Fun Friday – A House Built Like a Boat – The SS Hurona

We need some entertainment after seeing tons of dropped ceilings and peeling laminate floors, so Old Houses Under Under $50k introduced Fun Friday. It is a collection of weird  structures, usually NOT for sale, simply of interest.  This one was for sale last year, but definitely NOT under $50K. Today we visit the SS Hurona.

 

 

 

Located at 5629 E. Augres Ave. in Au Gres, Michigan, the SS Hurona is a five bedroom, 2.5 bath home built in 1936 to look like a 74-foot yacht.

 

 

Why It Was Built Like A Boat

The dwelling’s origins go back to a man who loved to sail, but loved his wife even more.

As the story goes, the original owners of the house would vacation near the property. They would take the steamship from Detroit and stay at the hotel near the dock. Only problem was the husband spent his whole time sailing, a pastime the wife did not appreciate.

She never saw him, so the wife laid down the law, declaring that if he wanted a boat, he should build a cottage in which they both could enjoy.  So he did.

History

William Baum, a German immigrant, designed the cottage to look like “a steamship, emerging from the bluff.”

He was in the insurance business and spent approximately $12,000 in 1936 to build it. Along with his children and a carpenter friend, it took Mr. Baum a year to construct.  Baum’s Folly was the name locals called the structure.

It was no folly to the Baum family, however, as three generations of the family enjoyed the home until the 1970s when Mr. Baum died and the land yacht was sold. It was on the market in 2021-2022 for $750,000.

 

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The master suite is called the Captain’s Quarters.

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The land yacht sits between two bays on Lake Huron, providing a wonderful view of both the sunrise and sunset.

 

 

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What a beautiful setting!

 

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