Throwing Interiors To The Wolves

Above. The transition from the historic main house added much needed space and bridges 200 years of history.

Right. The underground garage holds spaces for eight vehicles. Cars exiting the garage simply drive into the elevator.

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Leo A Daly website

More about the Watterston House.

More about George Watterston.

Tribal Leaders Conference Center website cornices, fireplaces constructed of marble mantelpieces, and slated hearths. Watterston used this main level as his study and library, which ran the entire depth of the house.

The second and third levels of the house were used as bedrooms for Watterston, his wife, six surviving children, and about a half dozen slaves. Each room contains a fireplace with wood mantels.

The original historic main house features 14 pinefloored rooms. Its arched stairhall, decorative cornices, and marbled fireplaces remain to this day, evidence of the house’s place in early American history and architecture.

A STORY ALMOST LOST His home was not only where he and his wife raised their children; it is also where he raised two other children born from an allusively documented relationship with a female slave, E. Clarke, a half-black, half-white slave purchased by Watterson’s wife from her cousin’s estate. Two children, listed in records as “quadroons,” meaning they were only a quarter black, born from a half-black mother and a white father, were later recorded. Census records suggest that E. Clarke eventually became a free woman, as did her children by Watterson.

The complicated relationship between the two families ended with Watterston’s death in 1854. But if not for the sake of historical documentation, a striking resemblance between Mary Clark (his second daughter) and George Watterston, and the preservation of their home, this story, which is part of the historical fabric of American history, could have been lost.

TWENTIETH-CENTURY MODIFICATIONS When Watterston died in 1854, the property passed to his son, David. It remained in the Watterston family’s hands for almost a hundred years until 1905 when a lawyer, Patrick H. Kennelly, purchased it. Under Kennelly’s ownership further modifi cations were made to the property. A three-story bay window, with a flat roof, was constructed on the rear side of the property; an outline of the bay window was included in a 1908 building permit. In addition, in 1916, Kennelly erected a stable and a two-story garage, called the carriage house, at the rear of the property. The stable and garages (all of which open to the alley) were part of the historical development of the Watterston House. They are contributing structures to the historic nature of

the original property.

F.C. Curtis owned the property from 1944 to 1967. Another owner, whose name could not be identified, then owned the property before it was sold at auction to the Watterston House Associates in the 1970s.

“The Watterston House serves as more than the headquarters of NIGA; it is a museum, a collection, and celebration of Native American peoples and their culture. Through the practice of architecture, we have the opportunity to shed light on the unwritten documents of history,” states a Leo A Daly description of the project. CA

Throwing Interiors To The Wolves Great Wolf Lodge resort uses key design elements to enhance the family vacation destination experience.

The McBride Company, a creative concept and design fi rm based in Manchester, VT, provided the design for the expanded dining and entertainment offerings at the new Great Wolf Lodge resort in Colorado Springs, CO. Great Wolf Lodge engaged the company, which specializes in unique hospitality and leisure destinations, to design two brand concepts: Barnwood Restaurant, a farm-to-table dining option, and the Great Wolf Adventure Park, an indoor family-oriented entertainment center that houses several attractions, retail shopping, and food and beverage venues.

“Having provided design services to Great Wolf Lodge nearly a decade ago, it was great fun returning to create key elements of the brand’s newest resort,” said Pat McBride, CEO of The McBride Company. “We know that for family vacation destinations to be truly successful, they need to cater to the parents as much as they do to the children.”

This philosophy is evident throughout the Great Wolf facility as the complex includes elements intended to appeal to all age groups. continued on page 24

At Barnwood Restaurant, sophisticated dining is blended with a casual ambiance suitable for families of all ages. Guests enjoy a more refi ned dining experience and a menu that boasts craft cuisine and cocktails. Distinctive architectural elements designed by The McBride Company include a large stone-framed fi replace, a one-of-a-kind light fi xture made from illuminated wine bottles suspended from a custom steel frame, and a custom chalkboard map of Colorado that depicts where the local ingredients are sourced. All photos courtesy of The McBride Company.

Barnwood Restaurant offers “farm-to-fork” freshness with dishes made using locally sourced ingredients. The interior design takes its cue from this farm-fresh philosophy. Rustic materials, including reclaimed barnwood and handmade wall coverings, combine with a deep color palette to evoke the natural, north woods lifestyle of Great Wolf’s origin story. An accent wall features wine barrels branded with the Great Wolf paw print.

Attractions within the Great Wolf Adventure Park, an indoor family entertainment center, include a rock-climbing wall, a ropes course, and an exclusive live-action, interactive game that takes place throughout the lodge. The sense of nostalgia evoked by the history of the National Park Service served as The McBride Company’s design inspiration throughout the facility.

The spirit of the national parks runs through the interior design and architecture of the Great Wolf Adventure Park. Vintage elements reference the iconography of the National Park Service. A giant treehouse (left) offers a magical spin on the traditional park ranger cabin. An entry arch (above) features a park map designed in the style of the National Park Service, and the fl ooring is made of wooden boardwalks and stamped concrete ‘dirt.’ Guests traverse through corridors with hand-carved woodwork crafted from oversized logs.