Property Details

Description

The moment you set foot on the land surrounding vintage Mossy Bank cottage, you will feel the magic that exists here on North Lake Leelanau. Transported back in time to the days of original owner, Michigan cartographer John Nellist, you can just imagine someone like Ernest Hemingway writing in a chair near the old stone fireplace. Remodeled and expanded in 1974 (by the second and current owner) with the ultimate in beauty and functionality by renowned Suttons Bay architect Roger Hummel, the current cottage is anything but cookie-cutter yet features the hallmarks of Hummel's craft throughout including the white stucco interior and exterior, the rough sawn hardwood floors and peeled cedar rafters, and the peg ladder up to the kids' sleeping loft. The original living room still contains many elements from Nellist's construction - the '1921' carved into one of the beams above the fireplace, the windows from an old school house, the fireplace swing arm from an old log cabin, the fireplace hood made from an old copper boiler, and the native hemlock floors coated with boiling linseed oil. The family room features with a cushioned window bench, built-in side tables and storage shelves/cabinets, and a giant middle table ideal for crafts, projects, and family meals. Not one detail is overlooked in the foyer, with a sliding galvanized tin boot tray, a wall for hanging items with movable pegs, and a wall of storage cabinets designed to blend into the tongue-and-groove interior (you'll find the same cabinets in the laundry room). Thoughtfully placed skylights and windows throughout fill the space with generous natural light and create architectural interest. The boiler was upgraded to a state-of-the-art system in 2023 with an on-demand water heater. The 126' of waterfront is a rippled hard-sand bottom - ideal for swimming and boating, and it's west-facing frontage hosts breathtaking sunsets. So many memories have been created here - it's time for your memories to begin.