Built 1935 (1935) Opened 1935 Architectural style Arts and Crafts movement | NRHP Reference # 13000798 Area 4,000 m² Added to NRHP 30 September 2013 | |
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Location 8800 W. M-116 (Hamlin Township) Similar Aloha State Park, Big Sable Point Light, Stearns Park, Mears State Park, Silver Lake State Park | ||
The Lake Michigan Beach House at Ludington State Park is a public building located at 8800 West M-116 in Hamlin Township. It is the only Arts and Crafts beachhouse on Lake Michigan, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2013.
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History
At the beginning of the 1930s, as the Great Depression worsened, Franklin Roosevelt created the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). The Civilian Conservation Corps Camp Ludington-Pere Marquette SP-2 was established in 1933. That same year, architect Ralph B. Herrick designed this beach house for the park. The Ludington State Park Beach House was constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1935.
In 2013, the beach house underwent an extensive renovation.
Description
The Ludington State Park Beach House is a two-story square plan building measuring 116 feet (35 m) by 35 feet (11 m). It sits on a concrete foundation, and has red brick walls on the lower story, wooden singles on the upper story, and a cedar shingle hip roof. Three brick archways on the lower floor provide access from the beach house directly to the Lake Michigan beach.
The upper floor of the beach house, originally intended to be a public lodge, has a wooden floor, large timber beams, and a brick and stone fireplace. The lower floor was constructed with dressing and shower rooms, toilets and a confectionery stand/grocery store.