Earl Young Gnome Houses, Stone architectural structures in Charlevoix, Michigan, United States.
The collection consists of twenty-six residential houses and four commercial buildings constructed with indigenous limestone, fieldstone, and large boulders from Northern Michigan.
Self-taught builder Earl Young started constructing these distinctive stone houses in 1919, developing his architectural vision over a fifty-year career in Charlevoix.
The buildings feature cedar-shake roofs, wide eaves, exposed rafter tails, and horizontal designs that integrate with the natural landscape of the Michigan shoreline.
Visitors can obtain self-guided tour maps at the Charlevoix Visitors Center at 109 Mason Street to explore the exterior of these privately owned residences.
The Half House stands out in the collection for its asymmetrical design that creates an optical illusion of being split down the middle.
Location: Charlevoix
GPS coordinates: 45.31777,-85.26437
Latest update: March 9, 2025 13:46
Michigan holds a wide array of natural and historical sites across its two peninsulas. The shoreline runs for hundreds of miles along the Great Lakes, showing sand beaches, rocky cliffs, and dune formations. In the north, dense forests, waterfalls, and rock formations shaped by erosion dominate the landscape. Lighthouses from the 19th century mark key points along the waterways. Historical sites document the region's development, from military posts to industrial monuments. Visitors can explore places like Pictured Rocks, where colored sandstone cliffs rise directly above the water, or Sleeping Bear Dunes, where sand piles up to 450 feet (137 meters) high. Mackinac Bridge connects the two peninsulas with a span of roughly 5 miles (8 kilometers). At Hartwick Pines State Park, pine trees stand several centuries old. Tahquamenon Falls ranks among the larger waterfalls east of the Mississippi. On Mackinac Island, Fort Mackinac dates to the 18th century, while the Heidelberg Project in Detroit presents contemporary art in an urban setting. This collection presents both natural and human-made sites across a region that stretches over both of Michigan's peninsulas.
Ernest Hemingway Cottage
21.2 km
Fisherman's Island State Park
9 km
Young State Park
19.4 km
Odawa Casino Resort
22.7 km
Charlevoix South Pier Light Station
284 m
US 31–Island Lake Outlet Bridge
461 m
Greensky Hill church
6.3 km
J. M. Wells House
24.5 km
Mt. McSauba Site
2.3 km
John J. and Eva Reynier Porter Estate
17.4 km
St. Francis Solanus Mission
24.1 km
John Kabler House
24 km
Shafer's Grocery and Residence
24.5 km
George Schantz House and Store
24.3 km
Pine River Site
316 m
Jacob Miller House
24.2 km
Grace Methodist Episcopal Church
23.9 km
Boyne City Central Historic District
22.9 km
Sarah Pennington House
23.8 km
Boyne City Water Works Building
23.3 km
Isaac Bartram House
24.4 km
O'Neill Site
7.2 km
A. Malin House
24.3 km
Horton Bay School
15.1 km
Charlevoix City Park Site
488 m
Elias Meyers House
24.4 km
W. S. Carmichael House
24.2 km
Frank Lesher House
24.4 kmReviews
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