The Lodge - History

History...

The Lodge was originally built as a church in the mid 1980's. A 30 acre tract of wooded land with a pond was purchased, trails were cut, the logs were ordered and construction of this 11,000 square foot building began. Before the church was completed problems arose, it was abandoned and sat empty for several years. In 1992 a partnership of family and friends had a vision of what this lonely structure could become and so was born The Lodge at Oak Pointe Bed & Breakfast.

Like any child it had lots of potential but required patience, hard work and continued faith that it would grow into a first class citizen. The process began by reinforcing the structure and straightening the bowed walls. Beams were secured to the logs with carriage bolts and placed at intervals along the length of the building. Every day for about a year the bolts were tightened a partial turn and after almost 12 months the walls were straight again.

The interior was gutted, chain saws were used to cut away openings for doors and windows. The outside was cleaned, bleached and stained. She was beginning to look fresh and alive again. Inside, the walls were going up, hallways were created, rooms defined . . . the dream was taking shape. By 1995 three guest rooms, the kitchen, livingroom and front desk were completed. Outside, finishing touches were put on the screen porches, the trails were groomed, the dock got new coat of paint and the lawn was freshly mowed. Memorial Day weekend The Lodge at Oak Pointe Bed & Breakfast opened for business.

Guests were and still are greeted in the rustic living room where a gas log fireplace and copper accents create a warm and cozy feeling. A variety of taxidermied creatures adorn the walls and shelves. All of the lodge animals are native to Michigan and most were purchased from a retiring taxidermist.

The dream was coming to life but they weren't done yet. During the next 2 years "The Lodge" underwent continued renovations. Two additional guest rooms were completed and the library took shape. The bookcases which came out of a school library were purchased at auction. They were painted orange! Thanks to talented owners, many cans of paint remover and a lot of elbow grease they became the focal point of the Library. Originally the library was going to be an Irish Pub. After running the B&B for a few years it became apparent that a pub would not fit in with the atmosphere of peacefulness that permeated the lodge. Instead of Irish whiskey and grog the shelves were filled with mysteries, histories, fantasies, biographies and even a few do-it-yourself books on construction and renovation.

The millennium brought even more changes. The cottage which sits across the driveway from the lodge was completed in 2000 to house a barbershop. One of the owners was the town barber and his cottage dream was brought to fruition. A large deck with a ramp welcomes guests to the cottage. Inside, customers would get their hair cut while enjoying the fireplace and a wonderful view of the pond.

But the changes weren't over yet... In January of 2004 the lodge was sold to Robert & Becky Dorfman. We moved to Caseville from Ohio between snow storms and settled in with our family to run "The Lodge".

In May we redecorated the cottage to be used as a guest room. The loft which is accessed via the spiral staircase was carpeted, furnished with futons and converted into a sitting room.

Because we feel the lodge is so perfect the way it is we don't have any plans to change it although we may consider expansion some day. When asked by returning guests "Have you changed anything?" We are often tempted to say "Yes, We change the sheets!" but we can only share with them how much we love "The Lodge" the way it is and hope they continue to enjoy this wonderful and peaceful retreat.

Your Innkeepers

Becky & Robert Dorfman