Prospect House (Battle Lake, Minnesota)


Prospect House, also known as the Prospect Inn and the Prospect House & Civil War Museum, is a historic building located in Battle Lake, Minnesota, United States. James A. "Cap" Colehour bought this property in 1882 and had a house that was built according to the plans of his home in Chicago, Illinois built on it. Prospect House was built five years later as an addition. The 2½-story frame Georgian Revival structure was a 26-room summer resort that overlooked the lake. The Colehours operated the inn for 38 years. They sold it to their daughter and son-in-law who converted into their home in 1929. They moved the 1882 house across the street and rented it out until 1968. Cap Colehour had enlisted in the 92nd Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment during the American Civil War. His incredible collection of war memorabilia is now on display in the house. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2013.