The White House Stands High
Today, we’re taking a look at one of Lake Minnetonka’s most recognized locations. The White House hotel was built in downtown Excelsior in 1872 with clear sights to Lake Minnetonka and the Commons park area. The address here is, uniquely, 1 Water Street.
Originally dubbed the Simpson House after the owner, the name was changed to the White House to avoid confusion with the popular Sampson House hotel located just a few blocks away. The White House was so popular that it received an addition around 1886 and again around 1896, giving the building a distinctive “L” shape. For another 20 years, the hotel operated as such and was among the most recognizable establishments in Excelsior at the time. Partially due to its prime location near Excelsior Bay. By 1921, the hotel was purchased for $15,000 by the Woman’s Club of Minnetonka. This organization operated it as a “community house”.
Less than a decade later, the property was donated in its entirety to the Minnesota Sunshine Society which remodeled it into a retirement facility. At this point, the old White House hotel had reached its final form and, in 1946, was demolished to make way for newer development. The demolition crew took down more than just the hotel itself as they excavated the prominent hill that the White House had stood upon to create a flatter landscape for downtown Excelsior. In some photos, it’s possible to see the hill standing several feet above the street immediately beside it.
On the site of the hotel, a small shopping development was built which housed the Excelsior municipal liquor store and, later, Haskell’s Port of Excelsior. The building has been occupied by one business for the last several decades: Haskell’s Port of Excelsior bar & restaurant.
On May 06, 2026 around 1:15 am, a fire broke out inside the restaurant and decimated much of the building. While information is so far scarce as to the condition of the building as a whole, there is word that it may be declared a total loss and demolished. If true, this would mark a major turning point for the historic property and one that could upend the site’s use as a place for pleasure and relaxation.
LMHS
Photo CBS News
Photo KTSP TV
Footnote:
This article, originally posted on Facebook exclusively, has been edited several times to the point of being almost wholly distinct from the original. Edited 05/06/26 & 05/12/26 with major factual corrections, updates on current events, new photos, and general structural changes. Also added a bibliography in post.
Bibliography of Sources:
Lake Minnetonka’s Historic Hotels, Wilson Meyer, 1997 p. 108-110
Header photo - Minnetonka Minute private archive
Secondary photo - Lake Minnetonka Historical Society ELMHS collection
Modern photo - Haskell’s Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/haskellsportofexcelsior/photos/d41d8cd9/1525793489552238/
Epilogue images sourced by image above
