Mills Community House Association
231.882.0591
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Mills Community House

Kristin Fleetwood, Executive Director
231.882.0591​
891 Michigan Avenue
PO Box 421
Benzonia, MI 49616


A wonderful venue for your next meeting, party, wedding reception or other special event.
Spring hours Mondays 10-2 or by appointment.

Contact Us

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Plant Diagnostic Clinic
11 am-2 pm, 2nd Tuesday of the month

April-September 2023
April 11, May 9, June 13, July 11, August 8, and September 12

​Benzonia Public Library Porch
​
Bring us your bugs, weeds, and plant diseases, for identification and recommendations!
Michigan State University Extension (MSUE) will once again host a Plant Diagnostics Clinic at the Benzonia Public Library.   Staffed by MSU-E employees and Extension Master Gardeners, the diagnostics clinic will assist residents with plant pests and diseases, lawns, bug or weed identification and recommendations.  For questions about the MSUE diagnostics clinic, call 231-256-9888 or email waltonn2@msu.edu.


Academy Lecture: Hospitals of Benzie County ​
Presented By:  Jane Purkis
Thursday, April 13 at 4:00 pm
​
Click Here to Pre-register>
Our area has been home to several hospitals over the years, including doctor’s residencies, until the building of Paul Oliver Memorial Hospital in 1951.  This talk will focus on early hospital care and those individuals involved.
​

Jane Purkis (BA Albion College, MA University of Michigan) taught at Crystal Lake Elementary School for 30 years and now spends her time managing the vast collection of artifacts at the Benzie Area Historical and Drake School Museums.

 ​Additional information including Zoom links at benziemuseum.org
Anna Markham Hospital
Anna Markham Hospital
Ena Kraft Jackson
Ena Kraft Jackson

100+ Women Who Care
Wednesday, April 26, 2023
5:30 pm
(doors open at 5:00 pm)

100 Women Who Care logo
​ONE HOUR! THREE RANDOM PRESENTIONS AND ONE VOTE!
What local cause will win our members' support?????…
Visitors are welcome to attend, but only members may present or vote.
We put the FUN in Fundraising!
Visit our 100 + Women Who Care Page for details>

​​Titanic Remembered
by Maureen Esther, HistoryTeller
Thursday, April 27, 2023
4:00-5:30 pm

 
The Titanic would be the epitome of ocean liner luxury – a leviathan and marvel of the modern age. Even though “unsinkable”, by 2:30 a.m. on that fateful morning, she would be on the bottom of the cold Atlantic Ocean. You are invited to board the Titanic in this heartfelt lecture which covers not only the loss of life, but the loss of innocence.
Titanic poster
Titanic iceberg depiction
Visit Events Page for program details>     
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Kristin Fleetwood, Executive Director
​We are thrilled to announce that we have officially hired our new Executive Director.
Kristin Fleetwood moved to the Benzie area in 2010. A graduate of Grand Valley State University, she had been working in the virtual school system since 2015 supporting elementary students and their families. The Mills has been a part of her life in Benzonia starting from her very first summer when she attended a job fair on the upper level, and since then she and her family have continued enjoying many of the programs offered here. 
​Please join us in welcoming Kristin!
Sample brick saying thank you
Brick Fundraiser
​Buy your brick now at a cost of only $100.00! Be part of the historic
Mills Community House by helping us preserve the past and plan for the future!  ​Details plus Online and Offline order options on our ​
​Brick Fundraiser Page>
​


$250,000 CAPITAL CAMPAIGN FOR THE
​MILLS COMMUNITY HOUSE


As a 113-year-old building, the Mills is in need of nearly constant updates. In December 2021, our elevator was out of commission for nearly a week before it was restored to service. We made much-needed improvements in 2021,including a roof replacement and building restrooms on the upper level, where most events are held. The new restrooms are sure to be a huge asset moving forward as we host more events and further engage with our community.

In 2022, our goal is to fundraise enough to cover the cost of several important building infrastructure projects, including replacement of our 30-year-old hydraulic elevator, creating an ADA-compliant, safer, smoother access to the building (an estimated cost of over $250,000). We also need exterior building work such as replacement of damaged wooden fascia and tuck pointing of deteriorating brick work. 2021, our elevator was out of commission for nearly a week before it was restored to service. We made much-needed improvements in 2021,including a roof replacement and building restrooms on the upper level, where most events are held. The new restrooms are sure to be a huge asset.
Visit our Capital Campaign Page for more information>
Visit our Ways to Give Page for donation options>
Fall colors in Benzonia MI. Mills Community House with Crystal Lake in background.. Photo by Elija Fly Photography
Fall colors in Benzonia MI. Mills Community House with Crystal Lake in background.. Photo by Elija Fly Photography

EVENTS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

April
11 Plant Diagnostic Clinic
​13 Academy Lecture: Hospitals of Benzie County
26 100+ Women Who Care
​27 Titanic Remembered
29 Dance Class 
​29 Community Dance

May
  9 Plant Diagnostic Clinic​
​
11 Academy Lecture: Some of Benzie County's Earliest Settlers
16 Blood Drive
17 Plant It Wild

June
​
 8 Academy Lecture: 
​13 Plant Diagnostic Clinic
21 Plant It Wild​

July
​
11 Plant Diagnostic Clinic
​  3 Academy Lecture:
18 Blood Drive
19 Plant It Wild 
​26 100+ Women Who Care

Visit Events Page for details>
​Private events are not listed.

VIRTUAL TOUR 
provided by Travers City Tourism

Location


RENTALS: At the MILLS
Visit Facility Use Page for details:
Meeting Space - lower level
Mills Hall - upper level
All areas are handicap accessible with an elevator serving all three floors.
The Middle floor is NOT available as it is leased by the Benzonia Public Library.


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Mills Community House Association
PO Box 421, ​891 Michigan Ave.
​Benzonia, MI 49616
millscommhouse@gmail.com
​231-882-0591

Kristin Fleetwood,
​Executive Director
​Spring hours Mondays 10-2
or by appointment.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Donna Brown, Ruth Catton, 
Jimmy McLaren, ​Jane Sullivan,
​Colleen Swartz, and ​Samantha Wolfe.

Link to Google Map>
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Make an online DONATION to the
Mills Community House Association
using PayPal Secure Checkout.

Click on the DONATE button which
takes you to our PayPal site where you have the option of using a credit card OR your PayPal account. 
​
A 501(c) 3 organization
Tax ID (EIN): 75-2977687

ENDOWMENT FUND INFORMATION

Our mission is to provide
stewardship and promotion of the
historic Mills Community House
as a venue for events and services
that enrich lives.

Land Acknowledgement
​Benzie county occupies the ancestral, traditional and contemporary lands of Anishinabek people. The Mills Community house recognizes the Anishinabek of the Three Fires Confederacy, the Odawa (Ottawa), Ojibwa (Chippewa), and Bode'wadmi (Potawatomi); historic Indigenous communities in Michigan; and those who were forcibly removed from their homelands. Benzie County occupies land ceded in the treaty of 1855. We give thanks to the Anishinabek as the caretakers of the Earth and for their relationship to the land.