Lions Club Plaque - Lawton Community Center and Museum - Lawton, MI - Lions Clubs International Markers on Waymarking.com

On the sign for the Lawton Community Center and Museum in Lawton, Michigan is the Lions Club International Symbol. The facility was a vineyard and winery until 1990 when the Lawton Lions Club purchased the property and converted it.

Text from the State of Michigan historical marker at the site:

Grape growing began in Lawton in 1868 when A. B. Jones planted 100 vines. By 1900 many eastern Van Buren County farmers converted their land to vineyards. In 1903 the Lawton Vineyard Company built a winery on this site, which William C. Houppert purchased in 1933. The region’s grape production peaked in 1939. During the harvest the Houppert Winery took in 200 to 400 tons of grapes daily. On June 7, 1940, Houppert’s prosperity ended when fire destroyed the complex. Houppert rebuilt the winery, but he never recovered financially. In 1943 he sold the property to the predecessor of the Warner Vineyards of Paw Paw, which operated the winery through the 1970s. In 1990 the Lawton Lions Club purchased the winery and rehabilitated it as a community center and museum.

Street Address (if known): 646 N Nursery St. Lawton, MI USA 49065 Condition?: Excellent

Visit Instructions:
1) Please provide a photo you have taken of the Friendship Arch, Monument or Plaque.

2) If known, please indicate the operating Lions Club responsible for the placement of the Friendship Arch, Monument or Plaque.

3) Any other information regarding your visit would be greatly appreciated.

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