Traverse City Record-Eagle

Community

IF YOU GO

What: Port Oneida Run, a 5K Barn Trail Run/Walk

Why: Fundraiser for Preserve Historic Sleeping Bear

When: 9 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 4

Where: Charles Olson Farmstead in the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

More Info: www.phsb.org, select link for the run; online registration available

Related Photos

  • Tom Whitaker, Fred Siegmund and John Sargent volunteer with the Preserve Historic Sleeping Bear organization at the second annual work bee to restore the Katie Shepherd hotel on North Manitou Island. Special to the Record-Eagle

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September 1, 2010

Renewal for North Manitou hotel

Volunteers finish work bee that lasted 10 days

By Carol South Special to the Record-Eagle

TRAVERSE CITY — Katie Shepherd is getting a new chance at life.

The hotel on North Manitou Island has better days ahead thanks to devoted volunteers with the Preserve Historic Sleeping Bear organization. A ten-day work bee wound up Sunday with numerous milestones checked off, including a complete renovation of the wrap-around porch.

Work there included installing headers, replacing ceiling boards, installing flooring and trim boards, painting, leveling the floor and ceiling, fitting and installing railings and replacing some window coverings and shutters.

The crew featured everyone from skilled carpenters to dedicated painters to cooks and helpers. Five volunteers stayed the whole time while others put in stints ranging from three to five days; each day averaged about eight workers.

It was tough physical labor but volunteers, who stayed in the island's boathouse, still found some time for fun. The location's incredible natural beauty overlooking Lake Michigan provided an additional benefit.

"We were all amazed; it was a fabulous group effort," said Dave Watt, who coordinated the work project. "We accomplished much more than we expected to accomplish. It was so exciting and we had such a good group of volunteers — they were talented, motivated and stayed on task."

A grant from Cherry Republic helped underwrite costs. Practical help and support came from the national park's North Manitou Island maintenance team.

"We used their tool trailer, their scaffolding and many of their tools," said Watt, who emphasized the goodwill between the two groups.

The mission of the nonprofit Preserve Historic Sleeping Bear is to preserve the 300 structures included in the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. This means tackling projects the park cannot for manpower or financial reasons.

Last summer, an 11-day work session launched a whole new look for the Katie Shepherd, which was built in 1895. Known as "The Beeches," the building is part of North Manitou Island's Cottage Row and served as a dining hall and hotel through the 1930s.

Saving it was an act of faith as the structure needed extensive work. The effort is worth it to the Preserve Historic Sleeping Bear organization, said director Susan Pocklington. Volunteers will continue holding intense August work sessions for the next few years.

"The goal is to restore it so that it has the potential to be useful," said Pocklington, noting that a "dream" is to one day have the hotel provide alternative lodging on the island. "It's very exciting to be working on something that has potential use for visitors."

Dave Taghon, of Empire, participated in the Katie Shepherd project last week, spending four days there with his brother, Pat, and friend Leigh Payment. Already deeply involved in the Empire Area Museum Center, their work on the island was the second project with Preserve Historic Sleeping Bear. The trio helped out at the Treat farm earlier in the summer, where volunteers worked on outbuildings and the farmhouse.

"We restored a carriage barn there a month ago and that sort of got our feet wet," Dave Taghon said. "You meet people from different walks of life; it's a lot of fun.

"It was just an enjoyable opportunity to give back and preserve our history," he added. "It just sounded like an opportunity to give back a little bit."

For more information on the Preserve Historic Sleeping Bear organization, call 334-6103 or see www.phsb.org. For more information on the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, see www.sleepingbeardunes.com.

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