I always find the holidays to a be the perfect time to wax poetic about Fuller Lodge. I think this painting by Secundino Sandoval helps illustrate why. The lodge just looks cool in snow, and it’s even better lit up for Christmas!

I think the first question most of us wonder is why Fuller Lodge? Why not Connell Lodge, or Pond Lodge (except that sounds a bit odd), or even Pajarito Lodge? The short answer is that the Fuller family provided most of the funds needed to build the lodge. They also heavily supported the school when Ashley Pond’s circumstances were such that he no longer could. Philo Fuller, Edward P Fuller’s father, wholeheartedly took on the role of primary shareholder and supporter.

Edward P Fuller died in 1923. He’d first come to Los Alamos in 1917 as a guest of Ashley Pond at the Pajarito Club when the school was still a guest ranch. Edward had struggled with Polio for most of his life and the climate in New Mexico agreed with him far more than that of Grand Rapids, Michigan. Fuller’s family had made their fortune in furniture manufacturing. Philo had been glad his son found so much satisfaction in healthy living and being on horseback for most of each day. While Edward wasn’t healthy enough to do physical labor and struggled with physical movement, he was fond of horses and was highly proficient in the saddle. He also proved to have a good way with the younger boys and became both supervisor and father figure to the youngest students so far away from home.

I think a modern mindset looks at Fuller Lodge and feels like it belongs to Los Alamos, as though it’s always been here and always will be here. But in the beginning, Connell had to argue pretty hard for the need to build such an enormous structure. He had issues with the mortgage holder, but once he slogged through the legal issues and got the go ahead from Philo Fuller, the next step was to find an architect.

Connell consulted Hazel Pond, who immediately recommended John Gaw Geem. The Brazilian born architect had a civil engineering degree from the Virginia Military Institute and had a passion for New Mexico that he brought with him to his designs. Meem’s detailed plans for the lodge included the bell tower, designs for the lamps which would be needed in the portico, and even the specific dimensions for all 771 logs needed to complete the building!

Can you imagine? 771 logs. Each log specifically hewn to fit in precise order. Connell and Meem gained permission from the Forest Service to cut logs and quarry stone from the Jemez Mountains. The stonework at Fuller Lodge is actually made from the lightweight Bandelier tuff we see so frequently in our region.

Connell and a representative from the Santa Fe National Forest spent a good deal of time in the foothills west of the school choosing each tree. I find it so interesting that Connell actually made a habit of unmarking certain trees like a sort of Robin Hood of the forest because he felt the trees were necessary to the landscape and aesthetic of the school. So if the forest ranger marked a tree for use that Connell disagreed with, Connell would sneak out after dark and unmark it so he could choose one he thought was a better fit!

Trees were felled in the summer of 1927 and a sawmill of sorts was set up on the school property in order to get the building materials ready for the lodge construction.

I find these images of the construction absolutely fascinating. These photos and more are available for you to have in Craig Martin and Heather McClenahan’s book, Of Logs and Stone, which you can pick up at the History Museum shop. I highly encourage you to pick up a copy of this book for your collection if you have any interest in the history of our area.

Later in 1927, Connell received a message from a man named George Teats. Teats was a contractor in Rocky Ford, Colorado. His crew had just completed a recreation hall at the Conejos Recreation Association and had experience with the construction of log structures. Meem went to check out Teats recently completed project and declared this to be a good match for Connell’s vision. In May of 1928, Teats and his crew moved to the Pajarito Plateau and that’s when things took off!

Meem periodically visited the site to make adjustments to design and methods. He seemed especially concerned with the interior. Meem even had several of the logs sawn in half and hollowed out to create recessed areas for conduits and other piping and structural necessities.

Construction was completed in 1929. Teats sent a bill to Meem for $33,450.00. Meem paid the bill and added a 5% fee to cover his firm’s costs for planning, engineering, and supervision. The total bill from Meem was $1600.00. Which means Fuller Lodge “cost” under $35K to build, though I cannot imagine what materials would have cost then and now. The fact that the school could draw materials from the surrounding land is probably the only reason we now have a beautiful public facility which is still in use almost a hundred years later!

The construction of Fuller Lodge was truly a labor of love. While John Gaw Meem didn’t make a ton of cash off the deal, the lodge became a hallmark of his style and capabilities and really boosted his career in architecture. The building perfectly blended AJ Connell’s vision of a rustic school which excelled at developing intelligent, academically gifted outdoorsmen. Classical education meets rustic living at it’s finest! And of course, Fuller Lodge continues to be a symbol of our history here in Los Alamos. We’ll talk a bit more about the Lodge through the years in the next few weeks. What other “house” in Los Alamos deserves such a special place in our holiday season?

If you’re ready to find your holiday dream house here in Los Alamos, give me a call! I love it when fall shifts to winter, the mornings are brisk and cold, and the nights are perfect for hanging out in front of the fire or the woodstove. So while your chestnuts are roasting, give me a shout! I’d love to talk real estate in Los Alamos with you!