Felt fundraiser brings in money for repairs

The glitz, glamour and music were all about fun for the participants at the Felt Mansion’s Holiday Unveiling on Nov. 29, 2025, but the fundraiser brought in some serious cash for critical renovations at the nearly century-old structure in Laketown Township.

“Despite a significant snowstorm rolling in the evening of the Holiday Unveiling, Laketown neighbors and guests gathered for a warm and lively celebration at the Felt Mansion,” said Elizabeth McEwen, executive director of the Felt Estate. “We are grateful to everyone who braved the weather (and to those who supported the event from afar!) for helping make this year’s unveiling a success.”

The event brought in $10,031 which will go to the restoration of the mansion’s front portico.

Portico repairs

The sandstone columns of the grand entrance are cracked and crumbling, the balustrade atop the portico is nearly gone, and the entablature modillions are nearly unrecognizable. The original blueprints show a copper roof somewhere under the years of patches and rubber mats.

“We are getting to the point where water is going to infiltrate the house and threaten the interior restoration work that’s already been completed,” McEwen said in an earlier interview.

The Friends of the Felt Estate, the group that oversees the property, recently received a $5,000 National Trust Preservation Fund grant to support an architectural engineering investigation into that front portico.

The Laketown Township Building Authority has asked the township board for funds for the engineering. The township board will consider the request at its meeting on Thursday, Dec. 11, at the township hall, 4338 Beeline Road.

McEwen and township Manager Stephanie Fox, also a member of the Building Authority, will give a presentation on the need for the study.

The Holiday Unveiling

The Nov. 29 fundraiser called “Holiday Unveiling: Glitz. Glamour. Gatsby!” featured participants in 1920s attire, music and dancing. The event was funded by Friends of the Felt Estate, a 501c3 non-profit.

The iconic novel “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald was first published in 1925, which is also the year construction began on the mansion, 6597 138^th Ave.

“We appreciate the continued support of Laketown residents as we work together to preserve this significant part of our community’s history and ensure that the property remains a place for education, enjoyment, and civic pride,” McEwen said.

Those at the mansion were the first members of the public to see the holiday decorations and the more than 60 Christmas trees and more than 50,000 lights and candles.

Tours of the mansion are now underway.

Self-guided tours typically last about an hour and tour booklets are available at check-in. Self-guided tour admission can be reserved online or paid upon arrival. Guided tours must be reserved online, and typically last one to one and a half hours.

For complete details, visit https://www.feltmansion.org/holidays

The Felt Mansion is handicap accessible on the first floor only. Visitors must be able to navigate steps in order to view the upper levels.

About the mansion

The owner of the mansion was Dorr Felt, inventor of the Comptometer, the first machine that could do all four math functions — add, subtract, multiply and divide. The building was finished in 1928.

Felt’s wife, Agnes, died in 1928, six weeks after the house was complete. Dorr died two years later.

The property went on to serve as a minor seminary for the Augustinian order (attended by Pope Leo XIV), a state prison, and a Michigan State Police post before the property was purchased by Laketown Township.

Today, following years of restoration by the Friends of the Felt Estate, the mansion is a top cultural, educational, and event destination, welcoming thousands of visitors annually.