Society's Building Stories program puts people on a path with history
When people reminisce about a building or location that has an important
place in history, they may say, “Boy, if these walls could talk, think of the stories they could tell.”
With the help of Great Lakes Energy’s People Fund, the Pentwater Historical Society is giving a voice to the stories tied to many buildings and other locations with historical significance around the small Oceana County community on the shores of Lake Michigan.
In 2023, the historical society received a $1,000 People Fund Grant to help defray costs associated with its Building Stories program. The multifaceted project includes 25 16-by-20-inch panels that are on display at various businesses in Pentwater’s downtown. Each panel includes a story providing detailed information about a historically significant building or location in Pentwater, and an original illustration and/or a photograph to accompany the story.
Historical society board member Beth Russell and volunteer Pam VanderPloeg came up with the idea for the Building Stories program in
mid-2022. Pam, a Grand Rapids native, is an architectural researcher, photojournalist, and author who has been active in the Pentwater Historical Society for several years.
Beth explained that Pam had been leading architectural walking tours in the community’s residential areas for some time, and the idea for the Building Stories program germinated between them as they chatted over coffee on several occasions.
The motivation behind the project, Beth said, was to help spur interest—especially among visitors—in Pentwater’s rich and interesting history.
“We are trying to make sure that people who come to visit for a week understand more about Pentwater and its history and that sparks an interest in coming back,” Beth said.
Pam wrote all 25 stories based on research she and Beth did using records from the historical society and other sources. The women didn’t have to look far to and someone to design and create the illustrations for the Building Stories project panels. Pam’s daughter, Libby VanderPloeg, is an accomplished illustrator and artist. Libby created the story illustrations and an illustrated map of the Pentwater area showing the location associated with each story.
Beth said the map has been quite popular, with more than 70 copies sold in the eight months following the project’s completion. Libby is donating a portion of the proceeds from the map sales back to the historical society. The map is available for purchase at the Pentwater Historical Society Museum and through Libby’s website, libbyvanderploeg.com/shop. Beth said the goal is for the map to be more than an informative fundraising tool.
“Yes, it’s a fundraiser, but it’s more about making sure people have Pentwater and its history in front of them — whether it’s here or in their year-round home elsewhere — on a regular basis,” Beth said.
Not all the stories featured in the project are about buildings. Some of them are tied to notable historical events and the locations where they took place. For example, one story panel is about Pentwater’s role in a flying boat race. The race wasn’t Pentwater’s only tie to aviation history. Another of the 25 panels details the history of the short-lived Lenert Airplane factory, where a total of six all-metal biplanes were built in the early 1930s.
Beth said the Building Stories project, which was completed in early August of 2023, has been well-received among visitors, both seasonal and year-round residents, and the downtown merchants who have agreed to host the story panels at their stores. On the heels of the Building Stories project’s success, Beth said the historical society will pursue more projects in the future.
The entire Building Stories collection can be found online at pentwaterbuildingstories.com/.
Pentwater Historical Society
The organization was founded as a not-for-profit organization in 1982. For many years, the society’s museum was housed in the basement of the village hall. But in 2014, the society moved to its current location in a former church building at 85 South Rutledge St.
Some of the society’s notable annual events include spring and summer dinners, which take place on the fourth Wednesdays in May and August, participation in the Pentwater Community-Wide Garage Sale, and the Homecoming Parade.
In addition to the museum, the society offers many other ways to experience the community’s history, such as:
- A self-guided audio tour allows people to listen to one of six recorded narratives on their cell phones.
- Summertime history cruises on Pentwater Lake.
- Regularly scheduled architectural walking tours, along with History on the Green presentations, History on Hancock tours, and personalized private strolling tours on Hancock Street or in the museum by request.
To learn more about the Pentwater Historical Society, including museum information, tours, upcoming events, and how to get involved with the organization, visit pentwaterhistoricalsociety.org/.
Making a difference
Since its inception in 1999, Great Lakes Energy’s People Fund has awarded more than $4.7 million in grants to nonprofit organizations that serve GLE’s 26-county service area. Grants are funded by participating GLE members who agree to have their monthly electric bill rounded up to the next whole dollar. To learn more about the People Fund, including how to sign up, how nonprofit organizations can apply for a grant, and a list of recent grant recipients, visit gtlakes.com/people-fund.
