Blossom Heath Inn
Posted by: 
S5280ft
N 42° 28.467 W 082° 53.194
17T E 344922 N 4704180
Locaed off the east side of Jefferson Avenue on Blossom Heath Avenue, between Kramer and Revere Streets. Parking available.
Waymark Code: WM15C7
Location: Michigan, United States
Date Posted: 01/20/2007
Views: 27
Mathew Kramer, a hotelier and yachtsman, built this roadhouse in 1911, naming it the Kramerhof. In 1920 the building was sold to William McIntosh, who renamed it the Blossom Heath Inn and added two large wings, which included an ornate ballroom. Blossom Heath was one of the most luxurious roadhouses in Michigan. Nationally known big bands, such as Ben Pollack's, drew people from Detroit and Canada. Blossom Heath became notorious for illegal drinking and gambling during Prohibition and the Depression. After McIntosh's death in 1930, the roadhouse was run by his heirs. By the late 1930s, the heyday of roadhouses was over, and in 1943 Blossom Heath was sold. The building fell into disuse, but in 1946 the village of St. Clair Shores purchased it. On May 19, 1946, it reopened as a civic center with village offices in the north wing. It became the St. Clair Shores Recreation Center in 1957.
Historical Name: Mathew Kramer, William McIntosh
Parking nearby?: yes
D/T ratings: 
Registered Site #: Local Site #0705
Historical Date: Not listed
Description: Not listed
website: Not listed
|
Visit Instructions:Take a photo of your GPS at the marker. We'd prefer a photo of you with your GPS, but we realize that sometimes that's just not possible or preferable.
Also include a bit about your visit to the marker.
NEW: Instructions for logging Missing Marker Visits.
If the Marker is missing, but still listed here, you must provide a photo of you at the actual item historically honored. (This should be the waymark's "default" image). Indicate in your log that you took your photo at the Historical Location instead of the marker, because the marker was missing. Please also still include a bit about your visit to the site.