Contact: Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon
E-mail: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org
Surnames: Hanus, Vieau, Teeples, Olson, Rendmeister, Darling, Laufenberg, Elliott, Gorniak, Backum, Turnipseed, Stumlin, Kendhammer, Riggen
----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI) 7/27/2022
Hatfield Roller Rink Finds New Life as Loon Lodge (2022)
People visit the newly-renovated Lake Arbutus Loon Lodge at its grand opening earlier this month.
It was also a celebration of the building’s 101-year history.
By Nancy Curtin
A Hatfield building with more than a century of history has taken on a new purpose. The highly anticipated grand opening of the Lake Arbutus Loon Lodge took place Saturday, July 2, just over 101 years after its initial opening in 1921. More than 1,000 onlookers attended the event to see the remodeled structure.
New owners Jeff Elliott and Debbie “Bunny” Gorniak were completely amazed by the number of people who visited.
“There were people who were here that we didn’t even see,” commented Bunny.
Jeff and Bunny have been vacationers to the Hatfield area for over a decade. They started as campers, then purchased a seasonal home. They became permanent residents about two years ago.
“The building had been sitting empty for three years or so. When driving by all the time, I thought, ‘What a waste of a landmark. Something should be done with it,’” said Jeff. “The bones and structure of the building were just incredible—a very solid building.”
“With the amount of tourism in the area, there was a need for more housing for people wanting to use a bigger facility,” Jeff added.
Jeff incorporated 27 years of designing and building experience while creating the layout all on his own. He then gave it to his architect for the next stages. The review by the state took a long time, but finally the plan was approved, and the new owners agree the end result was worth it.
The lodge is an 8,500-square-feet, multipurpose facility that sleeps up to 13. It can be used for family gatherings, groups of friends, graduations, reunions, business events or even small-scale weddings. Complete with five themed rooms (the loon room, Packer room, Harley Davidson room, Western room and outdoors room), the lodge also features a bar, seating area, large floor space for dancing or dining, commercial kitchen, old-fashioned shuffleboard, 16-foot movie screen, pool table, foosball table, pinball, air hockey, disc golf, bean bag toss, outdoor fire pit and grilling area. Roller skates are available for any registered guest wishing to skate.
The lodge is also equipped with a mudroom just inside the back entrance to rinse off after a day at the beach or on the trails.
Another notable feature is the wooden gathering table custom built by Jeff’s son Justin Elliott, owner of West Salem Planing and Molding. The matching wooden chairs were built by local Amish carpenter Daniel Yoder. While guests supply their own food and beverages, the lodge has basic kitchen cookware and dinnerware.
The lodge has a history of bringing together community members for various fun activities. Formerly known as the Lake Arbutus Pavilion, it was built in 1921 by Joe Hanus and opened for business for the first time June 6 of that year. The building was constructed on large springs, so as people danced, the floor would bounce, making it easy to keep in step. It is believed to be the only one like it in Wisconsin and probably in the U.S.
In 1938, the building was sold to Joe and Violet Vieau, who operated it as a roller rink with the same name. After Joe’s passing, Violet assumed her maiden name Teeples and continued as a single owner.
Gay and Dale Olson bought the building in 1967 and changed the name to Thunderbird Roller Rink. They remodeled twice during their ownership and also featured a mini golf course on the property.
In 1988, the Olsons sold to Rand and Yvonne Rendmeister, who changed the name back to The Pavilion. In 2006, Brian Darling claimed ownership and changed the name to Club Twilight in hopes of encouraging a younger crowd to return. However, on Jan. 9, 2011, a fire started due to a trouble light. Brian and Sharon Darling were in the process of remodeling the structure, and they chose not to continue remodeling or reopen.
Just a few months later in May 2011, Jerome and Hope Laufenberg purchased the building, changing it back to its original name. Open for business in October 2011, The Pavilion operated as a roller rink, small diner and a venue for business meetings and the like. Unfortunately, it closed permanently in February 2018 and sat empty for the next four years.
In July 2021, Jeff and Debbie bought the property. They spent the next year remodeling.
(place photo of several folk on floor area, here)
Jeff Elliott and Debbie “Bunny” Gorniak, the newest owners of the Hatfield roller rink, now known as the lake Arbutus Loon Lodge, pose for a photo with family members. Shown are (front) Savanna Backum, (2nd row) Bunny holding Grace Backum, Jeff Elliott holding Jack Backum, (3rd row) Jade Turnipseed, Sierra Stumlin, Justin Elliott, Jacob Backum, (back row) Parker Kendhammer, Josh Stumlin and Chelsea Riggen.
The walls of the lodge remain full of historic photos and signs paying homage to the history of the building and the Hatfield community. Jeff and Bunny worked hard to preserve as much of the original building as possible. They look forward to welcoming guests and sharing the history of this gathering place.
The lodge will soon be registered with Evolve, a vacation rental management company. Jeff and Bunny are hoping their website will go live soon also.
For more information or to book a reservation, call 715-390-0280 or email loonlodgehatfield@gmail.com. Follow them on Facebook for upcoming public events.
Shown is the dance hall/gathering space at the Lake Arbutus Loon Lodge. Guests staying at the lodge will have roller skates available to them. Nancy Curtin/Clark County Press photos
(Editor Valorie Brecht contributed to this report.)
