Monthly Archives: September 2021

The Old Church in Gaylord

Posted on by Posted in Churches .

I saw a steeple rising above the town of Gaylord, ( one of my favorite places to stop on a trip up I-75) and I had to see what the old church looked like then I found out it is now the Mount Carmel Centre used as a performing arts center. There is a historical marker standing out front that reads:

St. Mary’s Church began as a mission of the Catholic Diocese of Grand Rapids. The first church was built around 1884. The parish grew to become a predominantly Polish congregation while under the pastorate of Father Casmir Skory (1892 – 1905). In 1893 Father Skory founded the St. Mary’s School, which was served by the Dominican Sisters. Father Skory was instrumental in the planning and construction of this church in 1900.

The Neo-Gothic St. Mary’s Catholic Church has been a Gaylord landmark since it was dedicated on September 15, 1900. When the Diocese of Gaylord was established in 1972, the church became the cathedral. The diocese built a new cathedral in 1976 and closed St. Mary’s. In 1985 a local group, fearing the building would be razed, purchased it for use as a performing arts center, which they named the Mount Carmel Centre.

I see a lot of old churches in Michigan, and I see some that are no longer used for worship or have been left abandoned. I love old churches because of the grand architecture that was built with pride by the community they served. You know the saying “they don’t build them like that anymore” it’s probably because they are difficult and expensive to build. They also require a lot of maintenance and are not energy efficient. Although they are beautiful, it’s hard to find a use for an old church when it is no longer needed that’s why I am fascinated when I see a church that has found a new purpose.

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The Keepsake House

Posted on by Posted in Houses .

I was roaming around the town of Frankfort on Lake Michigan looking at all the beautiful old houses and this immaculately landscaped old house caught my eye.  I don’t know anything about the history of this house and I could not find any information on the internets but it does have a sign over the front door that reads: “Keepsake” If you are ever in the town of Frankfort, besides shopping and visiting the lighthouse be sure to drive around town and check out the old historic houses.

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The B-17 Crash in the Porkies

Posted on by Posted in State Parks, upper peninsula .

A few miles from the main entrance to Porcupine Mountains State Park is the small town of Silver City. Next to an old boarded-up gift shop is a mangled propeller. It is about all that remains of a B-17 bomber that crashed in the Porkies. On April 18th, 1944 the B-17 was on a training mission when it left Sioux City Iowa headed to Marquette. During the flight an engine caught fire and they were ordered to land in Duluth Minnesota for repairs. Unfortunately, the underpowered airplane was not going to make it. Fortunately, the crew bailed out and landed safely on the ground. The bomber crashed in the trees somewhere south of the Lake In The Clouds

The flight crew managed to walk to Silver City. At the time, the old boarded-up gift shop was a bar and the airmen waited there for their rescue. The military quickly came in and recovered the wreckage of the airplane especially the machine guns that were onboard. One of the propellers was left at the bar in Silver City as a reminder of the incident. Fragments of the wreckage can still be found in the forest but it is a ways off one of the hiking trails and you have to bushwack your way through the trees to find it.

P.S. believe it or not, the B-17 propeller is not the only bent-up one on display in the Upper Peninsula. You can read about the one on my post HERE

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Rockport State park

Posted on by Posted in Michigan State Parks .

Rockport State Park is one of Michigan’s newest and most unique state parks. From 1914 until the end of the 1950s the site operated as a quarry loading freighters that carried the stone all around the Great Lakes. The foundations of the loading dock still stretch out into the crystal clear blue water of Lake Huron north of Alpena.

Photo of the loading dock and powerhouse from 1922

Stone from the quarry was used for the base of the towers on the Mackinac Bridge. After the quarry closed the buildings and structures were removed and the land sat vacant. In 2012 the site was converted into a state park allowing visitors to hike and explore the rocky landscape. You can still find remnants of structures and machinery along some of the trails in the old quarry.

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The Old Brick Farmhouse

Posted on by Posted in Houses .

I saw this old farmhouse outside of Colon. I love the tall windows and the detail above them. I don’t know any history about it and the horses next to it would not talk to me.

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Mayville Barn

Posted on by Posted in Barns and Farms, Thumb .

I saw this old barn somewhere near Mayville in the Thumb. I am not sure exactly where it is located because I was just roaming the backroads to see what I could find. I figure this barn is rather old since it has a stone foundation. It looked nice standing in the farmland.

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The Gladstone Lighthouse

Posted on by Posted in Lighthouses, upper peninsula .

The Gladstone Lighthouse welcomes boats into the Gladstone Harbor on Lake Michigan. Gladstone is on the south side of the Upper Peninsula near Escanaba. The lighthouse was built in 2010 when upgrades were made to Van Cleve Park. The park is a wonderful place to stop on a road trip along US-2 and while you are there you can check out one of Michigan’s newest lighthouses.

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Haynes Old Stone Church

Posted on by Posted in Churches .

This old stone church sits between Alpena and Oscoda on Michigan’s east side. The first church built by the Presbyterians was built in Alcona in 1880 but moved to where the stone church now stands in 1886. In June of 1924, the original church was destroyed by fire when that was ignited from the sparks from the fire of a nearby farmhouse. The church was rebuilt by volunteers using stones from surrounding farm fields and opened for worship in 1936.

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The Pump House

Posted on by Posted in Historic Places, Iconic Buildings .

If you have ever been to the Holland State Park beach you have probably been past this old brick building. It was built in 1901 as an Edison Electric Power Plant to provide lighting for the Ottawa Beach Hotel complex. Sadly the hotel burned down in 1923 and pumps were installed in the old powerhouse to supply water to the surrounding cottages. The “pumphouse” was used until the 1980s but was decommissioned when the municipal water supply came in from Holland. More recently the pumphouse has been converted into a local museum and is on the boardwalk along Lake Macatawa.

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The Half Mushroom House

Posted on by Posted in Houses .

Located around Charlevoix are some unique houses constructed out of stone with thatched roofs. Many people refer to them as “mushroom houses” because of their unique construction. They were built by self-taught builder Earl Young using locally sourced building materials. One of the more interesting houses he built is known as the ” Half House ” because it has a flat wall on one side like it was sliced in half. The houses are privately owned and not open to tourists, but driving around town you can see some of the whimsical looking homes.

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