Mission Point Began as Conference Center and College

What is today Mission Point Resort was originally constructed between 1955 and 1965 as a conference center for Moral Re-Armament (MRA). The international peace organization, based in Switzerland, had originally been established in England in the 1930s by Frank Buchman, a former Lutheran pastor from Pennsylvania. The group held its first gathering on Mackinac Island in 1942. They held conferences at both Grand Hotel and also leased the vacant Island House Hotel from Mackinac Island State Park. The conferences increased in size so that by 1954 MRA decided to purchase land on the island for their own center, acquiring several large parcels at Mission Point.

Mission Point, named for the Protestant mission that operated here from 1823 to 1837, included several structures, most notably Mission House and Mission Church. The former had become a hotel by 1847 and operated as such until the Great Depression. In the 1870s the Sheeley family of Detroit purchased the property between Mission House Hotel and Robinson’s Folly and constructed two, nearly identical, Gothic Revival cottages here. The family eventually sold the western cottage and a third Bungalow Style cottage was later built on the lot between the two. MRA acquired the Mission House parcel and the three cottage lots, including all the structures and various outbuildings, such a barn to the east of Mission House. They also purchased land to the west of Mission House along the base of the East Bluff.

Over the next ten years MRA constructed nine structures in five separate building phases. Although the first buildings were built around the original structures, including the barn, eventually only Mission House remained. Everything else was torn down, with the exception of the western Sheeley Cottage, which was moved and is today Small Point Bed and Breakfast.

1955    Theater

Theater, with Mission House to the left.

Theater, with Mission House to the left.

The first building to be completed was the 800-seat theater. MRA used song and drama to present its message, and produced its own plays. The theater was designed by architect William Woolett of Los Angeles. Logs for the rafters came from Bois Blanc Island.

 

 

 

 

 

1956    The Great Hall and “A” and “B” Residences

The Main lodge, bottom with the A and B Residences to the right and top. At the center is the Sheeley "Cedar Point" Cottage. In the upper left are the other Sheeley Cottage and the bungalow.

The Main lodge, bottom with the A and B Residences to the right and top. At the center is the Sheeley “Cedar Point” Cottage. In the upper left are the other Sheeley Cottage and the bungalow.

The Great Hall contained the massive cylindrical lobby, meeting rooms and dining facilities. Two dormitories (“A” and “B”) were built on the hillside above. The entire complex initially surrounded the larger Sheeley Cottage, “Cedar Point,” which was razed by 1959.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1957    Building “C” (Main or Straits Lodge)

Straits Lodge with Mission House and the theater to the right.

Straits Lodge with Mission House and the theater to the right.

With ever-increasing numbers attendees at the conferences more housing was needed and the large brick dormitory was completed to the west of Mission House. It contained guest rooms and impressive wood-paneled lounges.

 

 

 

 

 

1960    Film Studio

A postcard view of the architects rendering for the film studio. To the left is the theater, which included an extension of the front foyer.

A postcard view of the architects rendering for the film studio. To the left is the theater, which included an extension of the front foyer.

The largest construction project, designed by architect Edwin B. Cromwell of Little Rock, Arkansas, was the film studio. MRA had begun producing film-versions of its plays a few years earlier. A state of the art facility, it included a motion picture sound stage, recording studio, processing laboratories, and carpenter shops. It was attached to the east end of the theater and saw the destruction of the barn and movement of the west Sheeley Cottage. The Bungalow, to the east of the studio, was torn down by 1965. The studio is the largest steel-frame structure on the island.

 

 

1965-66   Howard Library and Clark Center

Following the deaths of Frank Buchman in 1961 and his successor Peter Howard in 1965, the leadership of MRA decided to convert the center on Mackinac Island into a liberal arts college. This would allow using the facility on a year-round basis. Two additional buildings were added: The Peter Howard Memorial Library and the Clark Center classroom building. Large steel-frame and concrete structures both had a modern character, unlike most of the earlier Colonial Revival structures.

The completed Clark Center.

The completed Clark Center.

The Howard Library under construction.

The Howard Library under construction.

A view of the entire center in 1966. The Howard Library is complete and excavation of the clark Center has just started in front of the theater and studio.

A view of the entire center in 1966. The Howard Library is complete and excavation of the clark Center has just started in front of the theater and studio.

The college did not prove successful and closed after graduating its first class on June 20, 1970. The following year MRA officially ceased activity on Mackinac Island and divested itself of its island holdings, selling most of it to Rev. Rex Humbard of Akron, Ohio. Rev. Humbard’s attempts to operate a resort and revive the college were short lived, owing to other financial difficulties in his organization, and ceased in 1973. In 1977 a Dallas-based property and investment firm purchased the property and converted into the “Mackinac Hotel and Conference Center.” Fearing that the historic 1825 Mission House would not survive much longer, the Mackinac Island State Park Commission purchased it from the Humbard organization and restored it. The Mackinac Hotel was sold in 1987 and the name changed to Mission Point Resort. Within a few years the new owners tore down the Howard Library.

 

 

7 Responses to “Mission Point Began as Conference Center and College”

  1. Karin D. Everson Everett

    [1] I graduated from Mackinac College on June 20, 1970. I know this because I still have my diploma (!). I have been searching for a publication that also documents this date, so that I can add it to a new Wikipedia article for Mackinac College. Your article about Mission point would be a perfect location to insert this date (currently you simply say “1970”). Could you please add the exact date? [2] Note, by the way, that I wrote the Mission Point article in Wikipedia. [3] Also, do you mean “the Mackinac Island State Park Commission purchased it from the Hubbard organization and restored it.”? Should this be “purchased it from the Humbard organization”?

    Reply
  2. Laurie Riggs

    I worked there in the late 70’s and it was already called Mission Point. I think your dates may be wrong on when it was sold and renamed.

    Reply
    • Dominick Miller

      Hi Laurie,

      We’ll take a look at our research again. The area where Mission Point Resort is located has been known as “Mission Point” for quite some time, since the Mission House and Mission Church are down that way.

      Thank you for reading!

      Reply
    • Dominick Miller

      Hi Laurie,

      We took a look through some of our collection, and our records indicate that the hotel was originally called the “Inns of Mackinac” in the early 70s, and by 1979 was called the “Inn on Mackinac.” This is what it was called while filming of “Somewhere in Time” was taking place there. By the late 80s it had been sold and renamed “Mission Point Resort.” The area where the hotel is located has been referred to as “Mission Point” since at least the 1820s.

      Thank you!

      Reply
  3. Karin Everett

    Does anyone know exactly when the Peter Howard Library was torn down? I’ve narrowed it down to the early 90’s, but that is only word of mouth.

    Reply
    • Dominick Miller

      Hi Karin,

      We’re taking a look. We can definitively say it was gone by 1994, but are fairly certain it was removed well before that.

      Thank you for reading!

      Reply

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