Epworth Heights
Encyclopedia
Epworth Heights is a summer resort located in Ludington, Michigan
, in the United States
.
and others. It began as a Methodist Chautauqua
-style family camping experience on the shores of Lake Michigan
. There was to be a two-week program of entertainment and spiritual teaching to benefit the Ludington area residents. An agreement between the Citizen's Development Company of Ludington and the Epworth League
Assembly of Big Rapids was signed on May 6 of that year. By mid-July, a mere ten weeks later, the Hotel, Auditorium and classrooms that had been hastily built were ready for the first two-week session. Families camped in tents on the sandy beaches and enjoyed the programming as well as the lakeside vistas.
, including those outside of the Methodist faith, is invited to spend a week in the apartment after his or her Sunday service in the Auditorium and evening vespers in the Marine Dining Room or the Vespers Bleachers. The visiting minister also provides an hour and a half discussion of any topic they choose, at our Monday morning program called Monday Musings.
Ludington, Michigan
Ludington is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 8,357. It is the county seat of Mason County.Ludington is a harbor town located on Lake Michigan at the mouth of the Pere Marquette River...
, in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Founding
Epworth Heights was founded in 1894 by Justus Smith StearnsJustus Smith Stearns
Justus Smith Stearns was an American lumber baron and businessman. He was Michigan's secretary of state in 1899 and 1900.- Biography :...
and others. It began as a Methodist Chautauqua
Chautauqua
Chautauqua was an adult education movement in the United States, highly popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Chautauqua assemblies expanded and spread throughout rural America until the mid-1920s. The Chautauqua brought entertainment and culture for the whole community, with...
-style family camping experience on the shores of Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America and the only one located entirely within the United States. It is the second largest of the Great Lakes by volume and the third largest by surface area, after Lake Superior and Lake Huron...
. There was to be a two-week program of entertainment and spiritual teaching to benefit the Ludington area residents. An agreement between the Citizen's Development Company of Ludington and the Epworth League
Epworth League
The Epworth League is a Methodist young adult association for individuals ages 18-35. It traces back to the founding of the organization by the United Methodist Church's predecessor denomination, the Methodist Episcopal church, formed in 1889 at Cleveland, Ohio, by the combination of five young...
Assembly of Big Rapids was signed on May 6 of that year. By mid-July, a mere ten weeks later, the Hotel, Auditorium and classrooms that had been hastily built were ready for the first two-week session. Families camped in tents on the sandy beaches and enjoyed the programming as well as the lakeside vistas.
Early years
It was decided that leasing plots of land to allow for the building of cottages would be a good way to raise money and assure a future for the venture. For five dollars a year, a member of the assembly could purchase the right to build a cottage on his leasehold. Several cottages were built in 1895; by 1909, there were close to 100. These were not year-round cottages, but simple wooden structures built along walks that lined the Lake Michigan shore.Later years
The Chautauqua programs continued until 1924, but were replaced with other speakers of a spiritual or cultural nature. Over the years, the number of cottages has grown to over two hundred, each named by the family holding the lease. Cottages are also available for rent, but there are many requirements for renting including three letters of reference from lease-holders.Present day
The Epworth Hotel no longer has rooms but serves as a meeting place for the residents to pick up mail, drink coffee at the cafe, purchase resort wear and knick-knacks at the shop, get their hair and nails done, or take advantage of the small lending library. Upstairs, the Historical Museum houses pictures and household items from the early days. There is also a small apartment on the second floor, known as the Upper Room, which is occupied by the visiting ministers and their families who come weekly during the summer season. Each ministerMinister of religion
In Christian churches, a minister is someone who is authorized by a church or religious organization to perform functions such as teaching of beliefs; leading services such as weddings, baptisms or funerals; or otherwise providing spiritual guidance to the community...
, including those outside of the Methodist faith, is invited to spend a week in the apartment after his or her Sunday service in the Auditorium and evening vespers in the Marine Dining Room or the Vespers Bleachers. The visiting minister also provides an hour and a half discussion of any topic they choose, at our Monday morning program called Monday Musings.