Raising the Roof: A History of the Buildings and Architecture in the Saugatuck and Douglas Area
Revised Edition
James Schmiechen
Saugatuck-Douglas Historical Society
Using the built environment as text, this volume tells the remarkable story of the transformation of a collection of Lake Michigan port villages from rough-and-ready logging towns to an entertainment and cultural mecca for many midwestern urban dwellers. In its heyday Saugatuck had it all: dunes, beaches, woods, quaint villages—and crowds mad about everything from fishing to dancing, building cottages, and making art and architectural statements. Raising the Roof documents the architectural legacy that these residents left behind to explore the social and historical development of the Saugatuck-Douglas area.
Filled with striking black-and-white photographs, historical illustrations, and architectural diagrams, Raising the Roof takes a detailed look at some of Saugatuck’s and Douglas’s best-known and most significant buildings. Raising the Roof begins with the area’s earliest log homes and pioneer cabins, moving to the gracious private homes of the early 1900s and the public buildings, places of worship, art schools, and summer cottages that came to define the towns. In addition, this volume includes a section on the construction of the landmark Big Pavilion dance hall and theater, examining the technology that went into constructing Saugatuck’s most storied public building. With an eye toward the area’s future, Raising the Roof also considers the rehabilitation, preservation, and remodeling of the unique Saugatuck-Douglas buildings that are still standing today.
Anyone interested in architecture or regional history will be grateful for the hard-to-find information in this oversized, beautifully illustrated volume.