what will happen to it now?
David Greenway was the founder of Oakwood in 1867. It was originally 35 acres and was the first resort built on Green Lake. It accommodated 75 guests. At one point it could hold 300 guests and went all the way down Lake Street. It even had its own vineyard and telegraph system. People were called to dinner with a large Chinese Gong. The 1905 rate for a room started at $7.00. The current Oakwood building was the largest cottage for rent. The large white house kitty corner from the current Oakwood Lodge is the house built by David Greenway to retire in. He died there at age 79.
The auction is at 10 am Saturday. Do you have any great memories of Oakwood?
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Yes, It was a special treat for my daughters and Myself to once each summer go out to Oakwood Lodge for breakfast. At that time the public could go out there and enjoy the relaxing, beautiful view of green Lake. nothing will ever take its place.
Is the Oakwood building being auctioned or just furniture, etc.? I agree, it MUST be saved as a Green Lake historical site!
Just the furniture at the moment. It was listed in the Billboard.
I remember the pancakes and coffee cake. Both were made from scratch. I hope someone will buy the Oakwood and re-open.
Yes, wouldn't that be GREAT to have another Oakwood for breakfast & brunch, again! Many folks have missed it!
Ripon is spending alot of taxpayers money to lend to a private investment to buy buildings, trying to build an expensive tourist center and inn/spa.
The is the perfect opportunity for us folks in Green Lake to benefit from the tourists that will spend money in Ripon for stupid things but come back to live or vacation in Green Lake where it's still beautiful and peaceful and cheaper to stay. The uglier Ripon gets just for the buck the more beautiful Green Lake looks and prestigious it is. Think about it.
Heidel House, Evensong, and bed and breakfasts! Keep em alive!
Evensong? Hasn't that place been a complete failure from the beginning? Whoever wrote the last post must work there or something. Most folks who actually live here don't have the money for a $100 facial or a $200 pedicure. The Heidel House is way over-rated (and over priced). At least it draws the fibbers to Green Lake.
It is difficult to compare Green Lake to Ripon, because Ripon has beautiful, historic old buildings and homes everywhere you look. Green Lake has very few beautiful old structures. The Oakwood is one of them. I hope that somebody with a vision for success will buy the place and do something great with it. A dining room that is open to the public would be fantastic.
Won't happen...the past is the past and people would rather leave it there than try to preserve it for nostalgic purposes. Perhaps if Oakwood offered more than just 'pancakes and coffee cake' it would have a chance. Nowadays, if you don't have a huge indoor water-park; video arcade; snack restaurant; full-service restaurant; etc., there is not a chance in heck! Not enough bed-and-breakfasters around to make things a go.
Sorry, it's reality!
You could be WRONG!
Kudos to "Evensong? $100-200" poster, finally some one with sense! And to the next poster, Ripon IS amazing compared to Green Lake.
Is the photo from the '60's or '70's?
Wonder who has 2 million dollars to buy Oakwood??? Didn't it sell for about 750,000.00 not that long ago??? Why are they aselling anyway?? Too bad, it's a really special place.
Real Estate taxes alone would probably kill the chance of anything surviving there with the small scale of business you can do. Short rental season = low volume and the bills keep rolling in. I can't imagine a restaurant or B&B could ever survive there again. There just isn’t that much profit in coffee cake and pancakes. It's a shame.
I thought this was a post about Oakwood memories. Why do we always seem to get off track.
If you have memory you want to post, then go ahead. In the meantime, think of this blogsite as a "discussion" where we have a topic, but we naturally talk about related topics. If that doesn't work for you, then go hide under your bed. I know reality is difficult.
Certainly, the potential loss of Oakwood as what it represents today is sad in it's self, but what is truly sad, is in all the discussions, and all the comments, not once was it ever mentioned, by anyone, their empathy and sadness for the current owners and their predicament and potential loss.
In the end, it only seems important to what affects each of US and not others. So, at least I will mention, that to me, yes, there are memories, which I will remember for the remainder of my life associated with Oakwood, but I will have those to hold on to.
For the current owners, I can wish them only good things going forward and hope, in the end, this works out as it needs to for them.
Unfortunately, this type of thing is happening everywhere! It is hard to believe and sad.
I'm always sorry to hear of another business falling to the bad economy. I grew up with the Roth kids and the Greenway family was close to my parents and grand-parents. I can only hope that it is taken over by someone who can make a go at it rather than bulldoze and rebuild.
Sign of the times as one poster indicated. Green Lake nees to step up and decide if they want to continue to see their businesses die and go away. Oakwood was the Heidel House. Tax Dollars for the Court House? Where is the Dream to keep this area going. Sunday today - people walking around downtown looking for stores to go into, but finding them closed -all must be home waiting to see the Packers loose again:) How about some TIF Dollars to make places like Oakwood live again?
SORRY I have to make a Correction on the above statement: Oakwood was not the Heidel House but it was the same style as the Old Heidel House and Carvers - Family run - Good foods and most of all a smile on the face of those who greeted you. There are places that still make money doing what they did. What will it take to make us all realize that our tax base is dissapearing?
It is idiotic to keep raising room taxes so that the ineffective chamber can continue to waste money on non-productive advertising. Downtown needs help, and until there is some appeal to draw tourists, this community will continue to fail. Raising the room taxes will not encourage tourism. it seems excessive and greedy. I am sick of hearing of any raised taxes. Enough is enough.
I read in the paper last week that the town of Brooklyn voted not to raise their room tax rate. I applaud their decision.
I keep a picture of the view from the porch on a clear and calm summer day in my car to remember the good life...running down the pier at full speed after roasting in the kitchen all morning doing dishes, making friends with all the guests, never being able to be barefoot in our own kitchen and the texture of that red and white velvet wallpaper. Oakwood was home for most of my childhood. Beautiful building and location. If only I'd win the lottery....
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