Wheelchair-accessible entrance
No
The Thatch House in Charlevoix
Categories
Location on the map
Charlevoix, Charlevoix County, Michigan, US
Accessibility
Comments (72)
I grew up in Charlevoix and love all the Earle Young houses. Its travesty as to how the owners modified this house from its original state and design. Its gross, ugly and doesnt fit in with the neighborhood. You want to build a new house that looks like that fine, but DONT modify Earle Youngs beautifully constructed and designed homes. It just makes me sick to think of what these people did. Its no longer and Earle Young house and should not be part of any tour. Its tasteless!
Truly a unique experience inside and out. Not only a must see, but a must stay!
I just want to say how beautiful this house is. When the house was renovated all that was left was the beautiful stone walls Earl Young had designed. Now that all the renovations are done the house is left with not just those beautiful stone walls but an amazing thatch roof design to make this house truly unique in a wonderful way. I highly recommend the house.Also Gerard Wimmer, try spelling Earl Young right before you talk about him:)
I absolutely love this house! We rented it earlier this summer (our whole family stayed here for one week) and we had such a marvelous time. Its luxurious inside and bigger than it appears from outside, it even has a theater room.The weather was great the whole time we were there, so having the beach at your front door was priceless. Whats also fantastic about the location, besides being across the street from the beach, is that you can walk anywhere. I dont think it takes more than 3 minutes to walk downtown, which is convenient if you want to go out at night and have a few drinks.This is (was) the first house Earl Young ever built. But it was never considered a mushroom house, more arts and crafts style. However, now, after a top to bottom renovation, which must have cost a pretty penny, it actually looks like a mushroom house. This is due to the unique thatch roof, which alone cost more than 200 thousand dollars (I heard). It makes the house, and its funny that the Earl Young house that used to look the least like a real Earl Young house now looks the most like an Earl Young house.
Can’t go inside since it is a private residence, but there are about 10 houses on the block from the same architect that you drive by and see. Very unusual and a fun thing to check out in Charlevoix.
So cool to see a new architecture in Michigan. Theyre available for event rental (at least honeymoons) which would be so unique. Dont miss both collections! The wife and I only saw the block of gnome homes thats adjacent to the waterfront park. Theres more down the street!
Very interesting roof nestled in a cute town
One of the most unique houses I have ever seen!
Coolest house! Anyone visiting Charlevoix must see this and walk around that block to see the other Mushroom Houses. Wish we could have toured the interior. But you can rent them for a stay
Beautiful craftsman home upgraded from its original single story. Everything from the floors to the roof is specially designed for this house. Loved helping work the masonry on it.
So unique to see all the mushroom and boulder homes in Charlevoix, MI.
I am the Manager of the Thatch House. I was also one of the carpenters during the construction of this house between 2013-2015. Here is some information I would like to share.The house was originally built in 1919. It did not have the characteristics that Earl Young was known for because he had an architect named Chas R. Hansen draw up the conventional bungalow. He did live at the address for a few years with his wife Irene, but eventually moved on.In 2013 Michael Seitz purchased the house after it was for sale for several years. The house was in poor condition, due to lack of maintenance, even evidence of a fire was found during the reconstruction. Michael decided to save the stonework and bring in his own style that he thought would compliment Earls designs. What no one knows, is Michael previously designed a house in his native South Africa that resembles The Thatch House roof. He did not try to duplicate Earl, but to compliment Earl with his own style. We are very fortunate that Charlevoix has so many unique and creative houses.
It never gets old seeing these Earl Young homes. We always walk the town to see these magical homes. They are the best part of our boating vacation to Charlevoix.
