Historic Charlevoix mansion with Lake Michigan frontage hits the market

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The 7,600-square-foot 1913 Greek Revival mansion in Charlevoix is listed for $4.2 million.

A large historic home in Northern Michigan that was built for a wealthy titan of commerce in 1913 and used over the past several decades as a summer home and hub for family gatherings is ready for its next owner.

Brothers Matt Crane and Johnny Crane, Realtors with The Crane Group of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Michigan in Traverse City, listed the stately 7,600-square-foot Greek Revival home on the Lake Michigan shoreline just north of downtown Charlevoix for $4.2 million on Tuesday.

The 10-bedroom, eight-bathroom home with finished space on four levels belongs to a family originally from Southeast Michigan who asked not to be named for privacy reasons. It sits on just shy of 1 acre and has 125 feet of private Lake Michigan frontage.

The family has owned the property for almost 40 years. In that time, it’s been a summer residence and hub for family gatherings, including weddings, reunions and other events.

“It was a multigenerational family estate,” Matt Crane said, noting that the property is “a lot of house” and the family is ready to pass it to its next caretaker.

“It’s been very well loved,” he added. “It’s very timeless in a lot of ways.”

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The stately 9,000-square-foot Greek Revival home sits on the Lake Michigan shoreline just north of downtown Charlevoix.f

Pages from the past

Built by contractor Fred H. Thomas, the home was completed in 1913 for Col. Moses Schoenberg, a partner in the May Department Stores Co. of St. Louis, Mo., which was founded by his brother-in-law, David May. The merchandising empire eventually evolved into one of the largest retail chains in the U.S., becoming the parent organization of department stores including Lord & Taylor and Marshall Fields. The company was acquired by Federated Department Stores in 2005 and subsequently consolidated under the Macy’s brand.

David May had a home built next door to Schoenberg’s around the same time that also still stands but is not part of this listing.

The home’s exterior features the grand columns and intricate moldings that are emblematic of Greek Revival architecture.

Trevor Dotson, manager of operations for the Charlevoix Historical Society, said a local newspaper reported in May 1913 that the homes cost $15,000 and $18,000 to build, respectively, which is about $486,000 and $583,000 in today’s dollars. However, Crane expects the homes would be “cost prohibitive” to build today with the level of craftsmanship and materials involved.

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The home’s spaciousness is its first striking feature, which is part of what makes it ideal for hosting gatherings.

Though the Moses Schoenberg home is not on the National Register of Historic Places, Dotson said it’s considered a historical landmark locally.

“It is one of the more recognizable homes in Charlevoix, because there’s not a lot of Greek Revival-looking houses in Charlevoix,” Dotson said.

Over its 112-year history, the home has belonged to at least seven owners, one of whom was Cora Block, wife of Leopold Block, a wealthy industrialist who was president of Chicago-based Inland Steel Company, then the sixth-largest steel corporation in the U.S.

According to the Charlevoix Historical Society, Block bought the home in 1942 and sold it to Charlevoix Hospital in 1970. The hospital sold it a month later to Thomas and Gail Duke. The Dukes used it as a summer home until selling it to the Moslem Temple Association in 1978. The next notable owner was Paul Keiswetter, founder of Petoskey Plastics, who acquired it in 1983. He held onto it for three years before selling it to the present owners, according to the historical society.

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The sellers modernized the kitchen of this 1913 mansion in Charlevoix.

A hub for entertaining

With Lake Michigan as a backdrop, the property has hosted weddings and events for up to 175 people, with as many as 50 overnight guests at once.

Mature trees frame the lawn, while an irrigation system keeps it lush and green. A natural berm on the northwest side enhances privacy.

Though the home’s private living spaces, including the bedrooms and bathrooms, need updating, many of the main living areas have a timeless elegance that include 9- and 10-foot coffered beam ceilings, chandeliers, expansive hardwood floors, original fireplaces and French doors, board-and-batten walls, original wainscoting and built-in cabinets.

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The 1913-built mansion in Charlevoix includes 10 bedrooms with finished space on four levels.

In the four decades since they bought the house, the sellers modernized the electrical and kitchen, installed drywall, put in carpet and added the garage.

Crane said the home’s spaciousness is its first striking feature, which is part of what makes it ideal for hosting gatherings.

“The foyer is three times as big as we’re typically used to seeing, and the living room is three times as big,” he said. “The ceilings are tall, and upstairs, there are 8- or 9-foot-wide hallways you could almost drive a car down.”

The back of the home has a covered porch with double-decker balconies above it, and a screened-in porch with black-and-white tiled floors and a large composite deck that extends the living space farther outdoors.

The kitchen offers cooking space for groups, with a large central island and custom cabinetry.

Just off the kitchen, a cozy wood-paneled den with built-in bookshelves and a fireplace offers privacy and warmth for relaxing.

A grand staircase leads to the upper levels. The second floor offers six large bedrooms — many with lake views and access to the covered balcony — while the third floor has three more bedrooms, two baths and another balcony.

Outside, the beachfront has a storage shed for lounge chairs and water toys. An attached three-car garage with an old-school cupola and windows on the back wall faces the lake.

Finding an audience

The brokers expect to find their primary audience of buyers downstate in Southeast or West Michigan, or among wealthy buyers with ties to Michigan, like folks who have moved away to Chicago or Florida but would like a second home in their native state.

Crane said he views the home’s top three selling points to be its location on Lake Michigan and walkability to downtown Charlevoix, the expansive lot size and sheltered privacy, and its original and well-preserved architecture.

“I sell a lot of homes, and you very rarely bring something to market with that kind of architecture,” he said. “It’s very impressive, and hardly anybody’s duplicating it today or building like it new.”

Editor’s note: The original version of this report misstated the square footage of the house. It also has been corrected to say that the home has had at least seven previous owners, based on new information that was confirmed by the Charlevoix Historical Society. This version is correct.

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