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White Pine Inn
"Thank you for our stay at the White Pine Inn. We love it here."
-Kathleen & Anthony, Allenton, WI
The White Pine Inn, a wonderful example of Finnish log craftsmanship, is a 12-sided building shaped like the Red Cross. Its cathedral ceilings are a stunning site in the spacious great room, which offers a floor to ceiling wood-burning fireplace, comfortable furniture, and a bar area. The Great Room also features a beautiful log staircase and a large south-facing window.
The White Pine Inn has four 2-bedroom suites with private full baths, living room areas, and private porches with swings. Each room is decorated with antiques. This inn is a versatile building not only for groups or family lodging but also for small meetings and retreats.
To the left of the White Pine Inn is a pond that becomes the skating rink in the winter. The sledding hill is next to this pond, and both pond and hill have a gorgeous backdrop of woods. These natural wood surroundings make for a truly cozy, comfortable place to stay, have a meeting, spend time with friends and family, or just relax on the porch, watching the sunset.
The Suites
The Inn has four suites with king size beds, each with 2 bedrooms, a private full bath, a living room area, and private porch. This church-architecture inspired inn is the perfect getaway. Ask for the suite with an original church pew in the bathroom. Click on a thumbnail below to see a larger view.
The Great Room
Relax in the great room in front of the floor-to-ceiling brick fireplace under copper light fixtures from the 1920's, or admire the beautiful log staircase and large south-facing window. Peruse the antique sets of encyclopedias on a chilly winter night or a cricket-filled summer evening.
History of The White Pine Inn
The White Pine Inn was designed and built by Jim Palmquist and many devoted friends from all over the country and world. It was completed in December of 1992 after 1 1/2 years of hard work and construction. The large white pine logs (some up to 30" in diameter) used to build this cabin were locally harvested and scribed to fit tightly together by a young girl from the Czech Republic who had never seen a scribe before.
In order to save time, the builders worked on the foundation and the logs simultaneously. While the foundation was being poured and finished, the logs were fit together and assembled a short distance away. Once the builders were satisfied with the fit of the logs, they were then disassembled and moved onto the completed foundation and put back together like a puzzle. It took one day to move the building.
Jim Palmquist says concerning the building process, "We worked right through the winter. Every day we worked, and it was cold. And on Halloween night, there was an ice storm, and two inches of black ice covered the whole structure before the roof was on. It took us days to chip it all off so we could start with the roof. One man even fell off the logs four times because of the slippery ice."
Around the time of construction, Jim also dug the skating pond and molded the sledding hill that sits next to the White Pine Inn. When you come to stay at the White Pine Inn, look for a photo album with pictures of the construction and building process, usually kept in the Great Room near the fireplace. This album is on its second cover because it is so worn out from people looking at it.
Log buildings have always been a part of the Palmquist Farm family from early on. The family owned a logging company, and the original farmhouse, barn, and Maki House are also made from logs. This craft has a special place in their hearts. Jim has taught log building workshops, built the log house that he and his wife reside in, and done consulting in that area of construction for over 20 years.