Now, after a 24-year closure, visitors will get their first glimpse of initial changes at the landmark building as it reopens to the public Memorial Day weekend for guided tours following a partnership repair and cleaning effort by the Department of Natural Resources Parks and Recreation Division, the Michigan History Center and Friends of Hartwick Pines.

From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday, May 24, Saturday, May 25 and Sunday, May 26, guests to the park can tour the building with a guide who will provide information on the history of the park and building. To join a tour, visitors must enter through the park’s main entrance (please do not park on M-93.) A Recreation Passport is required for vehicle entry.

The Memorial Building will be open for tours throughout the summer, depending on staff and volunteer availability. Call the Visitor Center at 989-348-2537 for the current tour schedule.

The reopening of the building coincides with another big Michigan  milestone: the 100-year anniversary of Michigan state parks.

“We wanted to reopen the building this year, because 2019 is the state parks’ centennial year,” said Denise Dawson, park supervisor. “It was important for us to commemorate this important anniversary by sharing Hartwick Pines’ unique history.”

Hartwick Pines became Michigan’s eighth state park in 1927, when Karen Hartwick purchased more than 8,000 acres of land, including 85 acres of old-growth white pine, just northeast of Grayling. The next day, she donated the land to the State of Michigan for a memorial park to be named for her husband, the late Major Edward E. Hartwick. Edward Hartwick, a Grayling native, successful lumberman and officer in the U.S. Army, died of cerebrospinal meningitis in 1918 while serving in France during World War I.

In 1934 and 1935, a Civilian Conservation Corps work crew located within the park made improvements to the interior of the Memorial Building and built two log structures to house a logging museum.

As part of the state parks centennial celebration, the public is invited and encouraged to share their memories of the Memorial Building and park all year long. Visitors can share their memories of the historic structure while touring the building, or post them on the state parks centennial memory map at Michigan.gov/StateParks100.

While the building has been maintained and monitored over the last two decades, its age and composition have created preservation challenges. A 2016 inspection revealed a powder-post beetle infestation in the building’s wooden structure and interior. While still structurally sound, the building’s walls and exhibit cases were being damaged by the wood-eating insects. In 2017, the DNR completed a successful fumigation that eliminated the infestation and ended the destruction.

“The inside of the building had been untouched since 1995,” said park historian Hillary Pine. “All the exhibits were still inside. It was almost like a time capsule. Unfortunately, they were in bad shape from the insect damage and needed to be removed. But now we have an opportunity to create something new in this impressive space.”

The freshly cleaned building now offers a blank slate for future use. Renovations and improvements are still needed, such as upgrading electrical and plumbing systems, meeting Americans with Disabilities Act guidelines and replacing porch beams that have rotted after 90 years of exposure to the elements.

There are two easy ways to give. Visit Hartwick Pines State Park and donate at the Memorial Building or text “Memorial” to 80888 to receive a link to a dedicated donation site.

For more information about renovations, exhibits, and tour and support opportunities at Hartwick Pines State Park and the Memorial Building, contact historian Hillary Pine at 989-348-2537 or PineH@Michigan.gov.