Vision of preservation became Historic White Pine Village 50 years ago

Moving the Marchido Schoolhouse.

By Rob Alway, Editor-in-Chief

PERE MARQUETTE TOWNSHIP — Historic White Pine Village will celebrate its 50th anniversary Friday, July 3, with a day of free admission, historical demonstrations, special ceremonies and the unveiling of new exhibits and interpretive features that honor the museum’s past while looking toward its future.

The celebration, themed “Honoring Our First 50. Inspiring Our Next 50.,” marks the opening of the village on July 3, 1976, during the nation’s Bicentennial celebration. This year’s event also coincides with America’s 250th anniversary. Free admission is being provided through the sponsorship of West Shore Bank.

Historic White Pine Village traces its roots to the Mason County Historical Society, founded in 1937 and later under the leadership of Rose Hawley, Abe Nelson, Jerome Jorrisen and other local preservationists dedicated to ensuring Mason County’s history would not be lost. Over the following decades, society members documented pioneer families, collected thousands of artifacts and assembled one of Michigan’s most significant local history archives. By the mid-1960s, however, they realized preserving documents and artifacts alone was not enough. Their vision expanded to creating an outdoor museum where historic buildings could be preserved, restored and interpreted together for future generations. The cornerstone of that effort became the Burr Caswell House, built in 1847 and the oldest surviving residence in Mason County. The home, which also served as Mason County’s first courthouse, became the centerpiece around which Pioneer Village was developed on the Buttersville Peninsula.

The village in its early stages. The Burr Caswell home/courthouse is on the left.

Transforming that vision into reality required years of determination and community support. Volunteers donated thousands of hours relocating historic buildings, restoring structures and preparing the grounds. Early additions included the Quevillon family post office, the Buttersville cottage, a one-room schoolhouse and other historic buildings rescued from demolition throughout Mason County. Community fundraising campaigns, work bees and voter approval of a countywide millage provided the financial support needed to continue construction and preservation. The village officially opened to the public on July 3, 1976, offering visitors an opportunity to experience Mason County’s pioneer, lumbering, agricultural and maritime heritage through authentic buildings, exhibits and living history demonstrations.

Activities during Friday’s celebration begin at 10 a.m. with complimentary coffee and donuts, followed by an anniversary program at 11 a.m. The program will recognize the volunteers, donors and community partners whose support has sustained the village over the past five decades while highlighting plans for its future. At 11:20 a.m., the Mason County Historical Society will dedicate newly renovated exhibits in the Fire Barn and Blacksmith Shop and receive a Legislative Tribute presented by State Rep. Curt VanderWall.

Early days of the village.

At noon, members of Custer VFW Gold Bar Post 5096 and the West Michigan Patriotic Choir will conduct a flag-raising ceremony at nearby Pere Marquette Township Hall commemorating America’s 250th anniversary. House of Flavors will provide a complimentary ice cream social from noon to 3 p.m.

Visitors can also experience living history demonstrations throughout the day, including blacksmithing, candle dipping, weaving, farmhouse cooking, laundry, sawmill operations, railroad interpretation and activities inside the Marchido School. The celebration also marks the public debut of the village’s new Heritage Trail, featuring professionally designed interpretive signs that guide visitors through the site’s buildings while telling the story of Mason County’s settlement, lumbering, agriculture, transportation and community development. The interpretive master plan and signage were designed by Great Lakes maritime historian and museum designer Valerie van Heest, whose previous work includes the Port of Ludington Maritime Museum and the Rose Hawley Archives, both operated by the Mason County Historical Society.

Today, Historic White Pine Village’s 12-acre campus features more than 30 historic structures and thousands of artifacts that tell the story of Mason County’s people, industries and communities from the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. It is one of three major attractions operated by the Mason County Historical Society, along with the Port of Ludington Maritime Museum and the Rose Hawley Archives in downtown Ludington. Together, the three sites preserve and interpret Mason County’s history through historic structures, museum collections, archival records and interactive exhibits, continuing the mission established nearly 90 years ago by the society’s founders.

Although reservations are not required, organizers request those planning to attend RSVP here. For more information on the Mason County Historical Society, visit www.masoncountmihistory.org.

Photos in the article have been preserved in the Mason County Historical Society’s Rose Hawley Archives.