LIBERTY GROVE, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — A Door County resort ravaged by a fire last month will not be rebuilt.
The owners of Rowleys Bay Resort, Jewel Peterson Ouradnik and her husband Bob, say while they initially planned to rebuild after the Sept. 5 fire, they believe God is taking them on a different path.
“God has been at work in our hearts since the fire at Rowleys Bay Resort on September 5, 2023. When we experienced the fire and destruction, we could only imagine ‘repair and rebuild’; it was the only path that we could see at that time. Since then, we have been asking God to direct our path and help us to see what His plans are for us. The message is becoming more and more clear to us – it is time for someone else to carry on and build their own dreams. We will not be rebuilding. We have met with our commercial real estate agent and have already started conversations with prospective buyers. At nearly 62 and 70 years of age, we now see the opportunity to retire and enjoy each other and our family,” the couple wrote on Facebook.
The resort has been in the Peterson family since 1970.
“Many will remember Leonard and Alice Peterson with children in tow as they came from the homestead in Sister Bay to build a labor of love. We worked hard over the years to build the resort from a run down fishing camp, changing the name to Wagon Trail Resort in 1970. We then rebranded in 2010 and changed back to the original name, Rowleys Bay Resort, to embrace our history and heritage,” the Facebook post continues.
No one was injured in the fire.
Investigators are still working to determine how the fire started.
