Original 1892 Watervale School/Blaine #7 School, carefully converted into a 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom Up North retreat. On a private one acre lot on scenic M-22 in Benzie County, Michigan. Borders Upper Herring Lake Nature Preserve. Less than a mile from public access to Upper and Lower Herring Lakes. Less than 5 minutes to downtown Frankfort, 10 minutes to Beulah and Arcadia, 15 min to Crystal Mountain, under an hour to a wide assortment of beaches, shops, and attractions from Manistee to Traverse City.

The schoolhouse was one of the original buildings in the lumber town of Watervale, which was established in 1892 and which sits about a mile south of the school's current location. The lumber town went bankrupt in 1893 after the Great Recession of 1892-93, but the school remained in Watervale until 1906, when it was dragged across the fields and up what is now M-22 and placed in its current position, on land donated by the Frederickson family. Blaine #7 replaced a smaller schoolhouse that was moved to another spot on Upper Herring Lake and became the Frederickson School/Blaine #4.

Blaine #4 remained in operation until 1964, at which point the Frederickson family took ownership of it and used it as their Up North camp for over a half-century. In October 2021, the schoolhouse was purchased by family members of the current owners of Watervale (now a seasonal resort), and the process of returning the building to its schoolhouse roots began.

Thanks in large part to consultation with the Benzie Area Historical Society, interviews with former students at the school, and an unwavering focus on preservation and details, the schoolhouse allows guests to feel that they're staying in a part of Benzie County history while also affording them the creature comforts of modern living. Brand new appliances and original hardwood floors. High speed internet and the original slate chalkboards. A 4K TV alongside framed artwork made by students in the 1920s and 1930s that were found behind the chalkboards during construction. All on a one acre site with huge maple and pine trees, lined with lilac bushes, and steps away from the flat, accessible hiking trails of the Upper Herring Lake Nature Preserve.

And the schoolhouse's convenient location on M-22 gives guests quick and easy access to all of the area's finest dining, shopping, and attractions. The schoolhouse is nestled between Upper and Lower Herring Lakes, with public access to both less than a minute away. Green Point Dunes and Fruit Haven Nature Preserve are two minutes away. Elberta, Frankfort, and Arcadia: five minutes. Beulah and Crystal Lake: 10 minutes. Crystal Mountain: less than 20 minutes. Sleeping Bear Dunes: 25 minutes. Manistee: 30 minutes. Traverse City: 50 minutes to Front Street. The list goes on!

Book your stay with us today -- we look forward to hosting you!