ur ious ▁guest ▁rooms ▁and ▁was ▁extremely ▁successful , ▁c ater ing ▁to ▁rich ▁visitors ▁from ▁Washington ▁DC ▁who ▁often ▁board ed ▁in ▁the ▁hotel ▁during ▁the ▁summer ▁months . ▁ ▁After ▁a ▁de cade ▁or ▁so ▁of ▁prosper ity , ▁however , ▁the ▁fort unes ▁of ▁the ▁Wood la wn ▁Hotel ▁decl ined ▁as ▁many ▁of ▁its ▁semi - per man ent ▁residents ▁moved ▁into ▁new ▁houses ▁in ▁Rock ville . ▁In ▁ 1 9 0 6 , ▁the ▁hotel ' s ▁own ers ▁were ▁heavily ▁in ▁deb t ▁and ▁were ▁forced ▁to ▁sell ▁the ▁building ▁and ▁grounds ▁at ▁public ▁au ction . ▁The ▁hotel ▁was ▁purchased ▁by ▁Dr . ▁Ernest ▁Luther ▁Bull ard ▁( 1 8 5 9 – 1 9 3 1 ), ▁a ▁native ▁of ▁Mil w au kee , ▁Wisconsin , ▁a ▁sur geon ▁and ▁professor ▁of ▁psych iat ry ▁and ▁ne uro log y . ▁Bull ard ▁renov ated ▁the ▁building ▁and ▁re - open ed ▁it ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 0 ▁as ▁a ▁san ator ium ▁for ▁the ▁care ▁of ▁nerv ous ▁and ▁mental ▁dise ases , ▁ren aming ▁it ▁Ch est nut ▁L odge ▁after ▁the ▁ 1 2 5 ▁ch est nut ▁trees ▁that ▁grew ▁in ▁the ▁grounds . ▁ ▁For ▁many ▁years , ▁Bull ard ▁was ▁the ▁sole ▁phys ician ▁working ▁at ▁the ▁L odge , ▁but ▁over ▁the ▁next ▁ 7 5 ▁years ▁a ▁total ▁of ▁three ▁gener ations ▁of ▁the ▁Bull ard ▁family ▁operated ▁the ▁private ▁hospital . ▁Many ▁nation