The History of The Leavenworth Lodge

Nathan Newell built The Leavenworth Lodge in 2014, but his connection to the Leavenworth area dates back well over a century.

In 1895, Nathan’s great-great-grandfather, W.W. Burgess, brought his young wife out to the unsettled Beaver Valley to start a new life. They were the valley’s very first homesteaders. They cut their own trail through the trees, since no road existed yet. They settled the valley, creating a home for new settlers and founding a family legacy.

That pioneering spirit carried down through the family for generations. In 1990, Nathan’s father built on that same legacy, founding Mountain Springs Lodge & Conference Center, which he intentionally designed to honor the valley’s early history. Mountain Springs was built with local rock and native Northwest wood, and was situated to preserve the open meadows and mountain views the Burgess family once looked out on themselves.

So when Nathan set out to build his own lodge in 2014, he was continuing a family legacy. He was continuing something his family had been doing in this valley for well over a hundred years: building something from nothing and creating places where people could come together, rooted in the same land his ancestors first settled by wagon and pack string.

As a little boy, Nathan lived in rainy Seattle, and grew up looking forward to visiting his relatives in Leavenworth.

I remember, as a little boy visiting my family, waking up to the sunshine, excited for a day away from the city. I would wake up to the smell of breakfast cooking and experienced hospitality, authentic relationships, and love.

At a young age, Nathan experienced firsthand the impact of hospitality, family, and sunshine. His lifelong appreciation for family gatherings, the natural beauty of Leavenworth, and generational roots in the area led him to build The Leavenworth Lodge. More than a business endeavor, he saw an opportunity to bless his community and create a place for families to come together.

One roof

Leavenworth’s quaint Bavarian village and dramatic landscapes have attracted visitors for generations. Though many family groups seek to visit, Nathan noticed that there are very few venues that could house the whole family. He had seen firsthand how much families and groups struggle to find a single place that comfortably holds everyone — parents, siblings, cousins, grandkids — without splitting into two or three separate bookings across town. He wanted to solve that problem outright. At its core, that’s what The Leavenworth Lodge is built on: warm, genuinely helpful hospitality, and a home designed around the idea that vacations are better when the whole family is under one roof.

Nathan included his own family every step of the way. His wife, Kendall, and their children — Eve, Fara, and Summit — were a part of the process from the very beginning. They poured their ideas into the family dream and helped establish the foundation of The Leavenworth Lodge, quite literally. The kids helped clear the property for building, worked alongside their dad during the foundation pour, hammered nails, and even helped set the stones in the two-story, floor-to-ceiling fireplace. In the early days, the kids and Kendall were the cleaning crew, turning over rooms, cleaning the kitchen, and scrubbing toilets themselves. Each member of the Newell family remains closely involved to this day; this family has built, run, and maintained The Leavenworth Lodge every step of the way.

Still building

Though Nathan completed the lodge in 2014, he continues to improve and expand the property, building on ideas from both his family and his guests. In 2016, he planted a pear orchard, not only for its natural beauty, but also to increase privacy and create a sound barrier from the nearby highway. While one side of Nathan’s family were pioneers who later shifted to the hospitality industry, the other side were orchardists, and some of his early memories include working alongside relatives in family orchards with his grandmother. Today, he continues to build on both family legacies. What started in 2016 as a young orchard has grown to over 1,000 trees.

In 2018, Nathan broke ground and installed a swimming pool, designed for year-round enjoyment thanks to a top-of-the-line heating system that keeps the water comfortable in every season. In the winter, the pool functions almost like a giant hot tub, with temperatures around 95 degrees. In the summer, it cools to a comfortable but refreshing 80 degrees. Nathan can adjust the temperature remotely, so guests can choose the temperature that suits them.

In 2024, Nathan installed two pickleball courts to promote a family activity for all generations. Grandparents, parents, and kids can all get in on the same game, at the same time, on the same court. Having two full courts on-site means that guests at The Leavenworth Lodge don’t need to leave the property to find courts; they can step out into the backyard, where multiple matches can run at once, from a friendly rally before breakfast to full-blown family tournaments in the afternoon.

The Leavenworth Lodge started with a lifelong passion for family and hospitality. Over a decade later, on five acres surrounded by orchard trees, with a heated pool, pickleball courts, and room for sixteen, Nathan’s dream has come to fruition, bringing blessings and memories to countless guests over the years.

Make your own memories at The Leavenworth Lodge.