Harbor Springs, MI
Harbor Springs, Michigan depot; July 2004
North Side, Harbor Springs depot
| Harbor Springs is near the northern tip of Michigan's
lower peninsula, about 30 miles SSW of Mackinaw City, and on the north shore
of Little Traverse Bay. The harbor there is said to be one of the best in
Lake Michigan, as it is quite deep and provides excellent protection from
storms coming in from any direction. As the Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad
was building north toward Mackinaw City, it built a branch to Harbor Springs,
initially to serve the
lumber
industry.
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| The depot was built in 1887. There was a waiting room
in the east end, the agent's office in the center, and a very large freight
room on the west end, which was connected to a dock built out into the harbor.
Baggage and freight could be moved from lake steamers, across the baggage
room, and transferred to either trains, or to wagons for local delivery.
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Massive Roof Brackets |
North Side Freightroom Door |
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The depot was quite an elaborate structure, designed
to attract not only attention, but passengers as well. There was a
tall spire on the east end of the roof, and huge oversize roof brackets.
Other interesting details include the checkerboard windows in the bay window
and freight room doors. Sidney Osgood, of Grand Rapids, was the architect.
He also designed the Muskegon Union Station, and the Mason County Courthouse
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| By 1900, the resort trade was far more important than
the lumber business. Each summer, thousands of people traveled to northern
Michigan. In the years before electric air conditioning, the cool fresh air
blowing in off Lake Michigan was a real treat. |
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The Grand Rapids and Indiana had a special train serving
northern Michigan resorts, the Northland Limited. GR&I's owner, the
Pennsylvania Railroad, brought sleepers and pullman cars from Cincinnati,
Louisville, and St. Louis to Fort Wayne, the southern end of the GR&I,
where they were combined to form the Northland Limited. Additional cars from
the Michigan Central's Chicago trains, were added in Kalamazoo.
At Petoskey, on the south side of the bay, passengers could
transfer to "Suburban" trains, serving a whole string of resort towns between
Petoskey and Harbor Springs.
The peak year for the suburban service was 1915, when there
were 8 trains a day each way and over half a million tickets sold. |
Route and Stations between Petoskey and Harbor Springs.
| This level of activity did not last too long, once
autos and busses provided an alternative to the trains. The suburban service
probably ended in the 1930's. The tracks remained in service for freight
cars until some time in the 1960's, when the tracks were pulled up and the
depot sold to private owners. Over the years, the depot served several business
including a dress shop, a dance hall, and an ice cream parlor.
In 2000 the depot was purchased by the Trillium Group.
They rebuilt and restored the depot. Work included raising the north side
to replace the foundation, and adding a 2 bedroom apartment to the attic.
The building had never been insulated. To make it suitable for year round
use, it had to be insulated. So all the original beadboard siding and trim
in the waiting room and agents office was removed, walls were insulated,
and each piece of siding was returned to its original location. The original
floors were sanded and refinished. The exterior was repainted in its original
colors.
The building reopened in June 2001. It is now open to the
public as home to the WARD Gallery.
The waiting room is now the antiques showroom. The agents office now displays
home furnishings, and the freight room serves as the art gallery and office
space. |
Ticket Window and Door to Agents Office
Art Gallery, with original Freightroom Doors
Postcard View of Harbor Springs Depot
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