Mills Community House Association
231.882.0591
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History


The foundation of the Mills Community House began in 1858, when the Reverend Charles E. Bailey and four families from his  Congregational parish in Oberlin, Ohio founded Benzonia.  Modeled after earlier Congregational settlements, it was to be an “educational Christian colony” in what was then a remote wilderness.

Classes were held in a private home from 1860 until the buildings were constructed in 1863.  Within five years, the initial 2-story frame building burned, and the school took over a three-story frame building, dubbing it "East Hall." This was the only building used by the college for a number of years, until the 1890s when a new building was constructed, and East Hall was turned into the girl's dormitory, dining room, and president's quarters.

As an integral part of the new community, Grand Traverse College was chartered in 1863. Dedicated to educating both sexes, and people of all colors and ethnic origin, it provided college preparatory work and teacher training. Enrollment rose from 13 in the 1st graduating class to a peak of 150 in 1875.  The school reorganized in 1891 as Benzonia College, supplying college level education, until 1900, when it became Benzonia Academy. Both the College and the Academy served as a center for cultural and recreational activities for citizens of the surrounding villages. Benzonia Academy provided an education deep in music and arts, for approximately $2.75 per week, including room and board.

In 1906, George Catton became headmaster of Benzonia Academy and his family, including son Bruce (future alumnus of the Academy and Pulitzer-Prize winning historian), lived on the main floor of the women’s dormitory.  Bruce later wrote Waiting for the Morning Train, a memoir of his life in Benzonia. In January 1909, East Hall was destroyed by fire; fortunately, there were no injuries.  The Mills Cottage, a distinctive red brick building, was built as a replacement, re-opening in October, It was named for the Rev. Harlow S. Mills, who led the local Congregationalist congregation from 1896 to 1916 and made substantial contributions to the construction of the building in honor of his late wife.

Changing conditions, including improved transportation and expanded availability of public schools, resulted in declining attendance.  In 1918, Benzonia Academy closed with a graduating class of 10. For 55 years the college and academy had fulfilled the founder’s dream of bringing co-educational opportunities to northern Michigan. In 1925, the building was deeded to the Benzonia Congregational Church. Renovations were completed that included an auditorium on the upper level and a meeting space in the lower level. The library leased the middle floor and has continuously operated from this location for over 96 years.

During the 1930s, the top floor was used as a gymnasium, theater, and dance floor for nearby Benzonia High School. When the high school built a gymnasium, as part of a WPA project, the community continued using the space for plays, parties, and meetings. During World War II, young women from southern Michigan arrived to work on nearby farms as part of the Women’s Land Army. The Mills House was, again, put into service as a dormitory for these temporary workers (who were assisting their country while male workers were serving in the Armed Forces).

The Mills Community House is the only remaining building from the Benzonia Academy.  Supporters successfully placed the Mills on the National Register of historic Places in 1972.  Over the years, the building became dated; and, the top floor was closed due to safety concerns.  The community continued to appreciate the building, especially the ongoing services of the Benzonia Public Library and the availability of meeting space.
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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.
A generous donation from Cecily Williams, in the 1990s, expanded the Mills House ability to serve as a community center. A full kitchen and new restrooms were added to the lower level meeting space, and the room was refurbished with new lighting and other amenities.  Even though the third floor auditorium was not in use, Mrs. Williams’s foresight in having an elevator for all levels made it possible to reopen the top floor in 2008.  

​Exterior stairs, air-conditioning, and new furnishings were added, and the stage was rebuilt. In 2014 a new stair tower and spacious parking lot were added, improving access to the building.  The library was also renovated in 2015. Hardwood floors were refinished and upgrades to heating, air conditioning, lighting, and painting were completed in 2018.

The Mills Community House Association (formed in 2002) is a 501c3 non-profit and receives NO taxpayer funding; operating costs are supported by a small endowment fund, modest rental rates, and tax deductible contributions from residents.  In addition to private rentals for anniversaries, graduations, meetings, and weddings, the Mills Hall is has been home to a variety of events including performances by the Benzie County Community Chorus and the Benzie County Players, as well as the Benzie Area Museum Academy Lecture Series and a number of Author programs.

Looking forward---the Mills Community House Association hopes to raise sufficient funds for expansion on the southeast side of the building to include a stair case, rest rooms on the upper level, and additional space on other levels. 

The Mills Community House is still a vibrant part of the community thanks to the vision of the founders and others who have helped to preserve this valuable piece of history.

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.