Twenty-seven years ago big things were taking place at Clark Lake. Crews were mounting the Graziani cottage on a barge where it would soon be floated to its new forever home in the County Park at the east end. A news hand-out titled “Spirt of the Lakes,” published by Your Home Town was available for free. “Take One!”, it proclaimed. The headline of this edition was “Clark Lake Spirit Festival over the Water ’97, Saturday & Sunday, June 14-15.” Meanwhile on page 9, plans for the Spirit Trail were outlined. More in that in the next edition of this website’s Flashback series.
The lead article explains what was about to happen. Little did they know that this event would attract worldwide attention.
As you read the article, you’ll notice many of the article’s future predictions have come to pass. You’ll read how the Clark Lake Historical District Committee literally created a channel down the lake for the house’s new destination. The Clark Lake Spirit Foundation now owns the building that became the Community Center. Today, the Foundation sums up the purpose of the house in these simple words: To Preserve Clark Lake’s Past to and to Provide a Place to Gather. Be sure to note “Future Uses” in the story.
The article has been transcribed, unabridged:
The Clark Lake Historical District Committee, Inc. has sponsored the project to move and preserve the historic Graziani House at Clark Lake. The restored house will serve as a Community Center and Museum on its new site.
Over the last fifteen years, Clark Lake has experienced a significant change from a traditional summer resort environment (dating back to before the turn of the century) to a year-round residential community. This change, combined with a tradition of community development, led to the organization and completion of the $8 million dollar sewer system and to the publication of the award winning history book, Clark Lake: Images of a Michigan Tradition.
The Graziani family, prominent residents of Covington, Kentucky, first visited Clark lake in 1896. They immediately fell in love with the lake and purchased a three-acre estate from the Hitt family. They named it “Kentucky Park” and there they built the House in 1899 as their summer retreat. The house remained in the family nearly a century and became a landmark for everyone on the lake. The House is now listed on the national Register of Historic Places.
The house and surrounding property ultimately were purchased by Bob and Laurie LaZebnik. After using the House as a cottage for some years, the LaZebnik’s explored possible remodeling projects to better adapt the house to their needs. Unfortunately, none of the possibilities were feasible. Rather than destroy the House, however, the LaZebnik’s offered the House, at no cost, to anyone able and willing to move it from their property. To take advantage of this unique opportunity, members of the Clark Lake Spirit organization met with the LaZebnick’s in the fall of 1996, and the parties quickly reached an agreement in principle. As a first step toward implementing the project, the Columbia Township agreed to conditionally accept the house as a gift from the LaZebnik’s in December, 1996. The Clark Lake Historical District Committee, Inc., was formed in January, 1997, as a nonprofit corporation, to implement the initial project of relocating the House and thereafter to oversee the restoration and use.
Future Restoration
The House is in remarkably good condition, especially with respect to its interior on the first two floors, but some normal repairs and maintenance, along with certain desirable changes, will be necessary to allow for planned uses. There is one area of restoration on which there is consensus for both historical and use purposes: The replacement of the summer porches around three sides of the House.
Future Uses
In addition to the historical preservation aspects, the Graziani House ultimately will serve the Clark Lake Community as a year-around, multipurpose facility, easily adapted to a variety of uses not currently served by other facilities around the lake.
The Committee envisions the House being decorated throughout with memorabilia of life and times at Clark Lake, with secure space on the main floor area reserved for displaying especially rare artifacts or a possible library. The main floor area further will be used for meetings and programs of community groups.
Ella Sharp museum has expressed an interest in possibly making the Community Center and Museum a satellite to them.
Funding
All funding for the relocation and restoration of the House will come from private donations. Solicitation efforts will continue for the relocation and the restoration. Donations should be made to the Clark Lake Foundation with the notation that the funds are for the Graziani House project.
On June 14, 1997, it happened!
Welcome back to the future – 2024
Here are some present day afterthoughts:
The Community Center recently underwent a second restoration, the result of a successful fundraising campaign.
Not long after, came Completing the Movement, and installation of the Garden Angels’ Pretty Pergola.
The 1997 article’s “Future Use” paragraph proved prescient. As noted earlier, the Community Center’s purposes is summed up as Preserving Clark Lake’s Past and Providing a Place to Gather.
Every year, the Community Center is rented for reunions, graduation parties, weddings, meetings, life celebrations, and other events. Modest event rental fees cover expenses like utilities. The cost of the second restoration was significant, and generous donors came forward to save the 125 year old structure. (Click here to learn about rentals).
When it comes to preserving the past, the cottage itself takes center stage. For 100 years it stood watch on Kentucky Point, as generations played, enjoyed and loved Clark Lake. Those wonderful feelings are recaptured when you visit the building. The 1997 article noted that artifacts and memorabilia would become part of it. Today, they greet you as walk the environs. A recent example is this Chris Craft model, hand built by Dick Cochran, and donated by John Calhoun. Though not visible in the photo, the story of this model and history of wooden boats at the lake, is displayed near it.
A new attraction is coming soon to the Community Center. A few weeks ago, Ray Searles donated Clark Lake posters going back to 1978. He says the collection was made possible with the help of others, especially Peggy Collins, Trisha Boyers and the Beach Bar. Mike McKay sorted and cataloged them. Soon, these can be seen on this website in a slide show and at the Community Center.
Get ready for some memories. The posters fix in time various events that have taken place at the lake, including Raft-O-Rama themes. The years 1980, 1986, 1995, 1996, 1997, and 1998 are missing. Can you help? The closest poster to 1997 is 1999. All of these will be part of preserving our past at the Community Center.
This website produced a video about the epic journey from Kentucky Point to the County Park. It starts with comments from Laurie LaZebnik who tells how it all began.
On a recent visit to the lake, Bill Tuttle and Jim Schultz told some great stories. Jim brought historical items, including the news handout from which the article was transcribed. Several years ago, he created a video about the Clark Lake Spirit trip down the Mississippi River on a raft. Click here to revisit the story and video. Thanks, Jim.
Thanks also to C.J. Cox. The news handout was published by Your Hometown, and C.J. has been very helpful in reconstructing the content and adding to it.
