History

The Machine That Started It All

Dorr Felt was a self-made millionaire, made famous by his invention of the Comptometer, which performed basic math functions that allowed businesses to improve their bookkeeping skills and speed.
Born in Wisconsin on March 18, 1862, Dorr Eugene Felt left his home at age 14 to work in a machine shop where he honed his mechanical skills. In 1882, with only 50 cents in his pocket, he moved to Chicago to secure employment gain experience in machine design.
A few short years later, Felt invented the Comptometer, his famous office-processing machine. The Comptometer was an instant success and lead Felt to design more inventions throughout his life.

The Felt Family

In the early 1900’s, Dorr Felt was drawn to the pristine beauty of west Michigan’s coastline. He decided to establish an estate where he, his wife Agnes, their four daughters and their families, could summer. Mr. Felt developed the dune land into a thousand acre farm with a beach house, carriage house, farm house, and even a petting zoo. In 1925, Dorr started construction on Felt Mansion, affectionately known as “Agnes’ House”.

Taking three years to build, Mr. Felt paid attention to every detail, creating a magnificent home that continues to impress people today. Sadly, in August 1928, only 6 weeks after the family moved into the home, Agnes passed away, and Dorr joined her a year and a half later. The Felt Family retained the mansion until 1949, but after World War II, decided to sell the Shore Acres Farm.

2006-a-felt-mansion-grand-rapids-west-michigan-wedding-venue-best-brian-d-smith-29.jpg — A Rich & Interesting History

The Felt Mansion features unique fixtures comprising intricate mahogany woodwork, original hardwood floors, and art-deco style colorful tile.
Venture through the Mansion’s sprawling three floors including an impressive foyer, a formal dining room, a library housing original books, a parlor featuring a mahogany fireplace mantel, and a variety of family bedrooms and bathrooms.
Take a step back in time and explore the history still being unveiled to this day through ongoing restoration and updates.

Seminary Years.png — After the Felt Family

Following the departure of the Felt family in 1949, The Saint Augustine Seminary, a Catholic prep school for young men, purchased the mansion and grounds. The carriage house was used for classrooms, while the mansion was used for housing. After several years of growth, the Seminary built a school on the ridge, west of the mansion, and a group of nuns lived in the mansion. In the late 1970s, the State of Michigan purchased the property to use as a prison.
A portion of the mansion was used during these years as offices for the State Police. The State owned the grounds until the early 1990s when Laketown Township purchased the land for one dollar, with the stipulation that the mansion is used for the public, not sold or used for private enterprise.

Timeline

Dorr and Agnes Felt began visiting the Saugatuck area in the early 1900s. By 1915, Dorr Felt had purchased nearly 1000 acres along Lake Michigan. Before the Felt Mansion was built (in 1925), the family staying in a farmhouse adjacent to the Carriage House. The Carriage House (seen in the background, behind the farmhouse) was built in 1917. This picture is the Felt family: Dorr is second from the left. Agnes is 7th from the right.
Construction on “The House for Agnes Felt” began in 1925. One hundred workmen worked 3 years on the mansion and estate. In 1928, the family moved in.
Sadly, Agnes Felt passed away in August of 1928, the first summer they lived in the mansion.
The mansion in 1929.
The Felt Family enjoyed many wonderful summers at “the farm” as they called it, horseback riding, playing tennis, swimming at the beach.
Ray Koch, a son-in-law of Dorr and Agnes, gives the children a ride behind Jack and Jill.
The interior of the mansion was beautifully decorated with walnut and mahogany woodwork.
The ballroom, pictured here in 1929, still looks the same today.
In 1949, the Felt Family sold the Felt Estate to a diocese out of Chicago, and the estate became the St. Augustine Seminary. It operated as a high school for young men, as a prep school for divinity school. Pictured above are two of the priests who taught at the school.
Eventually, the seminary outgrew the mansion and carriage house, and built a huge school west of the mansion. When they moved the school and dorms to the school, they leased the mansion to a group of cloistered Augustinian nuns.
Eventually, the school closed, and the diocese sold the land and all of the buildings to the State of Michigan (approx. 1978). The State of Michigan turned 950 pristine acres into the Saugatuck Dunes State Park, and the school became the Saugatuck Dunes Correctional Facility. At that point, the mansion became a State Police Post and the carriage house was used for administration and storage.
The State of Michigan closed the prison circa 1992. Eventually, Laketown Township purchased the 44 acres that had the prison and the mansion. The carriage house remained under the purview of the State of Michigan, used as storage for the State Park. Laketown razed the prison and mothballed the Felt Mansion. Laketown Township turned the land west of the mansion into Shore Acres Township Park.
Over the years, the mansion continued to deteriorate.
The mansion in 2001.
In June of 2001, Patty Hoezee Meyer and her husband, Dean, discovered the mansion. Later, Patty approached Laketown Township about heading up a community project to restore the mansion.
In 2002, Patty and a group of dedicated volunteers began the restoration of the Felt Estate. Here it is in 2007 with the pond fully restored.
Today, the Felt is used year around for private and public events. The holiday tours of the Felt are especially popular.
The Felt Estate remains a place of beauty and history in West Michigan. Plan your visit today.