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From Manistee News Feb 2014
In 1878 the Dunham House, Manistee’s premier first-class hotel, opened its doors on a large lot located on the corner of Pine and Water streets. For the next several years, the hotel prospered but was forced to close due to the ever increasing popularity of the Briny Inn, which by that time not only offered visitors first-class rooms but also medicinal salt baths.
In 1917 the Briny was destroyed by fire leaving local citizens to form an organization and refurbish the vacant Dunham House into the Hotel Chippewa which continued under that banner until 1969 when the hotel became known as the Coral Gables. For the next 10 years the Gables became a well-known place for area organizations to hold meetings and banquets while the hotel bar became a popular night spot for younger generations to hang out. Nevertheless, in late Dec. 1979, the Coral Gables was closed due to bankruptcy leaving behind a vacant building.
By 1981, an Ann Arbor based economic development group called, MPM Partnership Group began working on a project on Manistee Lake. Franz Mogdis, a partner with MPM, recalls how the group began working in Manistee.
“We basically got started in Manistee while working on a project to look at how best to redevelop the waterfront around Manistee Lake,” recalls Mogdis.
After a short period of time MPM began taking a look around Manistee at other projects and one of the things that piqued the partners’ interest was a potential revitalization of the Hotel Chippewa.
“We started to interact fairly closely with the county planning offices and the city planning offices and also the local chamber and basically our idea was that it was going to take it (the hotel) back to what it was in terms of the early 1900s and making it basically a historic property,” said Mogdis.
Plans were later drawn up for an estimated $9 million renovation of the once popular hotel which included the potential purchasing of various properties on Water Street east of Pine Street as well as the modernizing of the entire interior of the building.
While proposals for the refurbishing of the hotel underwent numerous financial setbacks, by 1984 the former Coral Gables had been badly vandalized and had become a not so secret party spot as well as a hangout for vagrants. That fall, the problems became so apparent that the City of Manistee posted “Do Not Enter” signs on the doors of the hotel.
Even though the project was considered stalled, in Jan. of 1985 MPM was still optimistic about the overall viability of the renovation telling the Manistee News Advocate that it was still, “…a top priority.”
Two months later, on the morning of March 26, 1985, fire broke out in the vacant hotel building. As crowds of onlookers gazed upon the blaze that eventually engulfed the entire structure, history disappeared before their eyes. An article published in that day’s Manistee News Advocate provides an excellent description of the events of that morning:
“The historical Dunham House Hotel crumbled to charred ruins this morning amid colossal flames and billowing clouds that spewed sparks and ashes across the Manistee River channel and over the north side of town.
“The intense blaze fanned by southerly winds, left the three-story downtown landmark a smoldering pile of rubble and blackened walls by 10 this morning. A fisherman on his way to First Street Beach spotted smoke and reported the fire to city police about 6:50 a.m. this morning, city police chief John Willet told the News Advocate today.
“The Manistee County Sheriff’s department reported this morning that a train blocked the path of a Manistee Township fire engine rushing to the scene for a short time. Willet said both the township and city fire department were called but weren’t able to battle the blaze from the interior because the fire already was burning vigorously when the engine arrived.
“Willet said it appeared that the fire may have started in the building’s upper levels but it was difficult to say for sure because the fire might have started on a lower floor and crept up the walls later. He said the fire probably was burning for some time before it was reported.
“City hall, the radio station and other area buildings were without power for a short period around 8:30 a.m. when primary power lines burned off and Consumers Power Company shut off the power to reroute lines, Willet said.
“The power lines directly in front of the hotel threatened to snap onto the crowds of spectators gathered to witness the conflagration and police officers shepherded the curious away from danger. Meanwhile, firemen aimed their hoses at the main sites of the flames at the corners of the building. Later, the hotel’s façade crumbled in a shower of sparks as the blaze intensified and dark clouds rolled overhead. By press time the fire still smoldered and several walls remained standing.”
To this day the fire remains of an unknown origin but it was widely rumored that it began due to squatters living inside the abandoned structure.
This past January as I began the series of articles on the Hotel Chippewa, I mentioned that one of the most common questions that visitors to the museum ask is, “Didn’t there used to be a big hotel around here somewhere?” After I’ve told them some information about the hotel, the importance of that particular building always strikes me, and I often wonder what it would be like if it were still here. But, wishful speculation aside, even though the chapter of the Hotel Chippewa in Manistee has been officially closed for almost 30 years, like all good stories, it’s still worth revisiting from time to time.