The beach and pavillion at Highland Park. Courtesy
Loch Hame was the first home built in the Highland Park cottage neighborhood in Grand Haven. Courtesy
boardwalks or ‘bridges’ connected across the highest dunes in the Park. Courtesy
David S. Hopkins owned the Highland Park Castle. He was a prolific designer and architect who originated the mail order system of selling residential architectural plans to homeowners in North America. Courtesy
The Lindenloft cottage is the sole cottage of Highland Park to remain in the same family and retain its original name through the years. Courtesy
Karen A. Lowe wrote The Historic Cottages of Highland Park to commemorate and document the 100 historic Grand Haven cottages Courtesy The Historic Cottages of Highland Park
The historic cottages of Highland Park in Grand Haven overlook the beach and Lake Michigan. Courtesy The Historic Cottages of Highland Park
The oldest existing plat for Highland Park. Courtesy
Capt. Jack Walker's bath house. Courtesy
A post card from Highland Park, Grand Haven. Courtesy
The bath house and giant slides at Highland Park beach (1915). Courtesy
In her book, The Historic Cottages of Highland Park, Karen Lowe explores the history of this unique enclave along the shores of Lake Michigan. Highland Park sits near the Grand Haven State Park with Lake Avenue to the north and Grand Avenue to the south. Our series offers excerpts from the book. Here it is, in its entirety. For more information or to buy a copy of the book, visit lulu.com or any local bookseller.
Highland Park is one of the oldest summer cottage resorts in the state, and it has a unique history. Discover the mariners, artists, and industrialists who made Highland Park what it is.
![]()
Courtesy The Historic Cottages of Highland ParkKaren A. Lowe wrote The Historic Cottages of Highland Park to commemorate and document the 100 historic Grand Haven cottages
March 5
Discover historic Highland Park — one of the state's oldest summer cottage resorts
March 11
The hometown heroes who made Highland Park possible
March 18
Capt. Jack Walker and his Highland Park menagerie
![]()
Courtesyboardwalks or ‘bridges’ connected across the highest dunes in the Park.
March 25
A cottage 'to beat all other cottages' — Grand Haven's Highland Park cottages rich in history
April 8
Historic Highland Park residents included artists and industrialists
April 15
The very first cottage at Highland Park worked with the park's natural beauty
![]()
CourtesyThe Lindenloft cottage is the sole cottage of Highland Park to remain in the same family and retain its original name through the years.
April 22
Final installment: Highland Park's history lives on
![]()
Courtesy Karen LoweKaren Lowe
Prior to her election to Grand Haven City Council, Karen Lowe served as commissioner on the city’s Historic Conservation District Commission. She holds a Masters in Business Administration degree from Washington University and a Bachelor’s of Science degree in nursing from the University of Illinois. Recently retired, she was a partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers and a vice president and general manager at IBM.
Enjoy this story?
Sign up for free solutions-based reporting in your inbox each week.