The Thatch house is a must see if you are in the Charlevoix area.This unique, storybook home can be seen on a self-guided tour of the Mushroom Houses. Pamphlets with the locations of the houses, are available at the Charlevoix Information CenterOver two dozen of these imaginative, old-world style homes, are found throughout the tree lined streets of this picturesque, lakeside town.The Thatch House is similar in style to the other mushroom houses seen on the tour, but it was not built by architect Earl Young.The Thatch House was built by Michael Seitz, a designer with a PhD in engineering.Having an appreciation of mushroom style houses, he was looking for a property to build one of his own.When he found a severely derelict home on this site, and discovered Earl Young had formerly owned the simple structure, he knew he had found the right spot to build.Envisioning a thatched, period style house, he kept the original stonework of the home built in 1918 and decided to incorporated it into the new construction project, allowing him to preserve a piece of history by giving the new home historical rootsIn 2013 construction began. It took nearly three years of painstaking work by master craftsmen to complete. Authenticity was added to the house, by having roof thatch shipped from overseas, then hand trimmed to form the shape of the roof. When all of the extensive details were complete, the new house was considered finished in 2016The house is owned by Mushroom Houses LLC, and is a vacation rental.If you are even remotely interested in architecture, this house and the others on the tour are well worth seeing and, will further your of appreciation of not only design, but also the charm of Charlevoix.The photo I posted of The Thatch House was edited in a way that I feel, enhances the features of the house, while also complementing the vision and design of Michael Seitz and the tradition of mushroom houses.
House is a vacation rental … really incredible
Very easy to drive by and see many of the unique houses. If you want in-depth visits there is a tour from Charlevoix ($18).
Impressive design and workmanship. It took them all summer to add the roof, but the detail is incredible. Really neat house to see on the tour of the mushroom houses.
Unique architecture within the Charlevoix city limits. Take a few minutes and check out the Mushroom Homes in the area.
Beautiful London-style weather and hot tea matches the visual treat well
Its ok if you like this sort of thing, but looks like a giant sore thumb in the neighborhood. Just looks out of place. I feel sorry for the neighbors, especially those who have had their views blocked.
Worth taking the time to check out! Very unique!
Looks surprisingly cool. Not anything incredible, but kind of fun, especially if youre an architecture buff.
Found these houses by chance as we are walking back from the beach. A nice 10 minute walk around the block to see some pretty cool houses like youve never seen before.
This is a remarkable architecture. It is a must see in Charlevoix.
A must see for those who enjoy thatched roofed houses such as those in England etc.Pretty cool and worth the time.
We only walked by, but googled it later. What an amazing structure! The mushroom homes are a must see!
We took the tour of all the Mushroom Houses...excellent...and the tour guide rocks!
If you love rocks ... Its a must
Lived in the small home behind thatch house for 3 yrs. Beautiful place.
Looks great and fits in with the history of the town and those who settled. Very cool!
The most interesting home/house Ive ever seen!
Neat looking house, nice park/beach near by.
Great tour if you appreciate unique architecture!
Delightful experience! Met the owner whose daughter was getting married-extremely cordial man.
There are a collection of houses with whimsical architecture here, of which this is one.
Too cool! Well worth the walk to see it!
Cool to look at as we just got home from Ireland.
Really cool architecture!
I would hate having tourists roan around my house taking pictures.
Amazing to see. Very interesting history.
Gorgeous house!!
Very cool house.
The thatched house is an abomination to the neighborhood
Look ok
I did the stonework inside this House ;)
Strange change to an Early Young house
Amazing to see
Beautiful ❤️
Interesting architecture!
Awesome!
Amazing!
Awesome architecture
WAY TOO COOL
Really cool.
Lots of fun
Great venue
Very interesting
Unique. Picturesqe.
Fun to see
Beautiful place
Spectacular home!
NOT A MUSHROOM HOUSE!!!!!!!!!
Total reviews rating 4.6
72 Reviews for The Thatch House 2023:
Review №1
2022-07-04Stayed in the chateau for a long weekend, and the house itself was incredible. The scenery was outstanding, the history of the homes is unique, and Charlevoix is an outstanding setting to be in.
