In a letter to the editor published in the Commercial Record, Executive Director Eric Gollannek brings attention to the possible loss of the historical building of Dutcher Lodge in Douglas, MI.
To the editior,
The distinctive multipurpose building in Douglas known locally as Dutcher Lodge marks its 150th birthday this year. The City of Douglas put it on the market for sale April 26 and could choose to accept an offer as soon as June 2 at their next city council meeting.
Of course, change is inevitable and productive as our communities grow. The mission of the Saugatuck-Douglas History Center, however, compels us to speak up with urgency for preserving this community treasure, under unique threat for the first time in its history. The building is worthy of preservation for its contribution to the character and sense of place that makes Douglas special; it is the heart of the village’s architectural character and embodies a 150-year legacy as a combined gathering place, seat of local government and cultural center. Way back in 1982, historian James Sheridan celebrated the building for its striking presence on Center Street and rich place in the social fabric of the community. Newcomers to Douglas are often surprised by the presence of the building labeled Dutcher Lodge … It simply seems too large and grandiose to be merely the home of a fraternal organization. When the structure was erected, it was intended to serve more than that purpose. Douglas needed a governmental center and community meeting place where entertainments, dances and large gatherings could be accommodated. Built by the Freemasons and named for Douglas’s founding son Thomas Dutcher, the two-story Italianate style wood-framed structure combined the social hall of the fraternal order with a space used as the Village Hall from its beginning. In its later years, for 14 years from 1991-2005, the grassroots Douglas Historic Preservation Committee worked to raise more than $150,000 from community members to restore Dutcher Lodge as a community center.
This winter, Douglas took action to sell Dutcher Lodge. The city approved plans to relocate city services and administration to the former Community Hospital site on Wiley Road and Blue Star Highway. Part of that plan included selling Dutcher Lodge and the police station building to fund these changes. What’s alarming about this process is that for the first time, this building may pass into private ownership with no protections against extreme alteration or even demolition. The state historic marker in front of Dutcher Lodge may give the suggestion of “protection” but in reality such listings have no authority over what a new owner may do with their property. It is now time for everyone in the lakeshore community to come together to ensure protections are properly considered and put in place prior to selling this historical landmark.
The SDHC’s mission is to preserve local history and inspire learning to inform and improve our Community. The origins of the organization in 1986 sprang from grassroots preservation activism, specifically efforts to protect Saugatuck’s Village Hall from radical modifications that would have destroyed the integrity of the landmark building. Over the four decades that followed, History Center volunteers led efforts to create Saugatuck’s local historic district, saved and restored the Douglas Root Beer Barrel, found a new home for the historic Demerest Fishing Shanty, and led the work to have the Mt Baldhead Radar Station added to the National Register of Historic Places. The SDHC directly cares for and interprets its two historic sites: the Saugatuck Pump House (1904) and Douglas Union School (1866) fully supported by volunteers and generous members who work to preserve these historical landmarks for the future.
“Any city gets what it admires, will pay for and, ultimately, deserves. And we will probably be judged not by the monuments we build. but by those we have destroyed.” New York Times architecture critic Ada Louise Huxtable wrote those words in 1963 as a eulogy for the recently condemned Penn Station. The loss of that monumental building galvanized the historic preservation movement across the Country. Dutcher Lodge is not Penn Station. But it plays an equally vital role in our community’s sense of place and sense of self. Let us heed the lessons of the preservation movement and protect this treasured building. The time is now.