Entire home
Emma's House-Historic House 'On the Hill' in Saugatuck
Lakefront holiday home with kitchen and fireplace
Photo gallery for Emma's House-Historic House 'On the Hill' in Saugatuck





Reviews
10 out of 10
Exceptional
4 bedrooms 2+ bathrooms Sleeps 13
Popular amenities
Explore the area

Saugatuck, MI
- Place, Butler Street2 min walk
- Place, Saugatuck Center For the Arts6 min walk
- Place, Oval Beach18 min walk
Rooms & beds
4 bedrooms (sleeps 13)
Bedroom 1
1 Double Bed
Bedroom 2
1 Queen Bed
Bedroom 3
1 Queen Bed
Bedroom 4
1 Queen Bed
2 bathrooms, 1 half bathroom
Bathroom 3
Toilet · Shower only
Full 1
Bathtub or shower · Toilet
Half 1
Toilet
Spaces
Porch or lanai
Kitchen
Outdoor play area
Garden
Dining area
About this property
Emma's House-Historic House 'On the Hill' in Saugatuck
Welcome to Miss Emma's house! This house offers a taste of history with the amenities of a modern home. Miss Emma, my great, great aunt bought the house in 1888 and the house has remained in the family since that time. Originally built in the 1860's, the house has been renovated, but retains the flavor of the original home. It is furnished throughout with many family antiques. Walk three blocks from the house and you will be in the heart of downtown Saugatuck. Restaurants, art galleries, shops and the harbor are all within walking distance. Saugatuck's Oval Beach, which has been listed as one of the most beautiful beaches in the country, is a short drive from the house. Or you may also take a ride across the river on the chain ferry and walk to the beach.
Enter the front hall and step into the original front parlour. Through the pocket doors you enter the family room with a dining area that overlooks the back yard.
A wood-burning fireplace adds to the cozy atmosphere of the room which also houses the TV, DVD player and the sleeper sofa. A new kitchen adjoins the family room and is fully furnished should you want to create a gourmet meal or cook up a quick treat. A washer, dryer and 1/2 bath line the back hall. On the back porch you will find a spray hose with warm water for a quick rinse after a trip to the beach.
Three bedrooms and a full bath are on the second floor. Two bedrooms are furnished with new, Queen-size reproduction beds and family antiques. The third bedroom is furnished with a double bed and the original Art Deco furniture of the 1920's (new mattress, of course).
The attached apartment is where the last bedroom and full bath are located as well as a fold out queen sofa, living room, spacious kitchen, and its own washer and dryer.
The apartment is conveniently all on one level. It does not have a ramp, but is handicap friendly with large doorways and a step in shower with grab bars.
Frank's Apartment, though connected to Emma's House, has its own two entrances and exits, parking area, heat and air conditioning and connecting door which can be locked or unlocked on either side for privacy.
*Please note, sometimes the apartment is available and sometimes it is not. So, sometimes only the 3 bedroom & 1.5 bath side of the house is available. In these cases, you will be given a chance to withdraw your request if this isn't enough room for your group, or if you do decide to rent, the price will be adjusted to reflect the less space ($235 off season, $300 on season)
*If you are interested in just renting the main 3 bedroom side of the house, please contact me here as well. It rents for $300/night $1840/week Memorial Weekend through Labor Day Weekend & $235/night $1450/week the rest of the year. I can adjust your rental rate manually if it comes up as the full house rate of $435/night on season or $360/night off season.
*If you are interested in renting Frank's Apartment only, please see our listing for that property #4275339 and/or contact us. It rents for $195/night Memorial Weekend through Labor Day Weekend, $1210/week. $160/night, $1000/week the rest of the year.
We are following the guidelines of the CDC and WHO in our health and safety practices ...
-Contactless check in and check out. We unlock the unit for you earlier in the day and leave a key for you to use. Then you leave the key and the place unlocked, and if possible give us a call when you check out.
-If possible, we wait several hours or a day to go over and clean after a group has left to let things settle.
-Then when we come to clean, we open all the windows and turn the fans on to air out the place.
-We wash the sheets and towels with hot water.
-Then we clean everything like usual.
-At the end we go around with the WHO recommended type of disinfecting bleach (not laundry bleach) mixed with the recommenced ratio of water and disinfect: counters, faucets and taps and shower controls, handles of appliances and doors and cabinets, light switches, AC control, lamps, remotes, soap dispensers, TV and DVD player and Roku box, info book, key, and where people frequently touch the windows and blinds.
Enter the front hall and step into the original front parlour. Through the pocket doors you enter the family room with a dining area that overlooks the back yard.
A wood-burning fireplace adds to the cozy atmosphere of the room which also houses the TV, DVD player and the sleeper sofa. A new kitchen adjoins the family room and is fully furnished should you want to create a gourmet meal or cook up a quick treat. A washer, dryer and 1/2 bath line the back hall. On the back porch you will find a spray hose with warm water for a quick rinse after a trip to the beach.
Three bedrooms and a full bath are on the second floor. Two bedrooms are furnished with new, Queen-size reproduction beds and family antiques. The third bedroom is furnished with a double bed and the original Art Deco furniture of the 1920's (new mattress, of course).
The attached apartment is where the last bedroom and full bath are located as well as a fold out queen sofa, living room, spacious kitchen, and its own washer and dryer.
The apartment is conveniently all on one level. It does not have a ramp, but is handicap friendly with large doorways and a step in shower with grab bars.
Frank's Apartment, though connected to Emma's House, has its own two entrances and exits, parking area, heat and air conditioning and connecting door which can be locked or unlocked on either side for privacy.
*Please note, sometimes the apartment is available and sometimes it is not. So, sometimes only the 3 bedroom & 1.5 bath side of the house is available. In these cases, you will be given a chance to withdraw your request if this isn't enough room for your group, or if you do decide to rent, the price will be adjusted to reflect the less space ($235 off season, $300 on season)
*If you are interested in just renting the main 3 bedroom side of the house, please contact me here as well. It rents for $300/night $1840/week Memorial Weekend through Labor Day Weekend & $235/night $1450/week the rest of the year. I can adjust your rental rate manually if it comes up as the full house rate of $435/night on season or $360/night off season.
*If you are interested in renting Frank's Apartment only, please see our listing for that property #4275339 and/or contact us. It rents for $195/night Memorial Weekend through Labor Day Weekend, $1210/week. $160/night, $1000/week the rest of the year.
We are following the guidelines of the CDC and WHO in our health and safety practices ...
-Contactless check in and check out. We unlock the unit for you earlier in the day and leave a key for you to use. Then you leave the key and the place unlocked, and if possible give us a call when you check out.
-If possible, we wait several hours or a day to go over and clean after a group has left to let things settle.
-Then when we come to clean, we open all the windows and turn the fans on to air out the place.
-We wash the sheets and towels with hot water.
-Then we clean everything like usual.
-At the end we go around with the WHO recommended type of disinfecting bleach (not laundry bleach) mixed with the recommenced ratio of water and disinfect: counters, faucets and taps and shower controls, handles of appliances and doors and cabinets, light switches, AC control, lamps, remotes, soap dispensers, TV and DVD player and Roku box, info book, key, and where people frequently touch the windows and blinds.
Add dates for prices
Amenities
Kitchen
Washing machine
Dryer
Air conditioning
Outdoor space
Parking available
Have a question?
Get instant answers with AI powered search of property information and reviews.
Similar properties

