After years of restoration by many devoted volunteers, the 1842 Dougherty Mission House will open to the public this month.
Everyone is invited to the Dedication and Open House on Saturday, June 15, 2019, 2 p.m. at 18459 Mission Road on the Old Mission Peninsula.
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Dr. Mary Ann Heidemann, historian and author, will be the guest speaker at the event.
Beginning in 2004, a group of Old Mission Peninsula residents collaborated with the Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy, the Old Mission Peninsula Historical Society, the Grand Traverse Regional Community Foundation and Peninsula Township to raise more than $575,000.
The 1842 home built by Reverend Peter Dougherty, a Presbyterian minister, and 15 acres of surrounding land in the village of Old Mission, Michigan were acquired. In July 2006, the home and property were deeded to Peninsula Township and became part of the Michigan Historic Preservation Network, thereby placing the home and property in conservancy.
Also in 2006, the Peter Dougherty Society was created. This group, a 501(c)(3) tax exempt organization, is responsible for the restoration of the Dougherty House and the development of the surrounding 15 acres. The property was placed on the National Register of Historical Places with state level significance.
After extensive restoration, including furnishing the interior with furniture and artifacts appropriate to the period from 1839 to 1910, the home and surrounding grounds will now be open as a historical, cultural educational and community center, as well as a museum for all visitors.
Plans for the surrounding 15 acres, including the completed Heritage Trail and Disabled Trail, as well as heirloom orchards and gardens, which will reflect farming on the Old Mission Peninsula in the late 19th Century.
Read more about Peter Dougherty and his history on the Old Mission Peninsula here.
Click here if you’d like to become a docent for the Dougherty Mission House.
Dates to Remember:
Dougherty House Dedication and Open House: Saturday, June 15, 2 p.m.
Log Cabin Day: Sunday, June 30, 11 a.m. – 3 p.m., Lighthouse Park; 11 a.m. – 4 p.m., Dougherty Mission House
