History

The Parsonage House was built in 1860 and served as a parsonage to the Methodist Church that was located next door to the south. Pier Cove was a thriving lumber town and small port during the late 1800's.  The church was relocated to Ganges and later destroyed in a fire.  The house was purchased by a professor of history about 1982, saving the Greek Revival architecture from demolition with seasonal remodels. The current owners live in the area and assisted with exterior siding, new windows, roof, floors and other projects prior to ownership.  Upon ownership in 2002, a new floor was added to the 2nd floor, heating system, a patio in the back, a new well and several small updates continue to find life.   Winter 2021 brings kitchen and bath improvements.

The Village of Pier Cove

Surveyed in 1839, the village of Pier Cove was once hailed as “the busiest port between St. Joseph and Muskegon.” Before the Civil War, Pier Cove was a bustling community and a major point for lumber distribution, with ships departing daily carrying tanbark and cordwood to Chicago and Milwaukee. With the exhaustion of the lumber supply in the late 1860s, the fire of 1871, and the coming of the railroad, the sawmill was moved to Fennville and Pier Cove’s prosperity diminished. In the 1880s, however, fruit became a major shipping commodity. This site once overlooked the warehouse and two piers that revived the village’s economy. In 1899 a freeze killed much of the local harvest and shipping at Pier Cove was reduced to passenger traffic. Commercial activity ceased in 1917. 

Scroll to the bottom for links to other information about Pier Cove, including Shipwreck Diving!