FRUITPORT, Mich. — It’s funny how if you deviate from your daily routine, you might discover some treasures.
That’s what happened to me recently near my home on the Lakeshore. I zigged when I usually zag and discovered a weather-beaten church about two miles from my home.
I said to myself “There is a story there,” and boy was I right.
After weeks of research, I discovered the church had been built in 1890. It served as a house of worship for many until the early 1960’s when the congregation outgrew it and built a larger home a mile away.
In 1983 it became the home of 'Diane's Dance Studio.'
“I used to have the best dance recitals here,” Diane Braun-Cotie remembers.
After a series of personal and professional challenges, she was forced to close the studio.
It has been in disrepair for more than a decade. After some criticism by a few in the community for her reluctance to sell, she says the time has now come.
“I retired after 30 years, I would like to get rid of it,” she tells me.
It will need a lot of repairs to restore it to its former glory.
Alex Vicker is a former student turned instructor at the Studio.
“I hope somebody rescues this place, it’s an iconic piece of history,” she says.
Parish in Peril
RELATED VIDEO:
►Make it easy to keep up to date with more stories like this. Download the 13 ON YOUR SIDE app now.
Have a news tip? Email news@13onyourside.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter. Subscribe to our YouTube channel.