Portage Point Inn Complex
About this property
Portage Point Inn Complex is a resort hotel located at the western end of Portage Lake at Portage Point, Michigan. In October 1985, this 1902 resort hotel and its associated buildings was added to the National Register of Historic Places. It operates today as the Portage Point Resort. The area around Portage Lake was originally settled in the late 1800s during the lumber boom. A water-powered sawmill was constructed at the original outlet of Portage Lake, located a short distance from the inn, in 1845. The adjoining property on Portage Point, where the inn now stands, was purchased in 1869 by Lucius S. Marvin. By 1880, the mill and its associated buildings was moved a few miles away to Onekama. As timberlands were exhausted and lumbering slowed in the 1890s, the potential of the lakeshore for recreational uses began to be exploited. Marvin sold the property on the Point to two associates, and in 1902 they turn they sold the property to a private development corporation, the Sunnyside Assembly. Sunnyside shortly changed their name to Portage Point Assembly, and construction of the Inn was started July 12, 1902. The building was opened for tourists in June 1903. Additional buildings, including a large Main Hotel, the Beech Lodge (Hotel Annex), a Casino / dancing pavilion, and twenty cottages were added during the next ten years. In addition, the channel leading to the complex was dredged, allowing larger steamers to dock directly at the hotel. In 1909, the Northern Michigan Transportation Company, a steamship company, became involved as an investing and operating partner of the Inn, and in 1914 the company took over the management completely. The resort complex continued to expand rapidly. In 1932, the Inn was sold to J.J. Smith, who moved his clientele from the Pine Ridge Resort complex at Hamlin Lake near Ludington, after that resort burned. Smith owned the Inn until his death in 1960. The Inn continued to operate for a number of years, and experienced ups and downs. As of 2017, the resort was purchased by a developer, and rehabilitation plans are in the works. Original Inn (1901–02, 1913–14) The original inn is a three-story Colonial Revival structure with a gambrel roof, clad with white clapboards. Originally constructed in 1901/02, the veranda was enclosed in 1913/14. New Inn (Main Hotel) (1911–1912) The main hotel is a 3+1⁄2-story structure with a gambrel roof, fronted by a two-story portico with Tuscan columns. Casino/Dance Pavilion (1908) The casino is a rectangular, one-and-one-half-story structure with a high, gable roof surrounded by verandas.(torn down in 2024)
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Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).
Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Everything a full report reveals about Portage Point Inn Complex
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Questions about this property
When was Portage Point Inn Complex listed on the National Register?
Portage Point Inn Complex was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 7, 1985.
What type of historic resource is Portage Point Inn Complex?
Portage Point Inn Complex is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.
What is the period of significance for Portage Point Inn Complex?
The period of significance for Portage Point Inn Complex is recorded as the industrial era.
Can I research the history near Portage Point Inn Complex?
Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Portage Point Inn Complex will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.
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