THE SPACE:

This vacation home was closed for renovations and COVID concerns for most of 2020, but was remodeled during that timeframe with some great new additions:

* A new full bathroom on the second floor was installed to provide two full bathrooms in the house
* Two new 50-gallon hot water heaters were installed to provide plenty of hot water even for larger groups
* A new electric range and refrigerator was installed in the kitchen
* New flooring was implemented in the kitchen, downstairs bathroom, and the four seasons room
* A new dishwasher was added in the kitchen

The vacation house is approximately 2000 square feet in size. It has four bedrooms (all of which are upstairs and two of which have views of Crystal Lake) and two full bathrooms (one upstairs and one downstairs). Two of the bedrooms have queen-size beds in them, one of them has two twin-size beds in it, and the fourth bedroom has a trundle bed (a twin bed and a second twin bed that rolls underneath the other one when not in use). One of the bedrooms that has a queen-size bed in it also has a baby crib in the bedroom.

​The downstairs bathroom has a tub/ shower combination, toilet, sink, and mirror. The upstairs bathroom has a shower, toilet, sink, and mirror. Bedding (sheets and comforters) as well as towels are provided free of charge! In addition to the bedrooms (which sleep 7), the house has two futons downstairs that sleep an additional 4 people as well as a fold-out bed that sleeps one additional person. (Thus, in total, up to 12 people can sleep in the house.)

This vacation home also has a large kitchen with a sink, newer refrigerator, newer electric range (stovetop and oven), newer dishwasher, microwave, toaster, and coffee pot. There are a good selection of cooking and dining utensils in the kitchen that are all available for guests to use. Near the back door there is also a stackable washer and dryer.

The Centennial House has a large living room and a large dining room that seats up to 8 people. It has both a front porch with a view of Benzie Blvd. as well as a newer back porch which has a nice view of Crystal Lake as well as a gas grill and outdoor chairs. Right next to the back porch is a lovely four seasons room that also has a nice view of Crystal Lake. With Crystal Lake just west of the house, both the back porch and the four seasons room provide beautiful views of the sun setting on Crystal Lake.

This vacation house comes equipped with high-speed wi-fi as well as a television with live streaming via Hulu, Netflix, and PureFlix. (Hulu provides the equivalent of cable television, including local network channels.) The home does not have air conditioning (which is rarely needed given the proximity to Crystal Lake), but all bedrooms have portable fans.

PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING:

1) GUEST REQUIREMENTS: The property is only available for tourists and/or individuals that are visiting the area for non-work-related purposes. The property IS NOT AVAILABLE FOR WORK-RELATED GROUPS. Also, the individual booking the property must be present at check-in and must be staying at the property for the entire term of the reservation.

2) PETS: Up to 2 dogs are permitted. Pets other than dogs are not permitted. If bringing 1 or 2 dogs, please make certain that they are included on the reservation and that the pet fee is paid.

3) DISHES: We ask guests to fully wash and put away any dishes, pots, pans, and/or silverware that they may have used prior to departure.

4) GRILLING: We provide an outdoor propane grill and we do provide propane as well. We ask that guests completely shut-off the propane supply at the tank after grilling and that guests also clean the grill before check-out if they have used it. Also, for safety considerations, please do not use the grill next to the house. Please keep the grill at least 5 feet away from the side of the house.

5) FISH CLEANING: Fish cleaning is not permitted inside the house. Also, any fish remains must be disposed of at a local fish cleaning station and not put in with the normal garbage for the house.

6) QUIET HOURS: The house is located in a family-friendly neighborhood environment and, for the benefit of everyone in the neighborhood, we ask that guests be quiet outside between 10:00 PM and 8:00 AM.

7) PARKING: Parking is only permitted in the paved parking area behind the house or on the street in front of the house. Parking on grass is strictly prohibited!


HOME HISTORY:

The house has a very rich and fascinating history, which is intertwined with the history of the Wellman family and Benzie County itself. The house has actually been owned by the same family ever since it was bought by Robert Wellman more than 100 years ago! The Wellman family first arrived in Benzie County in 1862 when Emery Wellman came to the area to be a part of the homestead movement. The area was encouraged as a destination for homesteading because of the lumbering that was going on here at the time. Emery then left the area to join the Michigan troops that were fighting in the U.S. Civil War. When Emery returned to the area after the war was over, he returned to farming and literally married the “girl next door”, Olive Marshall, who was a daughter of the homesteaders on an adjacent farm, the Marshall family.

​The Marshall family had arrived by ox cart from Canada and has their own significant history in Benzie County. The mother was a widow and she and her children that come to northern Michigan to get a new start in life. One of Olive's brothers, Neil Marshall, was a Sheriff's Deputy and is the only law enforcement officer in the history of Benzie County to be killed in the line of duty. Neil Marshal was murdered in 1889 by the owner of a lumber camp when Neil went to the camp to attempt to collect taxes that were owed by the owner.

