Market file · Mason County, Michigan

Epworth Heights home appraisals

Epworth Assembly

Epworth Heights is a 270 acre summer resort of 228 privately owned cottages on Lake Michigan, per the Epworth Assembly. Methodists founded it in 1894 north of Ludington, and the grounds cross the line between Pere Marquette and Hamlin townships. Cottage sales here involve the association's own membership and transfer paperwork.

228Privately owned cottages, Epworth Assembly

270 acresResort grounds on Lake Michigan, Epworth Assembly

1894Year the Epworth League Training Assembly began (Wikipedia)

About 2,000Peak summer population, Chautauqua Trail

An association sale as much as a house sale

The Epworth Assembly posts a membership application, packets for transferring a cottage to an LLC or a trust, a transfer fee document and a 2026 fee schedule. Its rental and security rules sit behind a member login. Anyone pricing a cottage here should get those papers early. Fees and rules shape what the next owner can do with the place.

By 1909 about 100 cottages stood on the hillside lots.

Hillside lots cut in 1894

The resort sits about two miles north of Ludington between Lincoln Lake and Lake Michigan, off North Lakeshore Drive. In 1894 crews cut roads through the hills, built stairways to the shore and put up the Epworth Hotel, and lots were drawn to fit the slopes. The Pere Marquette Railroad and the First National Bank of Ludington promoted it as a future Chautauqua, which never came. About 100 cottages stood by 1909. The grounds now include a hotel, an auditorium, golf, tennis and pickleball.

Areas, lakes and neighborhoods in this file

Epworth Heights
North Epworth
Lincoln Lake
Lincoln River
North Lakeshore Drive
Pere Marquette Charter Township
Hamlin Township

Landmarks around Epworth Heights

Epworth HeightsPrivate summer community
Lincoln RiverRiver
Ludington LightLighthouse

Common questions

Can I rent out a cottage at Epworth Heights?

The Epworth Assembly keeps its cottage rental and security rules on a members only page, and asks families in its directory to contact the administration office for access. Because the grounds fall in both Pere Marquette and Hamlin townships, township rules may also apply. Hamlin Township requires a $1,000 rental permit good for three years.

Is Epworth Heights a year round neighborhood?

The Epworth Assembly calls itself a seasonal resort, and the Chautauqua Trail describes it as a summer colony whose population peaks around 2,000. The office address is 1161 North Lakeshore Drive, Ludington. Seasonal use matters for an appraisal, since heating, water service and winter access can differ from a typical year round house.