LEWIS HOUSE - Key Persons

John C. Lewis was one of west Michigan's most successful businessmen.He married Augusta Covell in 1865 and partnered with her brother in a profitable mill operation. The Lewises built this grand home in 1878. The home remained in the family until 1944 when the ‘Showplace of Whitehall' was sold to the Hildebrandts who operated it as a 9-room boarding house called Lakeview Rooms. The Hildebrandt family continued to operate Lakeview Rooms until 1976 when the house was bought by the Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp. The arts camp used the house as an arts school and lodging for performers. Ultimately, a new theater and housing were built and the home was listed for sale. In 2009, Greg and Debi Hillebrand bought the home and began a 6 year renovation. The Lewis House opened in 2015 and is proudly listed on the National Register of Historic Places.