Commission Seeks Community’s Ideas on Lodge Project

Swan Quarter, N.C. (March 17, 2008)– The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission is inviting those interested in the future of the Mattamuskeet Lodge to share their ideas for what should be done with the building.

A second public meeting has been scheduled for 7 p.m. March 27 at Mattamuskeet High School. During a first meeting earlier this month, some five dozen people shared ideas on renovating the building that once was used for a hunting lodge, hotel and banquet facility.

"Instead of us coming from Raleigh and telling you how we are going to run the lodge and what it's going to look like, we have come to ask for your ideas on how the lodge can be modified or enhanced in order to have the events you want,” said Wes Seegars, chairman of the commission, “It is critical to get your input in these early planning stages."

Many who attended the first meeting said they would like the building to have spaces for weddings, proms and other events, as it did in the past. Others wanted classrooms and educational spaces, along with a museum showing the area’s rich history.
The lodge was deeded from federal to state ownership in December 2006 with the Wildlife Resources Commission selected as the agency in charge of stewardship.
Originally built in 1915 as a pumping station to drain Lake Mattamuskeet for agricultural use, which continued until 1934, the structure was converted into a hunting lodge by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1935. Mattamuskeet Lodge became a popular destination, drawing national attention for decades.