Port Austin and the shores of Saginaw Bay are enticing. So much so, Charles and Maria Larnard came from New York for lumber in 1857 and never left.
"He and his wife were friends of James Garfield," said Ellen Nolan, "and Garfield would actually travel to this home to visit the family. It is believed he had a speech from the porch area endorsing Ulysses Grant for the presidency.
Nolan and her husband Joe now run an inn in the house the Larnards built 153 years ago. They are the owners of the place the 20th president of the United States adored.
"After (Garfield) was shot, he asked the doctors to travel here and they wouldn't let him travel, of course, all that way," Ellen Nolan said.
The three largest rooms are named after the Garfields and their friends who built the house.
This bed and breakfast might be known for its history, but on the weekends live music brings some modern fun.
"It gets very busy, people dance, it's a casual atmosphere, yet it has the old European-style pub atmosphere," Nolan said.
Nolan said it is a treat to own this special piece of local, and even, American history.
"Homes just aren't built this way anymore and its an enjoyment to take care of it and to share it with people," she said. "Yes that's the best part."
Find out more about the Inn at www.thegarfieldinn.com.
