built in 1865
revived in 2020
Welcome to Whitetail Lodge, in the 155 years of its existence the facility and grounds has only had three caretakers. Starting in the early 1800 the Ernst family moved into the area and built the original home in 1865. During the early period of American history, homebuilding was only accomplished by using material available from the land. Suitable clay was located and bricks for the Lodge were fired on site. Charles Ernst was a little over a year old at the time and his baby footprint impressions are in bricks at both the front and rear doors of the lodge. In 1955, a group of young family men purchased the property and created Mitchell Hills Golf Club. Mitchell Hills Club was formed with the idea in mind that wholesome recreation for the family could be possible at reasonable cost if each member contributed some time and effort and special talents for the maintenance and sociability or the club. With this in mind, the club grew overtime with several building additions and growing the membership to 200 plus families in the early 2000s. Like many small golf courses, declining membership and increased cost forced the Club to close in late 2018. As neighbors our family was sickened by the news but appreciated the opportunity to purchase the club.
Therefore, the idea of converting the grounds to a wedding venue began and the birth of Whitetail Lodge