Charles Mears Silver Lake Boardinghouse facts for kids
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Charles Mears Silver Lake Boardinghouse
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 Location in Michigan
Location in the United States
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| Nearest city | Mears, Michigan |
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| Area | 1.5 acres (0.61 ha) |
| Built | 1866 |
| NRHP reference No. | 86002115 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | July 31, 1986 |
The Charles Mears Silver Lake Boardinghouse is a historic building near Mears, Michigan. It was built to house workers for the important lumber industry. This industry was Michigan's main business in the 1800s. The boardinghouse is special because it is one of the few buildings left from that time. It was named a Michigan State Historic Site and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.
A Look Back: The Boardinghouse Story
Charles Mears was born in 1814 in North Billerica, Massachusetts. In 1836, Charles and his brothers opened a general store in Paw Paw, Michigan. The next year, Charles and another brother, Albert, thought about starting a business along the west side of Lake Michigan.
Charles saw a great chance in the lumber business. He bought land near White Lake, Michigan. By early 1838, he had opened a sawmill there. Mears decided that the small town of Chicago would be a good place to sell timber. So, he had a special boat built to carry lumber from his mill to Chicago.
In 1844, Mears opened a second sawmill. Soon, he owned timberland and mills all over Michigan. Mears built many boardinghouses for his workers. Other lumber business owners also built places for their workers to live. However, these were usually simple and only for the mill workers.
Mears's mills were close to Lake Michigan. This meant many people traveled past them. So, Mears did something different. He opened his boardinghouses to everyone, not just his workers. To attract more visitors, his boardinghouses were also built better than others.
This particular boardinghouse was built in 1866. When the lumber business slowed down, Mears kept the boardinghouse open for the public. His old mill foreman became the innkeeper. Mears passed away in 1895. He left the boardinghouse to his daughter, Carrie Ellen Mears. She closed the boardinghouse but owned it until she died in 1957.
After her death, she gave the boardinghouse and the land around it to the state of Michigan. Part of this gift became Mears State Park. Another part was added to Silver Lake State Park. Other parts of the land were sold. This included the land where the boardinghouse stands. The building was later fixed up and opened again for people to visit.
What Does the Boardinghouse Look Like?
The Charles Mears Silver Lake Boardinghouse is a two-story building. It is about 70 feet long and 28 feet wide. There is also a one-story kitchen area attached to one side. This kitchen part is about 25 feet by 25 feet. The outside of the building is covered with wooden siding called clapboard. The roof has asphalt shingles. The windows are a common style called two-over-two double hung.
Inside, the walls are made of lath and plaster. The floors are made of wood. On the main floor, there are four rooms. Two of these are large public rooms, like a living room and a dining room. The two smaller rooms were used by the innkeeper. The kitchen area has three more rooms: a kitchen, a pantry, and a storage room. Upstairs, there is one large room where many mill workers could sleep. There are also six smaller bedrooms for travelers.
