Established in 1924, the lodge was an influential component of the early success of downhill skiing in southwestern Vermont, and is the place where events leading to the founding of both the National Ski Patrol and the United States Army's 10th Mountain Division took place.

The main building is a 1-1/2 saddle-notched log structure with a broad gabled roof, with a shed-roofed wing to one side and a frame addition to the rear.

Attached to one of the rear corners is the home of the lodge's builder, Ivan Sesow, which is now called the Annex.

In 1924, John Ivan Sesow, a Russian immigrant who worked in the area's declining lumber industry, purchased the property and built the lodge as a dance hall and entertainment venue.

Its design is supposedly based on that of the Russian izba, and was built over three years by Sesow and friends from the lumber camps, using only hand tools.