Butterfly Cottage - Unique Cottage located in Historic Downtown Saugatuck
Butterfly Cottage - Unique Cottage located in Historic Downtown Saugatuck
- Kitchen
- Washer
- Dryer
- Pet-friendly
9.6 out of 10, (213 reviews)
House Rules
Check in after 3:00 PM
Check out before 11:00 AM
Children
Children allowed: ages 0–17
Events
No events allowed
Pets
No pets allowed
Smoking
Smoking is not permitted
Important information
You need to know
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
On-site parties or group events are strictly prohibited
Host has not indicated whether there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property; consider bringing a portable detector with you on the trip
Host has indicated that there is a smoke detector on the property
Safety features at this property include a fire extinguisher and a deadlock
We should mention
A car is recommended for transport to and from this property
About the area
Saugatuck
Located in Downtown Saugatuck, a neighbourhood in Saugatuck, this holiday home is near theme parks and on a lake. The area's natural beauty can be seen at Lake Michigan and Oval Beach. Holland Community Aquatic Center and Forever Curious Children's Museum are also worth visiting. Enjoy the area's slopes with skiing, and don't miss out on the ice skating and sledging.

Saugatuck, MI
What's nearby
- Butler Street - 2 min walk - 0.2 km
- Saugatuck Center For the Arts - 6 min walk - 0.6 km
- Oval Beach - 18 min walk - 1.5 km
- Saugatuck Dunes State Park - 5 min drive - 3.2 km
- Silver Lake - 6 min drive - 4.3 km
Getting around
Restaurants
- The Butler - 7 min walk
- The Southerner - 7 min walk
- Wicks Park Bar & Grille - 3 min walk
- Ida Reds - 5 min walk
- The BARge - 4 min walk
Frequently asked questions
About the host
Hosted by Aron Lowe

I am an artist and mom of 1 baby and 6 fur babies, living with my husband, Jerod, in Fennville, MI. We coordinate the rentals for the owner, Nancy Burgin, a family friend for my whole life who lives in Ohio. I grew up in Saugatuck and my husband has lived in the area for 15 years, so feel free to ask us about the restaurants, activities and surrounding towns.
Why they chose this property
We pride ourselves on our cleanliness and we like to think we provide pretty much anything you could need in the kitchen. There is a nice yard with a privacy hedge for dinners outside, lawn games or just relaxing in the shade. The owner, Nancy, has taken care to restore the house as closely as she could back to how it looked a hundred years ago as a boarding house belonging to its namesake "Miss Emma".
What makes this property unique
Very close to the multitude of downtown delights, but far enough away to be a nice refuge from the noise and congestion of a crowded day or loud night downtown. If you rent the whole house, some of your group can take advantage of the mother- in- law apartment which is all on one level and can be locked off from the rest of the house if some of the group wants to go to bed earlier or put children to bed on that side.
Languages:
English
Tell us how we can improve our siteShare feedback