LAKETOWN TOWNSHIP, Mich. — A nearly century-old mansion in Laketown Township is poised to receive ongoing support with the inception of the Friends of the Felt Estate Endowment Fund.
The Felt Mansion, located on 138th Avenue, was built in 1925–28 by millionaire Dorr Felt, according to township officials.
Felt is credited with the invention of the comptometer, a device that preceded the calculator.
We’re told the St. Augustine Seminary bought the estate after Felt and his wife passed on, later coming into state ownership in the ‘70s. The land was used as the setting for a prison and police post until the former shut down in 1992.
The township says it purchased the estate, and volunteers worked to restore the mansion starting in 2002.
The Friends of the Felt Estate Endowment Fund, overseen by the Community Foundation of the Holland/Zeeland Area (CFHZ), aims to preserve the mansion for current and future generations to appreciate.
“When the fund grows, it will provide long-term stability for the estate,” says Felt Estate Operations Director Patty Meyer, who had a hand in creating the fund.
Citing Meyer, the township says a reserve fund of $25,000 was procured for community investment, stemming from soaring rentals at the mansion.
The endowment fund allows public donations to be made in support of the estate, the township says. We’re told fund organizers may draw 4% from the account per year.
“Right now, that isn’t a great deal of money, but our hope and belief is that it will grow over the years and eventually be something that helps sustain the Felt,” Meyer adds.
Visit CFHZ’s website to make a donation to the endowment fund.
