Since 1878 – generations of families have enjoyed their special association with the Belvedere Club and the cherished memories they now have are passed on to future generations.
The rich history of the Belvedere Club can be found in these archives and we hope you enjoy taking a look at the past, which is sure to spark fond memories of the generations before us. The Club is in the business of “making memories”…and will continue to do so for everyone in our Belvedere family.
Two books have been published with the “memoirs” of the members. A third book is in the works and will be published soon (2023?) Check back for more information.
Click the thumbnail image below to view the contents of the book OR to download a PDF copy of the book.
Book 1 – Memoirs of Members 1878-1968
Printed in The United States of America January 1969
Layout, composition, and printing by Seemann and Peters Incorporated Saginaw, Michigan
Binding by John H. Dekker & Sons Grand Rapids, Michigan
Copyright 1969 by The Belvedere Club Charlevoix, Michigan
Book 1 – Memoirs of Members 1878-1990
Printed in the United States of America June 1991
Printing and binding by Walsworth Press Co., Inc. Marceline, Missouri
Copyright 1991 by The Belvedere Club Charlevoix, Michigan
The present-day Belvedere Club is a summer resort of eighty-six summer houses in a fifty-acre park-like setting on two terraces overlooking Round Lake and Lake Charlevoix. It was established as the Charlevoix Summer Resort Association. Aware of the successful promotion of land at Bay View for use as a camp meeting ground by the Methodists, several Charlevoix businessmen sought similar land development for this area.
In 1877 they offered twenty-five acres fronting on Round Lake to a Kalamazoo-centered Baptist group for $625, provided improvements were made within a specified time. The following spring a committee from Kalamazoo visited this site, along with other sites offered in northwestern Michigan, and accepted the offer.
The Charlevoix Summer Resort Association was formed, and its first meeting was held in Kalamazoo on June 21, 1878. By the end of that year, a pier, bathhouse, and six cottages on the upper terraces had been built. The association bought twenty-five additional acres in 1880. By 1900 the majority of the cottages were constructed. Most cottages originally lacked kitchens, and the resorters took their meals at a large-frame hotel that once was located at the intersection of Belvedere and Ferry avenues.
Most cottages are of wood-frame construction and range from a simple vernacular to elaborate and commodious high-style buildings. All were built for summer use only. The frame boathouses that follow the curved shoreline are unique. While roadways through the Belvedere Club are private, a drive to the end of Belvedere Avenue and along Ferry Avenue presents a view of some of the houses.