Review №2
2022-05-04The Thatch House is one of the most spectacular works of art…not only in Charlevoix….but in the entire state/country/world!! We are so lucky!!! The magic of a true thatch roof is something you have to experience in person. Earl Young always wanted to put a Thatch Roof onto one of his houses and didn’t know how…. so I believe in my heart the the new owner was able to make that dream come true and Earl us looking down with a huge smile!! Add to that the fact you can stay here🍄🍄🍄It’s absolutely dreamy!!!
Review №3
2021-07-22Its pretty cool but we cant go in coz it was rented by a family and theyre hanging out in the front yard. We were discouraged to take photos coz they were right there.
Review №4
2022-05-04This should be taken of the tour! He says he built this for art but most people would disagree. He ruined the earl young Home it’s like doing some art over history. You sir are all about profit. This town sure has changed over the last twenty years.
Review №5
2021-10-04Had the opportunity to stay here and it was lovely.Clean, roomy, great vibe. Very unique architecture.
Review №6
2021-10-20Just got outside photos. Vacay rental availability.
Review №7
2021-11-07The architecture of the mushroom house was something Ive never seen before and unique.
Review №8
2021-08-10Cool spot to drive by, worth checking out for the unique architecture.
Review №9
2018-08-21I accidentally came across this page and read the last few posts displayed here and I was struck by some of the misconceptions often associated with Earl Young.Some of these misconceptions are propagated by the various tour guides that drive/walk tourists to see the Earl Young houses. Ive overheard them say all kinds of things that are patently false (the Charlevoix Historical Society tour guides are very well informed).My reaction here is directed at both Mr. Wimmer and Mr. Smith. Lets start with this, Earl Young was not officially an Architect. He studied architecture for one year and then dropped out. He was both a real estate and insurance agent. The House now commonly referred to as The Thatch House was the first house Earl Young lived in. He did help build it, but it was not designed by him. The architect was Chas. R. Hansen of Petoskey. The design was not whimsical (Hobbit home or mushroom-like) at all. It was more Arts and Crafts inspired, with maybe with a touch of the Frank Lloyd Wright style that was popular at the time. Earl Young started building his own iconic style houses a few years later.All of that said, I do share Mr. Wimmers sentiments. I too would have preferred that the house we are talking about would have been restored to its original state, in spite of the fact that it was not an Earl Young house. Unfortunately, nobody seemed to be interested in the house. It was on the market for years and stood empty for most of that time.It suffered a lot during those last years sitting empty. The interior was in a deplorable state, a lot of the plaster had fallen off the walls, wood trim was rotten and there was substantial damage caused by a fire that almost burned the house down. In spite of the fact that at one point the asking price had fallen below three hundred thousand, nobody was apparently willing to face the cost of a complete gut-renovation. The exterior was also very much neglected.The current owner who, I was told, always had a fascination with thatched roofs and natural stone. So, after he bought it, he gutted the place completely, left only the walls standing, and gave it a thatched roof. When you look at the house now, it is hard to believe that the footprint of the current house is exactly that of the old house, all the old walls were left completely untouched.In closing... It took me a while to get used to the new old house, but now that the thatched roof has turned grey, its beginning to grow on me. The reason Im giving this review 5 stars is to honor the current owner (in spite of my lingering misgivings). I commend him for not simply bulldozing the old house to the ground and build a new modern house there, which would have been relatively cheap. Instead, he spent a lot of money to give Charlevoix another iconic house. And whether we like the style of this house or not, I think most people prefer it over the prospect of having a normal modern house there. Ironically, The Thatch House looks more mushroom-like than most real Earl Young houses...P.S. Whats also ironic is that Earl Young himself attempted a thatched roof (house on the corner of Clinton and Park ave) but the roof failed after five years and was shingled after that.
Review №10
2018-09-01Awesome layouts beautiful scenery from all of the facilities great weekend getaway for the fall