Emery and Olive Wellman had seven children. One son died of influenza at the age of 2 and a daughter died at the age of 18 of tuberculosis. The farm was divided between the surviving children who continued to operate the farm until they died. The family farm (located outside of Beulah) has continued to stay in the family through the generations even up to the current day! One of Emery and Olive's sons, Robert Wellman, met and married the local school teacher, who was named Cora. Robert and Cora began a farm in the area and lived there until he got the job of Postmaster in Beulah. The job of Postmaster in Beulah required that Robert move into town, so the couple moved into town and Robert bought the house that we are now calling Centennial House. ​

​Robert and his wife had a son, W. Emory Wellman, who attended the nearby Interlochen Center for the Arts in 1930 for music and he actually performed with John Phillip Sousa. After graduation from high school, W. Emory attended Michigan Agricultural College (MAC, which is now Michigan State University) and studied to become a Landscape Architect. One summer in the 1930's while home from MAC W. Emory planted a birch tree in back of the house for his mother. As shown in the photo to the left, this is the same birch tree that the back deck for the house is now built around!

After his time at MAC, W. Emory moved to southeast Michigan for work and he worked in Pontiac, Birmingham, and then completed his career as head of the Parks department for the City of Detroit. He married a woman named Flora and had 5 children. After retiring, W. Emory and Flora moved to Beulah to retire to the house (now called Centennial House) that he had first lived in as a child. A cute childhood photo of Flora Emory is shown to the right and is hanging in the upstairs hallway of the house.

After the death of W. Emory Wellman and his wife Flora, the 4 surviving siblings (who are now senior citizens and are the grandchildren of the original builder, Robert Wellman) along with the son of the oldest sibling (who has passed away) have come together to form an LLC to manage the historic family home and share it with others who come to see the incredible beauty of northern Michigan. The Wellman family has lovingly decorated the house with a number of old photographs and historical documents that are hanging in the house and that add to the wonderful historic character of the home. We are truly honored to be working with the Wellman family on marketing and managing such an incredible home!

SHORT-TERM RENTAL REGISTRATION:

This property is officially registered with the Village of Beulah, Michigan, as a short-term rental (STR) property. The registration number is 22032.

NEIGHBORHOOD:

The house is located in an incredible location! It's right on Benzie Blvd. in the heart of the cute little northern Michigan town of Beulah on Crystal Lake. It's very close to a number of wonderful attractions in the area:

* It's less than 100 yards from beautiful Crystal Lake and the back deck, four seasons room, and two of the bedrooms all have views of Crystal Lake.
* It's 1 block from the popular Beulah public fishing pier on Crystal Lake. The lake is renowned for yellow perch, rock bass, and smelt fishing. Coho salmon, smallmouth bass, and brown, lake, and rainbow trout are also catchable in the lake.
* It's 2 blocks from the Beulah Public Beach. With its sandy bottom and sandy shores, the lake is great for swimming and the beach is very family-friendly with a shallow shoreline.
* It's 2 blocks from downtown Beulah, which offers an eclectic smalltown mix of shopping and dining, including restaurants, a coffee shop, a bakery/delicatessen, and several art and specialty shops.
* It's 2 blocks from Cold Creek, a cute little creek that goes right through downtown Beulah and has contributed to the success of smelt in Crystal Lake.
* It's basically across the street from Five Shores, a very nice local microbrewery in downtown Beulah.
* It's 3 blocks from Betsie Valley Trail, which is great for biking, rollerblading, hiking, dog walking, and snowmobiling and cross-country skiiing in the winter.
* It's 3 blocks from Beulah Park, which has music in the park every Thursday evening during the summer.
* It's 4 miles from the Cherry Bowl Drive In Theater, a fun family tradition in northern Michigan for more than 60 years and one of just a handful of drive-in theaters that are still in operation in Michigan.
* It's 5 miles from the start of internationally famous Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore and of the natural beauty and splendor that the national lakeshore provides.
* It's 8 miles from the lovely beach town of Frankfort and Lake Michigan. Frankfort has its own beach on Lake Michigan, several marinas, and its own unique selection of cute shops and restaurants.
* The hilly terrain in the area results in the Betsie River as well as the Platte River both winding through the nearby area and they provide great group and family opportunities for kayaking, canoeing, tubing, and fishing.
* It's a 45 to 60 minutes drive (depending upon exact destination) to Traverse City, which is the cultural, dining, shopping, entertainment, and business hub for northern Michigan

GUEST ACCESS:

Guests will have access to the entire home, except for the basement which is kept locked off and is just used for storage.

TRANSIT:

There is free parking in the driveway! Public transportation is rather limited. A car is recommended if you wish to venture outside of Beulah.